Akiima Price
Practice Lead
About
Three decades of collaboration and leadership at the intersection of community and environmental work have informed an inclusive approach that gets more people to get more from parks.
Talks
On Friends of Anacostia Park
Cornell University Environmental Education
Meaningful Engagement in Stressed Populations
Chattanooga Design Studio
Not an Environmental Social Worker
Shan Gordon
Cornell University Environmental Education
Meaningful Engagement in Stressed Populations
Chattanooga Design Studio
Not an Environmental Social Worker
Shan Gordon
Programs
What’s Good in My Hood Workbook and Video
New York Restoration Project
Naturefest
DC Promise Neighborhood Initiative
Video & Community EE Wheel
Community EE Guidelines
New York Restoration Project
Naturefest
DC Promise Neighborhood Initiative
Video & Community EE Wheel
Community EE Guidelines
Media
Outside in 5
REI Coop, 2023
The D.C. Park For People Who Love To Roller Skate And Fish
National Parks Traveller, 2024
10 Black outdoorswomen who nourish our ‘Nature Swagger’
Outdoor Afro, 2023
Using Nature to Heal and Empower Communities Along Our River
Hillrag, 2022
A Brief But Spectacular Take on the Power of Nature
PBS Newshour, 2023
Akiima Price’s Story
National Park Conservation Association
The Way We Define ‘Outdoors’ Needs to Change
Outdoor Industry Association
REI Coop, 2023
The D.C. Park For People Who Love To Roller Skate And Fish
National Parks Traveller, 2024
10 Black outdoorswomen who nourish our ‘Nature Swagger’
Outdoor Afro, 2023
Using Nature to Heal and Empower Communities Along Our River
Hillrag, 2022
A Brief But Spectacular Take on the Power of Nature
PBS Newshour, 2023
Akiima Price’s Story
National Park Conservation Association
The Way We Define ‘Outdoors’ Needs to Change
Outdoor Industry Association
Background
Akiima was hired by the National Park Foundation to establish Friends of Anacostia Park.
The National Park Service traditionally establishes Park Friends groups to raise philanthropic funds to improve park infrastructure.
FoAP reimagines the Friends model by ensuring “the community isn’t just a friend to the park, but the park is a friend to the community.”
This innovative model allows highly stressed communities to have a restorative relationship with their local park.
Previously: Akiima served as Chief of Education and Programs for the New York Restoration Project (2007-2011), Environmental Education Director at Earth Conservation Corps in Washington DC (2005-2007), and on the Executive Leadership Team for the EECapacity Project (Expanding Capacity in Environmental Education) at Cornell University.
Akiima began her career as a National Park Service Interpretive Ranger for the Colorado Lake Mead National Recreation Area.
The National Park Service traditionally establishes Park Friends groups to raise philanthropic funds to improve park infrastructure.
FoAP reimagines the Friends model by ensuring “the community isn’t just a friend to the park, but the park is a friend to the community.”
This innovative model allows highly stressed communities to have a restorative relationship with their local park.
Previously: Akiima served as Chief of Education and Programs for the New York Restoration Project (2007-2011), Environmental Education Director at Earth Conservation Corps in Washington DC (2005-2007), and on the Executive Leadership Team for the EECapacity Project (Expanding Capacity in Environmental Education) at Cornell University.
Akiima began her career as a National Park Service Interpretive Ranger for the Colorado Lake Mead National Recreation Area.
Restorative Park Engagement
Intentional park programming can help people whose environments include trauma benefit from the full range of what nature offers.
Community Consultation
Convene experts to co-create innovative park engagements.
Using joyful and safe facilitation processes, we surface opportunities for communities to leverage the power of nature to address local challenges.
Using joyful and safe facilitation processes, we surface opportunities for communities to leverage the power of nature to address local challenges.
Meaningful Family Engagement community listening session, 2019, Anacostia High School, Washington DC
Green Workforce Development
Green workforce programs that connect underemployed residents to meaningful work.
Our training and employment programs help residents become more employable while cultivating a sense of pride and belonging in community parks, natural spaces, and green careers.
Our training and employment programs help residents become more employable while cultivating a sense of pride and belonging in community parks, natural spaces, and green careers.
Program Design
Design and implement programs that inspire, heal, and empower communities.
Using a trauma-based approach, we create customized community programs that help change how people feel about themselves, their communities, and their place on Earth.
Using a trauma-based approach, we create customized community programs that help change how people feel about themselves, their communities, and their place on Earth.
Partnership Development
Map, classify, and build meaningful social networks linking dynamic people, parks, and places.
Partners who respect the importance of improving the well-being of economically stressed communities can change the world.
Partners who respect the importance of improving the well-being of economically stressed communities can change the world.
Presentations, Woke-shops™,
and Talks
Strategies and tactics to bring restorative park engagement to new communities.
Talks highlight the intersection of social and environmental issues and demonstrate how nature-based solutions can help address chronic stress related to intergenerational poverty, community violence, racism, and other forms of trauma.
Talks highlight the intersection of social and environmental issues and demonstrate how nature-based solutions can help address chronic stress related to intergenerational poverty, community violence, racism, and other forms of trauma.
National Recreation and Parks Association Conference, Atlanta Georgia, 2024