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BACK IN BLACK: RPTA SHINES AGAIN AT CPRS

By Kevin Mould (RPTA '14), Staff Writer

When it comes to the field of parks and recreation, there are few organizations that bring as many companies and professionals together as the California Park and Recreation Society (CPRS). And when it comes to student members with CPRS, there are no equals to RPTA at Cal Poly. For the third year in a row, Cal Poly students donning black-colored polo shirts with Cal Poly gold lettering dominated CPRS's annual conference, the California & Pacific Southwest Park and Recreation Training Conference that occurred March 8-11, 2011 in Sacramento.

RPTA junior Kacianne Knighton attended this year’s conference and said there is an abundance of activities and events in which to participate and the educational oppportunities are immense. First, there is the exhibit hall, which brings companies together to showcase their products and equipment such as playground equipment, turf, or architectural and landscape designs. In addition, the conference hosts numerous seminars and educational sessions that provide students and professionals alike with new skills and knowledge. One such seminar, says Knighton, dealt with sustainable design. Since companies are now leaning towards sustainability in their designs, she points out that, “seminars like these are essential to us because we are their future employees.”

In general the conference presents a great opportunity for students to network and talk with professionals in their desired field; a mentoring program that teams students up with industry professionals continues to provide added support to future college graduates. By participating in this program, students can acquire valuable contact information and learn about various potential internship opportunities. In addition, the RPTA department organized and held a social that involved RPTA students, faculty, and alumni interacting with professionals from District 8 of CPRS and attending a Sacramento Kings versus Orlando Magic basketball game. Attendees were treated to a pre-game tour of ARCO Arena and a talk with the Kings' VP of Ticket Sales. Twenty lucky students were also able to go courtside during the Magic pre-game shoot-around.

With its variety of seminars, displays and networking opportunities, the CPRS conference is a great place for both students and professionals alike to broaden their horizons and learn more about the parks and recreation field.

Back to Winter 2011 newsletter

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