Changes at Congress allow for members to get the most out of programs.

After meeting in Reno, Nev. this past winter to plan for the 2004 Congress, the 39 members of the National Recreation and Park Association Program Committee decided to make some educational programming changes.

After reviewing the previous year's attendance at various programs, the committee found that an attendee participating in every session timeslot could attend a total of 14 sessions during Congress. They also found that at points during the event, 27 different sessions were being held in one given timeslot, many of these competing for the same type of attendees. So many sessions for the same topics were being held at once and frustrated attendees couldn't receive the educational benefits they were looking for.

To remedy the situation, the Program Committee would like to create a more balanced schedule. This year, with 13 different timeslots being offered at Congress, each branch will be allotted one session per timeslot. This will ensure that a branch member can attend all the educational sessions that deal with his/her topic. Management, diversity and professional development will also be spread across all 13 timeslots so they are available to all members.

"Though this approach alters the past format of educational sessions, the committee agreed that the end-result would be a strong, well-balanced educational experience for all attendees," says 2004 NRPA Congress Program Committee Chair Marc Heirshberg in a written statement. "We will continue to monitor each Congress in an effort to provide the best possible learning experience for all attendees."

To register or get more information about the 2004 NRPA Congress in Reno, Nev., log onto the NRPA Web site, www.nrpa.org.