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College of Natural Resources
Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management

World Leisure Organization Awards NC State & Health Matters & Project

October 25, 2019
Health Matters Project - World Leisure Organization Awards NC State "Health Matters" Project - Parks Recreation and Tourism Management NC State

Health Matters was recognized as a “Highly Recommended Project” (one of only three recognized) by the World Leisure Organization for their International Innovation Prize. Dr. Jason Bocarro (a co-PI on the project) submitted the application and accepted the award on behalf of the team in Hangzhou, China.

Health Matters began through a partnership forged by faculty members in three NC State colleges: Annie Hardison-Moody and Lindsey Haynes-Maslow in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences’ Department of Agricultural and Human Sciences (AHS); Jason Bocarro in the College of Natural Resources’ Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management (PRTM); and Sarah Bowen in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences’ Department of Sociology and Anthropology. The team also consists of Health Matters Associates (HMA) who Jason Bocarro mentions, did some of the best work on the ground in these communities – one of them, Lauren Morris, is currently one of our MPRTSM students. Lauren’s work is featured in this article in North Carolina Health News.

Others who took part were Michael Schulman, Carolyn Dunn, Dara Bloom, Lorelei Jones and Kim Eshleman (AHS); Michael Kanters, Aaron Hipp, Mike Edwards and Myron Floyd (PRTM); and Cintia Aguilar from NC State Extension.

The World Leisure International Innovation Prize seeks to recognize organisations that have implemented creative solutions that foster local, national or international leisure opportunities for the benefit and development of individuals and communities. Originality, creativity, and innovation should be demonstrated related to process (vision, management, and communications), resources (financial viability and human such as volunteers), partnerships and community involvement, outputs (program, events, and amenities) and outcomes.  Innovations must demonstrate more than a quality program. In addition, applicants must demonstrate that their project does not exist elsewhere but it could be potentially adapted to other situations.