FEATURED MEMBER
Ridgeville Park District
Ridgeville Park District is located in Evanston, Illinois – a city situated just 13 miles north of downtown Chicago and home to approximately 75,000 residents. The park district is a governmental agency established in 1939 for the purpose of providing parks, facilities and recreational programs for the community.
Brian Rosinski is the Director of Parks & Recreation and has served Ridgeville Park District for almost two decades. Prior to joining the park district, Mr. Rosinski worked for two local universities, Northwestern and Loyola, in collegiate athletics. Both experiences prepared him for the organizational responsibilities required to successfully manage a park district. Mr. Rosinski currently oversees a staff of two full-time maintenance employees, one program director, one office manager, 25-40 part time seasonal staff members, and numerous community volunteers.
Despite Evanston’s expanding population and proximity to Chicago, Ridgeville Park District manages to cultivate a small town atmosphere. “Ultimately, it is a very small community with a lot of one-on-one interaction,” states Rosinski. “The size of the park district makes it very easy to address challenges or respond to programming suggestions.” Rosinski continued, “The size of the park district also makes it fun to get a lot of things done. Compared to others, our park district is small. We have 14 acres and three buildings. Yet, we do incredible things with the space and finances that are available to us.”
One of the programs Ridgeville Park District is proud to offer is Youth in the Parks. It is a summer program that begins when the school year ends and concludes the first weekend in October. The program is offered from 1 pm to 9 pm on weekdays and staffed with park district counselors. Community volunteers join in the fun and share their favorite hobbies or activities with the students. “We have volunteers who come down to the parks and spend time showing kids how to paint, sketch, play an instrument, dance or participate in a sport, “ says Rosinski. “It’s really a great program. The kids love it!”
The average age of participating students is 10 to 12 years old. Over the course of a summer, the program reaches more than 200 kids. Youth in the Parks was created in response to a survey conducted by a local youth-serving organization. The survey revealed many underserved young people who did not have sufficient activities to participate in, especially during the summer months. Originally funded by a state grant, Youth in the Parks receives support from the Evanston Community Foundation and the Ridgeville Park District’s Board of Directors. “Youth in the Parks is certainly a board priority,” stated Rosinski. “The board has annually increased the budget for Youth in the Parks. This is the 18th consecutive year for the program and we are always looking for ways to improve the program and keep it going.”
Ridgeville Park District has been an IPARKS member since the program started in 1991. When asked about Ridgeville’s involvement with IPARKS, Mr. Rosinski easily replied, “I have nothing to say but positive things about the IPARKS program. Eddie Wood (IPARKS Representative) is a great guy! He is easy to work with and I appreciate that.”
For more information about Ridgeville Park District, we invite you to visit their web site at www.ridgeville.org. If you would like to learn more about how IPARKS can benefit your park district, please call 1.800.748.0554 and ask to speak with an IPARKS Representative. |
