Scholarships, Grants & Education for future Parks, Recreation & Culture

Education and Professional Development Workshops

Virtual Leadership Workshop

NOVEMBER 5, 2025 10 AM - 12PM

Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) is rapidly evolving and impacting many sectors. The ways in which A.I. will influence parks, recreation and culture in the coming years is a key point of conversation in the sector and is likely to evolve rapidly in the coming years. This virtual session will delve into the possibilities for A.I. within our sector, drawing on key findings from a Langara College report and the experiences to-date from City of Surrey staff who are exploring how to leverage A.I. Key topics explored through the panel discussion panel will include practical issues such as policy and guidelines development, evolving trends in A.I. use, and the training of staff to use A.I. tools to create efficiencies. Panelists will share their experiences, revealing both successes and ongoing challenges in adopting A.I. for local government. Audience members will have the opportunity to ask questions, fostering a dialogue about how A.I. can support the work we do in Parks, Recreation & Culture service delivery.

What You’ll Explore

Key findings from Langara College’s A.I. in Recreation report

Sharing real experiences from the City of Surrey’s exciting A.I. initiatives

Policy and guideline development in local government

How A.I. can streamline operations and improve staff efficiency

our Panelists

Joanne Edey-Nicoll

Langara College, Department of Recreation

David
Yee

IT Architect, City of Surrey

Spencer Palfreyman

Business App Analyst, Surrey Parks, Recreation & Culture

Stephen
Slawuta

Moderator, Recreation Foundation of BC Board Director

Join us for an engaging discussion hosted by Steve Slawuta of RC Strategies. A panel of professionals from the Parks and Recreation sector will share their insights, discuss best practices, and foster conversations among attendees. This is an event you won’t want to miss!

All registered participants present at the end of the workshop will have a chance to win a door prize package, generously donated by the Recreation Foundation Sponsors.

Virtual workshop and Leadership Summit

The Recreation Foundation of BC is proud to host various professional development workshops to educate participants in pressing topics related to recreation, the environment, culture, and other crucial areas. Our virtual and in-person education workshops are high-level think tanks that provide information from a variety of perspectives while giving participants a chance to network, communicate and connect with other industry professionals.

While each workshop will vary in topic and design, the essence stays the same: current issues reviewed by expert colleagues with lots of time for questions, discussion, debate, and networking. There is also plenty of room to bring along a planner, engineer, or city administrator to promote further discussion and make new industry connections. In addition to networking and generating new ideas, these workshops are the perfect tool for building recreational leaders for tomorrow by providing them with valuable insights and knowledge from current leaders.

DONATE TODAY

The Recreation Foundation of BC offers scholarships to emerging environmental leaders and recreation experts, as well as grants to non-profit organiz ande fields of recreation, sport, parks, culture, and the environment.

Support our cause by donating to the foundation. You can choose to make a one-time donation or contribute monthly. Click the ‘Donate Now’ button on the recreationfoundationbc.ca website.

Thank you to all of our sponsors!