Education and Training Department Overview

As part of a premier risk management pool for public entities, the PDRMA Education and Training Department provides members with cost effective, high quality training materials. Tailored to the parks and recreation industry, our training programs support the effective management of human and financial resources as well as promote safe and healthy environments for work and play.

The department acts as a resource center for programs and materials, provides referral and consulting services, and serves as a coordinating point for training opportunities.

Education and Training Operational Principles

• Given the integral link between quality training and successful risk management programs, educational initiatives will complement and support the Risk Management Review Process.
• Provide cost-effective park and recreation-specific training opportunities and resources that reach a broad range of the membership, addressing specific needs based on PDRMA agency loss trends and member training needs.
• Establish training and program goals, and design programs that provide member participants with the tools to recognize and resolve issues specific to the park and recreation community.
• Whenever possible, provide performance-oriented training that includes practical applications in “hands-on” sessions, group learning, case studies, role playing and/or problem solving, to help participants retain knowledge and reproduce the learned skills upon returning to their site.
• Use highly qualified presenters who are subject matter experts in their fields.
• Serve as a resource center for training program opportunities and materials, as well as provide referral and training consulting services.
• Make available resource materials that participants can utilize on the job.
• Offer member training opportunities with consideration given to geographic location and facility quality.
• Include in all educational sessions a course evaluation and a follow-up system to assess participants' perceptions of training programs and allow for feedback to improve future training programs.
• Offer Continuing Education Units (CEUs) when possible to assist members in maintaining professional certifications.

Education and Training Administration

Education and Training Committee

As a means to gain member agency input, feedback and direction for education and training programs, the PDRMA Education and Training Committee was established. Members of the Education and Training Committee come from agencies of various types and sizes within the membership and bring a wide range of experience and knowledge to education and training programming.

The committee meets formally twice a year and discusses training-related topics such as:

• Potential new member training topics
• Program design and delivery
• Technology and training
• Risk Management Institute
• Human Resources Employment Liability Program (HELP)
• Multimedia Library

If you are interested in learning more about the committee, contact PDRMA Education and Training at training@pdrma.org.

Maps of Locations

• Drury Lane
• Northern Illinois University - Naperville Campus
• NIPSTA

CEUs

To assist members in maintaining their professional certifications, PDRMA makes every effort to provide Continuing Education Units (CEUs) for our educational programs. PDRMA makes application to the Illinois Park and Recreation Association (IPRA) for CEU approval for eligible educational classes. The attendee is responsible for paying the $5 CEU fee. Certain PDRMA programs that deal with "PDRMA-specific" information (i.e., a Claims Reporting for Supervisors Workshop) are not eligible for CEUs. The $5 CEU fee is in addition to the cost of the PDRMA class.

To Suggest a Training Program

PDRMA makes every effort to accommodate the risk management, safety, human resources, management and wellness related training needs of the PDRMA membership as a whole. Member training programs and resources are developed and offered based on several criteria including training needs analysis surveys, Loss Control Review reports, and loss and exposure information.

Most PDRMA training programs are offered in the spring and fall/winter months, leaving the summer months open for members to focus on their programming and maintenance tasks. Core PDRMA training programs such as Defensive Driving, Claims Reporting for Supervisors, and Playground Inspector Training are offered at regional locations each spring and fall/winter session.

Although PDRMA tries to schedule training programs for the convenience of members, individual circumstances vary. If you are unable to attend a program due to scheduling conflicts, alternative educational resources may be available. PDRMA has compiled a wide variety of other training resources that can assist in meeting your training needs. Please contact PDRMA Education and Training to discuss other possible training solutions.

Your thoughts and opinions are important to PDRMA. If you find a training resource you feel would be valuable to others, have a suggestion for a future program, or are interested in hosting a PDRMA training class, please email PDRMA Education and Training at training@pdrma.org.

Staff