The National Park and Recreation Association, like many accrediting agencies, publishes a set of competencies that students are required to exhibit. Students who take the introductory course in recreation and leisure studies at Springfield College begin to acquire such competencies through their final project, a REAL (Recreation, Education and Leisure) experience comprised of twenty hours of service with a community agency and a report on the experience. The project provides a ready avenue for students to gain such competencies as: understanding the impact of recreation on life in American society; knowing the physical, social, and cognitive benefits of leisure; knowing the impact of gender, age, race/ethnicity, and values in leisure opportunity and choice; and understanding some of the issues that face professionals in the leisure field.

From

Service Matters 1998: Engaging Higher Education In the Renewal of America s Communities and American Democracy

Contact: Matthew J. Pantera, chairperson of the Recreation and Tourism Department, at (413) 748-3693 or the Admissions Office at (800) 343-1257.