The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) won the national gold medal award for excellence in park and recreation management for the first time in 35 years on Oct. 9.

The MPRB earned the award, given by the National Recreation and Park Association, by submitting an application that highlighted the organization’s efforts to improve equity and accessibility, according to MPRB’s award application. Projects like Spark’d Studios, JD Rivers’ Children’s Garden and Indigenous land reclamation and restoration are among the efforts MPRB is proudest of, according to its finalist video.

The award comes after about 40% of union Minneapolis park workers went on strike for roughly three weeks in July and August to increase wages and change contract language, according to the MPRB website.

Until this year, MPRB saw a string of years as a finalist for the Excellence Award after winning it for the first time in 1989, according to a statement on the MPRB website.

Meg Forney, the president of MPRB, said connecting impoverished communities to Minneapolis’ natural amenities has been a focus of the organization’s work for the past 20 years.

“It’s happening in my lifetime,” Forney said while choking up. “We are patching together these seamless trails along the edges of the river and then also trails into those communities so they have access and everything.”

In Minneapolis, about 98% of residents live within a 10-minute walking distance from a park, according to MPRB’s award application. Forney said the goal is to increase that number to 100%.

Forney said while the board of commissioners guides MPRB’s work, this award is the product of hard-working and passionate employees.

“They’re the ones who are making it a reality, and I am so, so proud of them,” Forney said. “I’ve worked with our park system for over 40 years and what has always delighted me is our park professionals are passionate.”

Raechel Bosch, the manager of Spark’d Studios youth centers, is one of those passionate employees dedicated to improving the park system.

Spark’d Studios is a youth-focused branch of MPRB rec centers where young people can hang out, do homework and develop creative and technical skills that interest them with the guidance of Spark’d Studios staff, according to Bosch.

Spark’d Studios currently has three locations, the first of which opened in 2021, with plans to open six locations by the end of 2025, according to Bosch.

Bosch said Spark’d Studios contributed to this award because the recreation project demonstrates how they can effectively serve their communities instead of being outdated public spaces.

“It just shows a new model of how we can really infuse these spaces with more opportunities, more experiences and more people to help guide and offer different types of programs,” Bosch said. “Truly what public recreational spaces can be and can offer to a city.”

MPRB also partnered with Owámniyomni Okhódayapi on The Falls Initiative, which aims to reclaim and return federally-owned land of the Upper Lock in St. Anthony Falls to the Dakota people and the public, according to the Owámniyomni Okhódayapi website.

Shelley Buck, the president of Owámniyomni Okhódayapi, said in an email statement to the Minnesota Daily that the organization congratulates the MPRB for their accomplishment and looks forward to continuing their partnership.

“The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board has been a wonderful partner to Owámniyomni Okhódayapi and has been open to doing things in different and better ways as we work toward land reclamation at Owámniyomni,” Buck said in the statement.

Kjersti Duval, project advisor for Owámniyomni Okhódayapi, said a primary challenge of the project is navigating conversations about land ownership, but MPRB has been uniquely supportive of Owámniyomni Okhódayapi’s work.

“When you’re in a conversation like that, it’s number one, sensitive, even talking about ownership and negotiated outcomes when there’s underlying questions of sovereignty and inherent rights is challenging,” Duval said. “So an agency taking that on, becoming vulnerable, having those questions and having leadership engage is really, really nice to see.”

Forney said while the award is a reinvigorating achievement for the MPRB, the accolade should push the organization to continue striving for increased equity and accessibility to parks and recreation services.

“Is it a validation that you know ‘Hey, we’re on the right track of the things we’re doing and so we should keep the status quo?’” Forney said. “No, I think it’s exactly the opposite, obviously by us pushing the envelope that’s the way to go.”