Parks, Trails & Recreation Master Plan

COMMUNICATIONS The City of Shakopee has an effective communication system and is beginning to evolve it’s communication strategies beyond newsletters and program booklets to include social media and multi-media communication techniques. One of the consistent comments heard from residents was that they didn’t know what programs were being offered and what facilities might be available throughout the park system. Frequent park users were more likely to understand the scope of Shakopee Parks and Recreations offerings. Shakopee Parks and Recreation Department should continue to refine their message and reach out using technology and social media to communicate with tech savvy and younger audiences. Additionally, printed newsletters and bulletins are still important to seniors and those with less access to technology. Minority populations within the city are often difficult to reach. The city should consider translation services for key messaging. This may be most effective with signage in the park and for larger programming communication efforts. Additionally, the city gets a lot of marketing or communications bang for its buck at the community center. People who go to the community center have easy access to a number of publications and/ or staff that can tell them the scope of Shakopee’s offerings. Minority populations may not attend the community center for a number of reasons (cost, cultural, fear, etc.), providing programming information at other parks throughout town would be a way to reach others. Utilizing social institutions such as churches is another way to reach people that are often unheard in community outreach. Shakopee Parks and Recreation Department should continue to build personal relationships with community leaders to find the best methods for communicating and building trust.

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PARKS AND RECREATION WEBSITE EXAMPLE

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SHAKOPEE PARKS, TRAILS, AND RECREATION MASTER PLAN | SYSTEM VISION