1. PRPS membership (of sponsoring agency or person from agency submitting the award) is required to submit an entry.

2. The program, publication or promotion must have been offered or produced during the current PRPS membership year.

3. Previous PRPS award-winning programs, publications or promotions may not be resubmitted for consideration unless there have been substantial changes to content or format. An explanation of these changes is required.

4. Agencies may submit entries into each category listed under Excellence in Programming and/or Publication/Promotion Awards; however, there is a limit to one entry per category and only one category per entry.

5. The following number of awards will be presented based on the final
number of entries in a category:

1 - 5 entries = 1 award
6 - 10 entries = 2 awards
11+ entries = 3 awards

6. Categories with 11 or more final entries will be further divided into
classes of population served by the agency:

a. up to 20,000
b. 20,001 to 50,000
c. 50,001 to 75,000
(d) greater than 75,000

EXCELLENCE IN PROGRAMMING

Categories for Submission

a. Children & Youth: a program designed for any group of children aged preschool through middle school

b. Teen: a program designed for high school and/or college aged participants

c. Family: a program designed for family interest and participation

d. Adult: a program designed for participants aged 21 and older

e. Senior Adults: a program designed specifically for individuals aged 55 years and older

f. People with Disabilities in the Community Setting: a program offered in a community venue designed to address the needs of one or more special populations. The program must either (1) integrate people of all abilities into the same community program; or (2) address the specific needs of the special population within the framework of a community program.

g. Special Events: a one-day, one-time or annual small-scale event or activity offered to the general community or to a specific target group

h. Community Festivals & Celebrations: a one-day, one-time, annual or periodic large-scale community event with (1) simultaneous activities and/or entertainment (2) in one or more venues (3) involving coordination of multiple services and/or volunteers; (4) the leisure agency must be one of the lead organizers or planners

i. Environmental Education: an environmentally based educational or interpretive program offered to the general public or to a specific target group

j. Performing / Cultural / Fine Arts: a program focusing on one or more of the arts geared toward the general public or a specific target group

k. Health / Fitness / Wellness: a program or event focusing on improving or sustaining an improved quality of life geared toward the general public or a specific target group

l. Aquatics: any aquatics program geared toward the general public or a specific target group

m. College / University Student: any program organized by recreation and park majors for themselves, other students, a specific target group on campus or for the general public (programs developed by an agency for college-age students do not qualify; see “Teen” or “Adult”)

n. Historical / Social / Cultural Site*: a site or facility owned, leased or operated by a leisure agency that is historically, socially or culturally significant or unique and is used for recreation, park or leisure programs

o. Maintenance Program or Technique*: a maintenance program or technique performed, supervised or completed by any leisure agency that demonstrates either (1) unique, outstanding or significant uses of funding, material and/or human resources; or (2) unique time, labor and/or money-saving methods

p. Public / Private Partnership*: this category is intended to highlight the partnership and collaboration (NOT the outcome, program or publication) between a public leisure services agency and one or more private sector affiliates (individual, group, organization, business, corporation) that results in one or more programming, maintenance, fund raising, preservation, construction or rehabilitation initiatives to benefit the general community or specific population served by the agency

q. Volunteer Involvement*: this category is intended to highlight the strictly volunteer, uncompensated community service efforts of any PRPS member, beyond employer-assigned responsibilities (i.e. Scouts, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, American Red Cross, church or synagogue; service organizations, etc.)

* special forms have been created for subcategories "m." through "q."

AGENCY PUBLICATION & PROMOTION

categories for submission

a. Annual Report: a report published in summary of the year’s activities that includes written text, photographs, graphs, grids, etc.

b. Park / Facility Information Guide: written text, maps, photographs and/or grids describing a park, park system, park facility or recreational facility.

c. Program Publication / Guide: general information, general purpose
publication used for promotion and advertisement of programs or services

Subcategories:

(a) Community	(d)  State Parks
(b) Educators	(e)  Therapeutic Recreation
(c) Park Resources	(f)  Commercial and Resort

d. Unique Forms of Advertising or Promotion: uncommon promotions used to communicate the agency’s mission or slogan or an unusual format used to promote or market a specific initiative or project (i.e. videos, bulletin boards, hand-outs, hot air balloons, banners, skywriting, costumed performers). WEB SITES ARE NOT ELIGIBLE FOR CONSIDERATION!