PARTNERSHIPS
PARK DISTRICTS, FOREST PRESERVES AND RECREATION DEPARTMENTSWORKING TOGETHER WITH CIVIC AND BUSINESS LEADERS TO BUILD OUR COMMUNITIES

Some time ago I was told a story about a young girl in our local school district who was coloring all of her pictures in brown, black and dark green. It troubled the teacher so much that various school officials were consulted. Everyone was concerned with this at-risk youth who was showing early detection signs when someone needs help. A meeting was held to decipher what course of action should be taken to assist this child.

What they found by observing the class was the child was sitting in the first row, and as the crayons were passed around, by the time the crayons reached her, all that was left was black, brown and dark green crayons. The problem was not with the child, but the lack of resources.

The southeastern portion of Cook County is much like this story. The area faces deteriorating industrial and commercial economic conditions and suffers from a downturn in equalized assessed valuation. A meeting was held in State Representative Harold Murphy's office (30th District) with area directors, park board presidents and administrative heads from the Ill. Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) and the Dept. of Commerce and Community Affairs (DCCA). They discussed what could be done to save and positively impact the at-risk youth from the area. What they came up with were programs that the communities found it difficult to apply for because of lack of staff or resources. The IDNR officials suggested that the park districts work collectively to help the member districts of this region. This turned about to be one great idea!

"CORPS represents a total paradigm shift in how this region looks at creating safe, attractive and accessible playgrounds. "We raise the lowest, to the highest standards." — Brian Sullivan, CPSP, executive director of the Country Club Hill Park District

CORPS Evolves As a result of that meeting, the CORPS (Cooperative Organized Recreation Planning System) program was created. CORPS represents a total paradigm shift in how this region looks at creating safe, attractive and accessible playgrounds. We raise the lowest, to the highest standards. We pattern our program after the very successful Old Plank Trail Commission. Seven districts expressed great interest and need for this program. Three agencies (Robbins, Markham, and Country Club Hills park districts) took the plunge to create this organization in 1998. We secured funding through a state of Illinois line item appropriation.

We created board resolutions, agreements, bylaws, financial and auditing systems, to provide for accountability and responsibility. At the core of this program, is a motto "FAILURE IS NOT AN OPTION!"

The 10 new playground sites erected to date through CORPS will be drug-free and violence-free zones. I don't believe you have to live in these communities to appreciate that and what it means to families who do live here.

Today CORPS has grown to seven strong members who have bonded together to share a common vision and limited resources to build a better community, a better playground system and, yes, a better life for the residents of this south suburban region. The playground development program proposed by CORPS will serve a cumulative population of 79,259 people. Quite an impressive work with one grant award.

10 / Illinois Parks and Recreation

REGIONAL COOPERATION RAISES THE BAR IN SOUTHEAST CHICAGO

"If we can change the perception of our regional parks, we can change the perception of our region. In effect, we can change our corner of the world." — Brian Sullivan, CPRP, executive director of the Country Club Hills Park District

In just one year and using one grant, CORPS has built ten new playgrounds — like
Robbins/Memorial Park District pictured above — in the depressed region of Southeast Chicago.
This quarter-acre lot on the Hamlin and Midlothian Turnpike housed an older, deteriorating playground,
which was heavily vandalized, unsafe and unkempt. The new playground is heavily used and
neither it nor the adjacent church and apartment building have been vandalized or spray-painted
with graffiti since the playground reopened.

We believe CORPS will serve as a catalyst for both social and economic development in these communities. It has been proven that where park sites improve, the neighborhood improves. Each member of CORPS has committed to a three-year program to make this happen. They are assuming the mantle of leadership.

One need only look to the pride, excitement and usage of the playgrounds constructed through CORPS last year to see this collaborative success story unfold. As a direct result of CORPS, intergovernmental pacts have flourished, leading to new infrastructure improvements such as lighting, fencing, sidewalks, and street and curb repair in the areas surrounding these playgrounds.

A Pledge

We have pledged to improve the quality of life in our communities through recreation. We believe CORPS has delivered in an exciting way. In 2000 we proposed to move one step further and provide one source funding for seven, separate distinct community playgrounds, one each in the park districts of Phoenix, Dolton, Markham, Hazel Crest, Robbins, Country Club Hills, and the Village of Blue Island. The playgrounds will be bright, safe, accessible and fun.

A Strategic Direction

Our strategic direction is to propel the South Suburban region represented by CORPS to a preeminent destination stature for quality leisure playgrounds, parks and facilities. If we can change the perception of our regional parks, we can change the perception of our region. In effect, we can change our corner of the world.

All this is accomplished through mutual, cooperative joint planning, intergovernmental agreements and the sharing of regional financial resources. It is our hope that this program would be expanded through regional membership — much like the Old Plank Trail Commission — and could be replicated in other needy areas of the state.

We were asked to be creative and innovative to find a way within the current state structure to help ourselves! We believe we have found that way, we are excited about demonstrating it, and we are open to sharing it.

We are taking our children back from the streets, providing safe havens to learn, play and grow. Where we have built CORPS playgrounds, we have assisted in the building of families, too. One can see parents, grandmas and grandpas, picnics and special events flourishing where once vacant or old non-used areas existed.

There is a line from the movie Field of Dreams: "If you build it, they will come." CORPS is a living testimony that this phrase indeed is true. Collaboration is the wave of the future, and CORPS is riding the crest of that wave. •

BRIAN SULLIVAN, CPRP
is the executive director of the Country Club Hills Park District and a founding member of CORPS. For more information about the actual language in the CORPS agreement, contact attorney Chris Cummings of the law firm Cummings and Duda of Homewood, III., at 708.799.7575 or e-mail Brian Sullivan at Sully9@omeritech. net.

November/December 2000 ¦ 11