COURSE NUMBER: RLSR 335
CREDIT: 3 Semester Hours
INSTRUCTOR: Donald R. Snyder
COURSE DESCRIPTION: Principles and methods of program development and delivery will be explored. Emphasis will be on understanding participant leisure behavior, needs and the ways organizations create services to respond to those needs.

TEXT: J. Robert Rossman, Recreation Programming. Sagamore Publishing, Inc., 1989.

OBJECTIVES:

1. Understand the nature of and program strategies used in the
organization of leisure services.
2. Understand the theories of program development, implementation,
and evaluation.
3. Ability to apply leadership and programming skills and techniques with
diverse populations in a variety of settings.
4. Understand the basic program planning process.
5. Demonstrate the ability to assess needs, formulate objectives, analyze
activities, implement activities and evaluate outcomes.

CONTENT:

I . Nature of Programming
A. Growth and Development
B. Social factors affecting programming
C. Trends
D. Changing values and lifestyles

2. How Individuals Experience Leisure
A. Values
B. Motives for Involvement

3. Foundations for Programming
A. Key elements of program production
B. Program development process
C. Program Life Cycle

4. Approaches to Programming
A. Organizational
B. Philosophical

5. Program Development
A. Goals & Objectives
B. Needs Assessment
C. Incorporating creativity
D. Classification systems

6. Program plan and design
A. Promotion
B. Leadership
C. Supervision
D. Pricing and program costs

7. Program structures
A. Service delivery systems
B. Formats
C. Alternative designs

8. Evaluation
A. Models
B. Tools for measurement
C. Approaches to evaluation

9. Program Modifications

10. Programming with persons with disabilities

GRADING BASIS:

1. ATTENDANCE AND CLASS PARTICIPATION25%
2. MIDTERM EXAMINATION 25%
3. TERM PROJECT 25%
4. FINAL EXAM 25%

RLSR 335 Special Event Assignment
and Report Checklist

Purpose of the Assignment:
This assignment will give you an opportunity to apply your program planning knowledge in a real life setting.

ASSIGNMENT:

Using the program planning process outlined in class, work with your community agency and potential participants to conduct a needs assessment/interest survey, plan, implement, and evaluate a special event. Write a report that documents your program planning process and results.

TWO COPIES of your final report are due one week following your special event–one copy for your agency, one for your professor. You may want to make additional copies for group members’ portfolios.

The report must be professionally presented.

The report must be thorough –that is, written in enough detail– so that any staff member of your agency could use it to duplicate your efforts step by step. Organize the report with headings, table of contents, supporting materials (such as survey results, decision grids, advertising flyers, agency risk management policies, etc.)

The following checklist may be useful to you in making sure all necessary parts of the report are included:

____1. The name of the program. The agency name, address, on-site supervisor, phone.

____2. Inventory including: agency resources (facilities, equipment, staff, previous programs, etc.); agency mission statement; your team mission statement; demographic description of your participants.

____3. A blank copy of your needs assessment questions. It would be helpful to your
agency to include the completed questionnaires as an appendix in their copy of
the report.

____4. A summary of the results of your questionnaires (summarize the responses, draw conclusions about your participants’ needs).

____5. Your program goal(s) (planning task statements).

____6. Program (efficiency) objectives (at least 3).

____7. Performance objectives (at least 3).

____8. Brainstormed list of possible activities. [Categories used for reduction and
prioritization of your brainstorm list.]

____9. Decision grid with a concise, clear explanation of each criterion, an explanation of the rating scale you used to make your decision, and an explanation of any weighing you gave to criteria.

____10. A statement of the activity decision(s) and a rationale for the decision(s).

____11. Marketing plan that includes:

• a. Three quick, easy, inexpensive things you could do to market your program

within each of the 5 categories of marketing.

b. A plan to carry out the best idea (of the three above) under each category.

c. A description of the plan you actually carried out for your event. Include
samples (for example, if you use a poster, include a miniature copy; if you use
a radio spot, include a copy of the text, times, dates, etc.).

____12. Risk management plan. Include minimally:

a. documentation of skills & certifications of leaders

b. documentation –dates, contents, attendance– of orientations and training
held for staff

c. dates and content of all equipment and facility inspections (for example, a signed, dated checklist).

d. safety/risk management policies and procedures of your agency (If none
exist, do not provide enough detail, or are not appropriate for your
event, prepare your own).

e. emergency procedures including plans and steps taken to inform/train staff and inform participants about the procedures

f. rules and regulations you and/or your agency will require of participants (for example, posted rules of conduct)

g. releases, waivers, agreements to participate. If these already exist get a written statement from your on-site supervisor or agency director that the existing waivers will cover your liability for the event. If releases or waivers do not exist or your feel they are not adequate, create a waiver for the event. Children under the age of 14 need their parent’s/guardian’s permission to participate.

h. document in writing steps taken to safeguard participants

13. Gantt Chart, Critical Path Analysis, or Flow Chart that details who will do
what, by when. Minimally include: equipment and facilities acquisition and
preparation, risk management plan development and implementation of each
step/aspect of the plan; staff safety orientation; set-up; schedule; evaluation
instrument development, implementation, and analysis; clean-up; follow-up
such as thank yous and returning equipment.

14. A blank copy of your evaluation instrument(s).

15. A summary of the results of your evaluation.

16. Recommendations and comments you think would help someone plan a similar program in the future.

In addition, each team member must write a summary of the following:

a. How did concepts from assigned readings help you complete this project?
b. What did you learn ABOUT the population with whom you worked?
c. What did you learn FROM the population with whom you worked?
As a result of completing this project, what have you learned about yourself as a professional program planner?