Eppley Center for Parks and Public Lands

Are you planning a trip to Indiana this summer? Our senior program manager, Colleen Durkin-Blackburn, is quoted in the Limestone Post regarding amazing accessible must-see attractions in Indiana. Make sure you check out the article below to plan the ultimate accessible summer trip!

Accessibility-Friendly Parks and Places, an Indiana Travel Guide Writer Laurie Borman explores 13 Hoosier spots designed with accessibility in mind.

We are delighted to announce our team members Colleen Durkin-Blackburn and Kate Wiltz will be presenting "An Intro to Web Accessibility Requirements for Park and Recreation Professionals" in partnership with Indiana Park & Recreation Association. This educational webinar explores the U.S. Department of Justice’s ADA Title II requirements for web and mobile accessibility, with a focus on parks and recreation settings.

Learn more about the webinar: https://www.inpra.org/event-calendar #!event/2026/7/13/an-intro-to-web-accessibility-requirements-for-park-and-recreation-professionals

Today marks the first day of National Garden Week! National Garden Week spans June 7-13, 2026. Have you always wanted to start a community garden but don't know where to start? Our course "Creating a Community Through Gardens" walks you through the steps of taking a community garden from an idea to a reality over the course of the year.

Make your community garden dreams a reality by enrolling today!

Learn more about this course: https://expand.iu.edu/browse/iidc/eppley/courses/creating-a-community-through-gardens

Happy World Environment Day! World Environment Day was created to draw attention and action to protecting the environment. Learn more about your organization's impact on the environment with our online course "An Environmental Audit Primer." This easy-to-understand course will guide you through the steps to pursue an audit, complete with corrective actions and a closing meeting.

Learn more about this course: https://expand.iu.edu/browse/iidc/eppley/profskills/courses/an-environmental-audit-primer

In today’s fast-paced work environment, the best investment we can make is in ourselves! That’s why we’re excited to tell you about the opportunity to sharpen your talents through our online training platform.

For the rest of the month of June, we are offering a special Buy One, Get One Free on all courses in our online Professional Skills catalog linked here: https://expand.iu.edu/browse/iidc/eppley/profskills

Whether you're looking to master project management, foster time management, or improve your writing, public speaking, or leadership skills, our curated courses are designed to help you build real-world, career-boosting expertise on your schedule*.

Let’s make this your biggest month of growth yet!

*BOGO deal applies only to the 50+ courses in the Professional Skills catalog from June 4th through June 30, 2026. Your personalized code for a free course will be sent via email within one business day of initial purchase.

Did you know that Eppley has almost 200 online courses? All of Eppley’s online courses are created in collaboration with experts in their field. You can count on Eppley to bring you research-based, expert-informed, online learning experiences every time you enroll.
Learn more about our courses at: https://expand.iu.edu/browse/iidc/eppley

Get ready—the 2026 National Conference on the Value of Play kicks off next week, Tuesday, April 28! 🎉 Online registration closes tomorrow, Friday, April 24 at 11:59 PM ET and will reopen for day-of registration on Tuesday, April 28. Registration can be accessed via our conference site: https://usplaycoalition.org/conference/2026_conference.html

Before you hit the road to Bloomington, don't forget to:
✔️ Register by Friday, April 24
✔️ Double-check your travel itinerary
✔️ Pack your bags
✔️ Download GooseChase and enter join code H2JTL2
✔️ & Get ready to play!

We’ll see you there!

This is no April Fool's joke 🙃 If you haven't checked out the draft schedule for the 2026 conference, don't forget to take a peek at the fantastic lineup of speakers, sessions, Play Hub activities, evening socials, and more!

Three play-filled days of research, training, education, and purpose are coming to Indiana University Bloomington April 28-30, 2026, for the National Conference on the Value of Play, Play &!. Be sure to check out our conference website for the draft schedule, registration, and key information leading up to the main event. We hope to see you there!

https://usplaycoalition.org/conference/2026_conference.html