Back-to-back birthday parties are offered nearly every day of the year at the Water Works, a 48,000-square-foot indoor water park operated by the Schaumburg Park District.
Children gobbled cake, unwrapped presents and splashed in the pool at approximately 1,100 parties held there last year. The parties were not only fun, they also signified the changing role of park districts.
The concept of what a park district is and what it can offer to users has expanded and changed, according to Mary Beth Thaman, the district’s superintendent of recreation.
Q. How has the role of park districts changed in the last decade?
A. Park districts are much more customer-service driven. We’re no longer saying (to the users), “Here’s a good program. Why don’t you participate?” We’re asking them, “What do you want?”
Q. How do you find out what people want?
A. We do multiple surveys. We do evaluations of all our programs. We do random phone audits. We want to find out the pluses and minuses of what we offer. We use the comments to steer us (in developing programs).
Q. How many programs does Schaumburg offer per year?
A. We offer 600 programs a season. We have programs in the evenings and every day of the week. There’s not a day that we consider an off-day. . . . People are busy. And we’re competing with other leisure activities, from malls to movies.
Q. Has the variety of programs changed?
A. Yes. Leisure services goes beyond athletics and sports. It’s dance, it’s oil painting, it’s sketching, it’s a hair-care program or a makeover (program). We have a nature conservation program for people who like wildlife or gardening. We have Volkening Heritage Farm for people who are interested in history. We’re diverse. We can match anyone’s interests with a program.
Q. Why have these changes come about?
A. Society prompts change. The demands of the consumer prompt change. Let’s take our seniors. It used to be for seniors, you would think of cards or bingo. Today, they want adventure programs or trips. We have senior softball. We’re trying to start a senior basketball league. They’re no longer content sitting in a senior center.
Q. Is there any sector of the population that park districts want to serve more?
A. If there’s any area that’s being enhanced (among park districts), it’s in teen programs. The public sector is responding to the lack of activities. We have a lot of teen programs. We offer TPH — The Party’s Here — once a month at the Community Recreation Center. It’s on Friday nights for 6th, 7th and 8th graders. . . . Parents know (their children) are safe.
