Seedling Summer 2010
Knowledge is Power
The lives, educational and career opportunities for over 100 inner city youth have been enriched due to the Indy Parks Youth Achievers program-a program funded through grants from the Indianapolis Foundation, Lumina Foundation for Education, and Lilly Endowment Inc. Participants were given the unique opportunity to polish their personal skills, set goals, experience service learning projects, visit both local and out-of-state colleges, and explore potential career options in this college-readiness program.
IPF Advocate Q & A
Feature-John Jackson, Board Member and Advocacy Committee Chair
Q: What is your role with the Indianapolis Parks Foundation?
A: I’m a Board Member on the Indianapolis Parks Foundation. I also serve as the chair of the Advocacy Committee.
Q: How has Indy Parks Foundation impacted your life personally?
A: One of the ways that the Indianapolis Parks Foundation has impacted my life is I’ve been able to develop an appreciation for what it takes to manage and develop the kind of parks system that Indy Parks has. It’s not easy; it takes a tremendous amount of resources, a tremendous amount of skill, lots and lots of money, a lot of maintenance.
Q: What does it mean to be an Advocate of Indy Parks Foundation?
A: To be an advocate, you must make sure that you understand what their needs are. Part of the way that we do that is that we are very closely aligned with Indy Parks. I think knowing and understanding the Indy Parks place within a peer group of parks departments and districts in cities of similar size is very important so that we can go to people and, say for example Indianapolis spends about $45.00 per person per year on parks projects and programs, whereas in cities of comparable size that number tends to be more like $115.00. I think it’s important to have those kinds of facts on hand when you advocate because that helps put it in black and white terms for people.
Q: Why did you choose to get involved with the Parks Foundation?
A: I became involved with the Parks Foundation initially because of what I do, because I’m designing public spaces on a regular basis. I’ve been working at it long enough that I’ve seen things that I’ve designed suffer from lack of maintenance or lack of attention. So it’s very important to me that the spaces that I create or that other designers create that are also here in town are maintained appropriately for years to come. I began to do what I do so that someday I can take my grandchildren and great-grandchildren to parks that I maybe had a hand in, or public spaces that I had a hand in creating, and say, you know, I helped to make this happen.
Q: Why are parks important to the community?
A: Parks are very important to the community for a number of reasons. The first is probably that healthy parks that are enjoyed by the residents that live around them tend to create safer environments. They have also been shown to increase property values. Parks are also like big sponges, they can absorb storm water, clean the air, and provide places for us to go and get away from pavement and pollution.
To hear John’s complete story, visit http://www.willowinteractv.com/ipf/advocate.php.
IPF/Indy Parks Summer Interns
Alison Bishel, is an Emen’s scholar who just completed her fourth-year at Ball State University and will graduate in May 2011 majoring in landscape architecture along with a minor in Spanish.
Katie Farmer, is going into her fifth-year at Ball State University and will graduate next year with a major in landscape architecture. Katie lives and works in Indianapolis, and is looking forward to graduation in the spring.
Lindsey Poore, will also graduate from Ball State University next May with a landscape architecture degree and a minor in French.
Catherine Schmidt, is in her fourth-year at Ball State University and will graduate next year with a major in landscape architecture and a minor in Spanish and international resources management.
This summer our interns worked on a plethora of projects! Greenways, GIS data, project history, updating customer service maps, tree plantings, lots of meetings and even got to grill lunch for 50 at the new Bethel Park pool. A big thank you, to our interns for a summer of hard work! We wish them well in their studies and appreciate their dedication to the Indianapolis Parks Foundation and Indy Parks and Recreation.
Welcome Tierney
The Indianapolis Parks Foundation welcomes our newest staff member, Tierney Dininger, who began work in June as our administrative assistant. Tierney joins us from her most recent position as Business Office Assistant at St. Richard’s School. Her extensive background in finance and office management will be a great asset to the team. Welcome, Tierney!
Bethel Park Pool Dedication
After a rigorous construction schedule, Bethel Park Aquatic Facility opened to the public with a pool dedication on August 7. Bethel Park aquatic facility now offers a 25-yard, 6-lane pool with a three-story speed slide and interactive spray ground. Thank you Lilly Endowment, Inc. for your donation to make this possible.