Promoting Outdoor Recreation and Physical Activity on the Web

1. Promoting Outdoor Recreation and Physical Activity on the Web Alyssa Ursillo July 17, 2011

2. Case Studies National Park Service (NPS) Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance Program (RTCA) Active Living By Design (ALBD) YMCA of the USA (The Y)

3. Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance Program (RTCA) • Mission: implements the natural resource conservation and outdoor recreation mission of the National Park Service in communities across America • Health Vision: Through its Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance Program, the National Park Service has launched a nationwide initiative to encourage healthful outdoor physical activity in National Parks and local communities to demonstrate practical approaches for public land managers and community leaders who want to encourage active lifestyles. • Target Audience: partners with non-profit organizations, local, state, federal government agencies, tribes, community groups, health-related organizations

4. RTCA Homepage Pathways to Healthy Living Homepage

5. Web Strategy Pathways to Healthy Living Brief descriptions of health projects Health partners list Brief description of health initiatives Outdated publications No link back to RTCA, no RTCA branding General • Conservation monthly e-newsletter: 8000 subscribers • E-postcards announcing applications and projects • State PDF pages highlighting projects • Community Toolbox, Making Friends Handbook • Press releases and news • Embedded videos about projects

6. Branding and Web Development Not on NPS Content Management System Restrictive and inconsistent government policies on social media and web design Utah State University web audit and positioning framework Clark Strategic Communications recommendations

7. Future Directions NPS.gov

8. SWOT Analysis

9. Active Living By Design (ALBD) • Mission: create community-led change by working with local and national partners to build a culture of active living and healthy eating • Vision: All communities are healthy communities where routine physical activity and healthy eating are accessible, easy and affordable to everyone • Target Audience: grantees, future funders, media, interested communities

10. ALBD Homepage

11. Web Strategy • “Story Catcher” – showcases community project successes for funders and media • Tool for grantees • Community profiles and communities in action • Vimeo, Flickr, Wikipedia, Facebook fan page for grantee alumni • Media Center and image gallery • Dashboard and Healthy Kids, Healthy Communities (HKHC) website

12. Branding and Web Development Began as program office of Robert Woods Johnson Foundation: Active Living by Design (ALbD) Began as resource hub and moved to highlighting community work 2009 became independent organization Active Living By Design (ALBD) New logo

13. Web Development HKHC Homepage

14. SWOT Analysis

15. YMCA of the USA • Mission: put Christian principles into practice through programs that build healthy spirit, mind and body for all • Focus Areas: youth development, social responsibility, healthy living • Healthier Communities and Healthy Family Home initiatives • Target Audience: local Ys, families, adults, kids • Healthy Family Home target audience: families with kids aged 5-12

16. Ymca.net Homepage Healthy Family Home Homepage

17. Web Strategy • Facebook page – 21,729 people like it, Twitter for some initiatives, Y Finder App • Local Ys have own websites, social media, web presence • Five pillars of a Healthy Family Home: eat healthy, play every day, get together, go outside, sleep well • Healthy Family Home newsletter, starter kit, quiz

18. Branding and Web Development Healthy Family Home launched in 2008 Began with 3 pillars in phase 1, now has 5 in phase 2 Rebranding effort in last year with revitalized logo and website – more colorful to reflect diversity “The Y” brand being brought to local Ys

19. Future Directions • Robust sharing site • More content, knowledge, move towards outdoors and connecting with local Y camps • Phase 3 of Healthy Family Home targeted to emerging families and separate web presence for teens

20. SWOT Analysis

21. Comparison

22. RTCA Recommendations • Gain access to NPS CMS (in the works for 6 years) • Organize navigation by focus area: river conservation, trail development, health initiatives • Consider renaming “Pathways to Healthy Living” to “Healthy Communities” • Prominent links to RTCA on NPS.gov and partner websites and social media • Create health project profiles and health e-newsletter • Twitter for individual projects, Facebook alumni page, Vimeo and Flickr accounts

23. Health Pages

24. ALBD Recommendations • Connect sites with links to Vimeo, Flickr, Wikipedia, HKHC on ALBD site • Consolidate “what we do,” “our approach,” and “about albd” tabs • Create “our communities” tab to organize community profiles and communities in action • Hire intern or staff to update content (resources and research) • Develop e-newsletter and ALBD community toolkit

25. YMCA Recommendations • Organize all health initiatives under “Healthy Living” and list them in drop down menu • Develop a “resources” tab with publications, toolkits, etc. • Create Flickr, Vimeo, and Foursquare accounts • Incorporate families’ voices/personal accounts in Healthy Family Home web presence • Develop social media presence and resources for Healthy Family Home • Create community profiles for Healthier Communities initiative

26. Acknowledgments • Corita Waters, Outdoor Recreation Planner, RTCA • Mark Dessauer, Communications Director, ALBD • Kurt Gelhausen, Director of Corporate Relations, YMCA THANKS!

27. Questions?