Featured Courses
Did you know that The Recreation Studies Department offers stand-alone professional development courses? These courses allow students to pursue professional development without affecting their work schedules as the course is online and as well as self-paced (no predetermined classroom time).
These courses are financially comparable to sending a staff member to a conference with one course only costing approximately $350. For example, RECR 1170 in addition to valuable course content, includes Pool Operator certification and Refrigeration Safety Awareness Training, which would cost over $500 on their own if taken as stand-alone courses.
The courses that we recommend taking as a stand-alone professional development opportunity are as follows:
An introduction to the operation of recreation facilities with topics such as fiscal planning, budgeting, and legislative and regulatory requirements for human resources and physical safety. Included in this course is BCRPA / RFABC Pool Operator Level 1 Certification and RFABC Refrigeration Safety Awareness. Students are eligible for Technical Safety BC RSA Examination after a site orientation at your organization’s arena facility. This course takes place from September to December.
A foundational course for all Recreation Professionals a number of key concepts, issues, and topics related to the field of leisure and recreation. These include the basic history, psychology, and philosophy of recreation and leisure, as well as the scope of organizations and programs within Canada, i.e., the public, not-for-profit, and commercial sectors. This course takes place from September to December.
This course highlights the benefits that older people derive from participating in recreation and culture and the risks of not staying physically and mentally active and socially connected. Throughout the course, students are presented with a combination of scholarly research and experiential learning opportunities, including guest speakers, field trips to community-based organizations, and case studies. Included in this course is BCRPA – High Five Principles of Healthy Aging certification. This course takes place from January to April.
This Special Topics Recreation course explores our connection to nature - moving from our own relationship with nature to how communities connect to nature to a global perspective of nature. Students will spend time in nature and will experience for themselves the positive impacts on our brains, bodies, feelings thoughts and social interactions. They will study a growing body of research and literature about nature, and critically think about connecting to nature. Students will study how recreation programs can connect people to nature and construct design principles that intentionally create a nature connection. Students will also explore connecting to nature within a global perspective, critically analyzing the role that public policy plays in how we as a society connect to nature.