{"podcast":{"title":"Open Space Radio","slug":"open-space-radio-225134","podcast_index_feed_id":225134,"rss_url":"https://nrpaopenspace.libsyn.com/rss","website_url":"https://www.nrpa.org/blog/about-open-space-radio-podcast/","image_url":"https://static.libsyn.com/p/assets/6/e/3/a/6e3a0c1316b82e52e55e3c100dce7605/Untitled_design_12.png","author":"National Recreation and Park Association","episode_count":200,"summary":"Open Space Radio is a podcast for park and recreation professionals and outdoor advocates that aims to share inspiring and engaging stories about community, connection, and the impact of local parks and recreation. New episodes are released every other Tuesday. Open Space Radio is the official podcast of the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) — Because everyone deserves a great park.","last_synced_at":"2026-07-21T22:18:36.185967+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/open-space-radio-225134"},"episode":{"title":"Reflections From the MRPA 2SLGBTQIA+ Summit — Episode170","slug":"reflections-from-the-mrpa-2slgbtqia-summit-episode170","published_at":"2025-06-24T10:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/open-space-radio-225134/reflections-from-the-mrpa-2slgbtqia-summit-episode170","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/open-space-radio-225134","url":"https://nrpaopenspace.libsyn.com/reflections-from-the-mrpa-2slgbtqia-summit-episode170","audio_url":"https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/nrpaopenspace/FINISHED_OSR_170_UPDATE.mp3?dest-id=540038","summary":"This Pride Month, we are proud to spotlight the powerful work happening in Maryland to build more inclusive and welcoming park and recreation spaces for the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. Way back in September 2024, Christina attended the second annual Maryland Recreation and Parks Association (MRPA) 2SLGBTQIA+ Summit at the North Laurel Community Center. As the only known state-level summit of its kind in the field of parks and recreation, this gathering is a testament to the intentional and sustained effort to center representation and inclusion across the profession, and we've been eager to share the voices and stories that came out of the summit! The summit first began in 2023, sparked by a recognized need within Maryland's park and recreation departments to better support and engage the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. As Noah Callahan from Anne Arundel County Recreation and Parks explained, it all started with a gap that was quickly filled by forming a committee, engaging with community members, and building momentum for a first-of-its-kind statewide event. That first summit left a lasting impression, especially on attendees like Jaimie Wilder from Howard County Recreation & Parks. The welcoming atmosphere, thoughtful programming, and sense of solidarity stayed with them long after the event ended. So, when the second summit came around, it was clear this was becoming something special. It wasn't just a one-off, but a catalyst for real change. The 2024 summit expanded on the foundation built the year prior. With both 101 and 201 breakout session tracks, attendees were able to engage with a variety of topics including allyship, inclusive policy, indigenous inclusion, programming strategies and historical context. As Ashlyn Thompson, inclusion and community outreach specialist for Mon…","meta_description":"This Pride Month, we are proud to spotlight the powerful work happening in Maryland to build more inclusive and welcoming park and recreation spaces for t…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":1729,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/open-space-radio-225134/episodes/reflections-from-the-mrpa-2slgbtqia-summit-episode170/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/open-space-radio-225134/reflections-from-the-mrpa-2slgbtqia-summit-episode170.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}