City of Boulder Parks and Recreation Department (BPR) Receives National Accreditation for Outstanding Service

The City of Boulder Parks and Recreation Department is proud to announce their earned accreditation from the Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies (CAPRA), the only national accreditation program for park and recreation agencies in the United States. This milestone confirms that Boulder meets rigorous standards for operational excellence, accountability and service to the community.

CAPRA accreditation is an objective evaluation of an agency's performance across multiple areas including governance, resource management, facility operations, programming and risk management. Achieving CAPRA accreditation means BPR:

• Meets nationally accepted best practices
• Emphasizes continuous improvement
• Demonstrates accountability and responsiveness to community members, partners and supporters
• Embeds quality systems into daily operations and long-term planning

Agencies must reapply every five years to maintain accreditation, ensuring they continue to meet high-quality performance standards and community needs.

Following a thorough review, the official CAPRA Visitation Team determined that BPR met 151 out of the 154 standards (98%). Further, the CAPRA team recognized BPR for its leadership in advancing equity and inclusion. They stated:

"BPR's dedication to inclusivity stood out as a defining strength. The team is unwavering in its support of community members from all backgrounds, ages and cultures, ensuring that their programs are accessible and welcoming to all. BPR's impact is rooted in a commitment to equity and community well-being."

The CAPRA team highlighted several examples of this commitment, including:

• The EXPAND Program, a therapeutic recreation program that supports people with disabilities and builds life skills, social confidences, cognitive skills and physical and leisure education through an array of guided activities.
• The department's strategic plan and mission, which prioritize equitable practices, inclusivity and community well-being.
• A strong internal culture of support, where staff are valued for their diverse strengths, backgrounds and expertise.

"Accreditation holds us accountable to our mission, assuring our community that their tax dollars are going to a well-run parks and recreation system. With this accreditation, we are committed to continuous improvement and always striving for the highest performance in parks and recreation. I am so proud of our team for meeting this standard of excellence, and for committing to always asking ourselves "Are we always improving?" says Director of Parks and Recreation, Ali Rhodes.

To date, there are only 231 accredited agencies nationwide - less than 2% of the more than 10,000 parks and recreation agencies. More information about the BPR's CAPRA journey in this video. Additional CAPRA community impacts and details can be found on NRPA's website.