The 2026 Great Lakes Park Training Institute is coming February 23-26, 2026
The Great Lakes Park Training Institute
The Great Lakes Park Training Institute is an annual conference that explores current issues and techniques in parks, provides networking opportunities with peers, and recognizes cutting-edge projects and the contributions of outstanding colleagues at the annual awards dinner.Who We Are
The Great Lakes Park Training Institute is operated by the GLPTI Board of Advisors and Indiana University faculty and staff at the Eppley Center for Parks and Public Lands.
History
In the mid-1940s, amidst the rapid growth of park districts, state parks, and recreation departments, Dr. Garrett Eppley at Indiana University proposed an educational institute of general sessions and detailed workshops to provide quality training for parks professionals. He organized a meeting of representatives from Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin at McCormick’s Creek State Park in Indiana the summer of 1946. The pilot was so successful that the group met again the following year, adopting the name Great Lakes Park Training Institute, and agreed to continue meeting annually. The Institute has grown and adapted with the times and changing needs of park professionals. At each conference, every attendee helps strengthen the parks and recreation field and takes part in GLPTI’s history.