Maine Recreation and Park Association Receives $100,000.00 Community Recreation Assistance Recovery Program (CORA) Grant! January – August 2025
As a statewide advocate and resource for professionals delivering essential services through recreation, parks and facilities. MRPA, in collaboration with Community Geographics, has received a CORA Grant to create a more equitable, sustainable and resilient outdoor industry. The goal has been to further identify outdoor recreation and transportation opportunities for tourists and Mainers living with disabilities whose experiences and needs have informed the creation of outdoor resources, maintenance and communication.
Work is underway in Augusta, Biddeford, Bridgton, Gray, Kennebunk, Searsmont, Scarborough, Wilton, Yarmouth and York to consult on increasing access to outdoor recreation spaces and infrastructure and communications for accessibility. This has included site visits at each location aimed at identifying physical and informational barriers that prevent more people from accessing and enjoying trails and outdoor spaces. Many small, quick changes and improvements have been identified that can be made right away to eliminate and minimize barriers and increase the usability of trails.
As a part of the grant award, MRPA has created an equity toolkit to assist these communities in the creation of an action plan to serve as a purposeful, step by step guide to transforming their equity goals into tangible outcomes. This toolkit helps to ensure that there is a blueprint to guide progress.
The final phase of grant funded work will be the completion of improved content (to include descriptions and photos) for trails that are assessed that are currently posted on Maine Trail Finder or that need to be added to the site. https://www.mainetrailfinder.com/
The Community Recreation Assistance Recovery Program is funded through the US Economic Development Administration (EDA), American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Travel, Tourism and Outdoor Recreation State Grant.
MRPA Board of Directors Approved the following Community Agreement on December 15, 2023
A Community Agreement is helpful for setting the rules of engagement in meetings, with the purpose of building a sense of community, and setting clear expectations and boundaries. It is about setting the rules of how to work together – less about WHAT to do, and more about THE WAY we do it. If we just assume we are all using the same rules of engagement – we may find we are frequently wrong. It’s about setting guidelines for the way in which we show up and participate in conversations, with an awareness of power dynamics and with the effort to build trust.
RESPECT – Listen for understanding and be respectful of each other and the views of others.
EMPOWER YOURSELF – Bring your whole self to this space. Respect your own mind, body and spirit and vocalize and process your experience as you see fit.
ACCOUNTABILITY – Accept responsibility for your words and actions. Be aware of your power, positionality, and privilege.
ONGOING LEARNING – Engage with materials and new information with curiosity and an open mind. Have courage to challenge ideas and ask questions to seek understanding. Recognize that everyone is at different points in their learning and give room for others to learn without judgment.
SPEAK YOUR TRUTH – Say what you know to be true for you and your experience and not someone else’s experience.
CONFIDENTIALITY – Personal information shared in workshops or meetings should not be shared outside the session. Lessons go. Stories stay.
WAIT (Why am I talking?) – Be conscious of why you are (or are not) sharing. Be willing to share airtime with others in the group.
EXPECT NON-CLOSURE – Not every question or challenge can be resolved in one session or meeting.
MPRA Board of Directors Approved the following DEI Mission Statement on October 13, 2022.
MRPA strives to actively engage considerations of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in all aspects of our association. This includes, but is not limited to, how we function and make decisions as a Board of Directors, how we prepare professional development opportunities for our members, how we solicit sponsors for our events, and how we communicate with our members. Being intentional about our DEI mission is essential to improving the quality of life for all and further advancing the parks and recreation profession in Maine.
To be effective in this work, the MRPA DEI committee goals are to:
- Encourage representation of diverse lived experiences (diversity)
- Create and promote equal, open access to everyone (equity)
- Provide an environment where all members have a sense of belonging (inclusion)
Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion
In response to the events that occurred in the United States in 2020, the Maine Recreation and Parks Association (MRPA) would like to take a moment to acknowledge the inequality and injustice that black people, and all people of color, disproportionately face in the U.S. MRPA stands in solidarity with communities of color and condemns discrimination and racism in all its forms. We believe that black lives matter.
It has never been more important for the Recreation and Parks Community to be a leading voice for social equity and inclusion. Our communities are visiting our public spaces in record numbers to find the physical and mental health solutions that parks and recreation uniquely provide. MRPA is in the community building business – the business of creating joy and supporting health and well-being. As we follow our path to recovery, let us make sure we are opening our spaces and rebuilding our programs in service of our fundamental belief that everyone deserves great parks and programs.