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Twentynine Palms wins $20,000 NRPA/Nike grant to expand Girls on the Run programs
Summary
Twentynine Palms Parks & Recreation received a $20,000 grant from the National Recreation and Park Association and Nike to run Girls on the Run programs, which will subsidize registrations, provide equipment and fund summer camps.
Twentynine Palms Parks and Recreation told the City Council on March 11 that it has been awarded $20,000 through the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) and Nike to support gender-equitable youth sports programming in the city.
The grant will fund participation in the Girls on the Run Inland Empire program, professional development for Parks & Recreation staff and two week-long summer camps for girls, Parks and Recreation program supervisor Amy Tessier said.
Tessier said the city was selected as one of 10 park agencies nationally for the NRPA/Nike initiative to advance gender equity in youth sports. The grant will cover about 65% of the registration fee for participants, provide program T-shirts, supplies and running shoes, and make full scholarships available for families who need them. Tessier said the in-season programs run through May 22 and the signature third- through fifth-grade program began the day of the council meeting.
"As a grantee, 29 Palms Parks and Recreation will receive $20,000 and staff, myself, and a couple other coworkers will participate in professional development opportunities and peer networking," Tessier said. She added the grant supports the NRPA/Nike gender equity roadmap and a local partnership with Girls on the Run Inland Empire.
Tessier told the council there were 15 participants at the first third- through fifth-grade session and the program has funding for up to 40 girls in that age group and up to 30 in the middle-school "Heart and Soul" program. She said the grant will also enable two summer camps for up to 60 girls in grades 3–5.
A council member asked how families register; Tessier said registration is handled through the Girls on the Run Inland Empire website.
The Parks and Recreation Department will use the NRPA/Nike support to subsidize participation and to document lessons learned for future local programming and grant applications. The council received the presentation during the meeting's announcements and presentations portion.
The department plans to continue outreach across the Morongo Basin to fill the programs and will report back to the council on participation and outcomes as the season progresses.
