The American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration (AAPRA), in partnership with the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA), has announced that East Goshen Township Parks and Recreation is a finalist for the 2020 National Gold Medal Awards for Excellence in Park and Recreation Management.

Founded in 1965, the Gold Medal Awards program honors communities in the U.S. that demonstrate excellence in parks and recreation through long-range planning, resource management, volunteerism, environmental stewardship, program development, professional development, and agency recognition. Applications are separated into six classes, with five classes based on population and one class for armed forces.

East Goshen is a finalist in the Class Five, under 30,000 population category. In the last five years, the department:

• has increased programming more than 400 percent
• built an award-winning destination playground
• created the SE Pennsylvania Teen Filmmakers Showcase in partnership with the Movie Tavern Exton
• was named the 2019 Pennsylvania Recreation and Park Society’s Agency of the Year

This is the second year in a row East Goshen has been named a Gold Medal Finalist community.

Agencies are judged on their ability to address the needs of those they serve through the collective energies of community members, staff members, and elected officials. East Goshen joins three other finalists in their class that will compete for grand honors this year.

“The recognition is truly wonderful and much appreciated, but the township residents deserve all the credit and kudos,” said Jason Lang, Department Director. “They make our parks, programs, and events memorable experiences for all. As our residents say, ‘An East Goshen life is a Parks and Rec life.’”

This year’s finalists will compete for Grand Plaque Award honors. The winners will be announced during the 2020 NRPA Conference, which will be held virtually in October.

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