A survey of 258 black, Hispanic and white students in grades 7 to 9 was undertaken in Racine, Wisconsin, to determine student perceptions regarding their neighborhood community center and to discover differences in attendance patterns among the three ethnic groups. The subjects responded to a questionnaire which elicited information on frequency…

This guide is the ninth in a series of eleven generated in 1978 as the result of workshops that focused on peer training, a different approach to teaching. The workshops provided the opportunity for members of eleven identified role groups to work together with peers to examine the relationship between their specific role group and community…

Because the kibbutz in Israel is work-oriented, leisure activities play a small role in the lives of the people; recreation most often takes the form of intellectual pursuits, reading, discussion, and participation in group activities such as an occasional game of soccer. (JD)

This article reports on the scope of activities and the effectiveness of a Colorado program that trained community park and recreation personnel to carry out local cardiac wellness services. Participants were trained to provide rehabilitation and fitness activities for those recovering from heart attacks or surgery and for other high-risk persons.…

Public recreation administrators have often created bland recreational settings because of legislation, policies, and lawsuits. It is time to reintroduce the opportunity for adventurous, professionally managed risk experiences. Safe activities which give children a sense of risk are discussed, and points to be considered when organizing such…

Over 200 county park agencies were surveyed to determine: (1) what kinds of recreational services they provided; (2) the age and origin of visitors; (3) park acreage and its relationship to county population; and (4) the number and type of employees. Implications for the future role of county parks are discussed. (PP)

Water-play parks, a relatively new recreational concept, represent an excellent and highly lucrative development opportunity for public parks and recreation departments. Location, site requirements, construction costs, expected revenue return, and activities and facilities appropriate for these parks are discussed. (PP)

The development of an instrument to measure the satisfaction of those participating in community recreation programs is described. The resulting instrument investigates seven dimensions of participant satisfaction: achievement, family escape, environment, risk, autonomy, physical fitness, and social enjoyment. Suggestions for use of the instrument…

Fitness is defined as both freedom from disease and as a state of physical and emotional well being. In 1977, the City of New Rochelle launched City Fit, its own approach to fitness. City Fit was developed to take fitness programs and demonstrations to the general population. (JN)

The problem of inadequate budgetary support for municipal recreation and park departments has been aggravated by new austerity measures. A study of administrative issues in 68 cities indicated that college and university educators should focus on professional preparation programs that adjust to these new limitations responsively and innovatively.…

There are striking parallels between American schooling and American children's baseball. Coaches and teachers should talk to each other. Both would learn something about learning techniques and about dealing with children, and much about dealing with parents. (Author/SJL)

A programing model for allocating labor resources is presented in relation to the annual planning, budgeting, and manpower staffing of a park maintenance program. The advantages resulting from the use of this model are: (1) optimum allocation of resources; (2) resolution between conflicting goals; and (3) reevaluation of goal priorities. (JN)

Project INSPIRE (Indiana Special Population Institutes for Recreation Educators), assisted by a team of 61 experts, identified 16 minimum competencies necessary for entry-level professionals in the field of recreation to serve special populations in community recreation. (JN)

The case studies presented in this volume offer comparative examples of undergraduate international education innovations in a wide variety of categories: curriculum, study abroad, community outreach, faculty development, and international students. The studies were conducted in the mid-1990s, and programs had to meet several criteria: they had to…