The Great Lakes Park Training Institute
We are excited for the 2027 Great Lakes Park Training Institute to bring park and recreation professionals together once again for an engaging and inspiring experience! This multi-day event will feature keynote presentations, interactive workshops on current challenges and emerging trends, skill-building sessions for practitioners, collaborative discussions, networking opportunities, and hands-on activities designed to energize and connect attendees. Participants can expect meaningful learning, practical takeaways, and plenty of opportunities to engage with peers across the region. The 2027 Institute will continue its tradition of fostering innovation, leadership, and excellence in parks and recreation.
History
In the mid-1940s, amidst the rapid growth of park districts, state parks, and recreation departments, Dr. Garrett Eppley at Indiana University proposed an educational institute of general sessions and detailed workshops to provide quality training for parks professionals. He organized a meeting of representatives from Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin at McCormick’s Creek State Park in Indiana the summer of 1946. The pilot was so successful that the group met again the following year, adopting the name Great Lakes Park Training Institute, and agreed to continue meeting annually. The Institute has grown and adapted with the times and changing needs of park professionals. At each conference, every attendee helps strengthen the parks and recreation field and takes part in GLPTI’s history.
To contact the GLPTI staff, please email glpti@iu.edu.
Great Lakes Park Training Institute
at the Eppley Center for Parks & Public Lands
2810 E Discovery Parkway, Bloomington IN 47408
Email: glpti@iu.edu
