By Hannah E. Jones, Park Pride’s Marketing & Communications Manager
“What I’ve gained is nearly immeasurable.” That’s how a 2025 graduate described her experience with Park Pride’s Park Stewardship Academy (PSA).
This fall, we welcomed the fourth cohort to PSA — made up of 12 park leaders serving parks in the City of Atlanta, DeKalb County and the City of Brookhaven.
PSA is a three-month-long educational and skill-building program for Friends of the Park group members. Our Friends of the Park groups are led by community volunteers who steward and activate their neighborhood greenspaces.
The 2026 cohort includes:
- Sherry Bellille – Rodney Cook, Sr. Park (City of Atlanta)
- David Garcia – Shoal Creek II (DeKalb County)
- Rick Johnson – DeFoor’s Ferry Park and Warren Road Park (City of Atlanta)
- Caitlin King – White Oak Park (DeKalb County)
- Khalifa Lee – Klaus Park and Preserve, Herbert Greene Nature Preserve, Tatum Lakes & Adamsville Triangle (City of Atlanta)
- Carla “Annie” Moore – Lindsay Street Park (City of Atlanta)
- Darci Parken – Springbrook Park (DeKalb County)
- Rebecca Reese – Red’s Farm Preserve (City of Atlanta)
- Dave Siegler – Blackburn Park (City of Brookhaven)
- Erica Smith – Piedmont Park (City of Atlanta)
- Columbus Ward – Four Corners Park (City of Atlanta)
- Wanda Whiteside – Cleopas R. Johnson Park (City of Atlanta)
Led by Director of Education Eli Dickerson, the program covers a wide variety of topics geared towards a clear goal: To equip these park champions with the skills and resources they need to improve their parks and make them even more well-loved.
Topics include effectively advocating for parks, planning events, best practices for Friends Group structure and sustainability, fundraising techniques, hosting a volunteer event, working with elected officials, and the curriculum features partners with expertise in areas like public art, ecology and effective advocacy. The curriculum includes several new and unique additions, including a team-building woodworking project and a Photovoice session that combines photography and narrative storytelling to capture community members’ lived experiences.
In addition to a thoughtful curriculum, Park Pride is intentional about providing time for the cohort to engage with each other and form relationships.
“I’ve really learned that the magic of PSA is the people,” Eli said. “Every year, my favorite part is the connections that are made — between Park Pride and the class, as well as the connections between cohort members. They quickly realize they have a lot in common. No matter the differences in geography and park type, they have a lot of commonalities in their love for their parks.”
The program has proven to be beneficial for park stewards in all phases of their journey — some have already received a grant award for a park improvement or created a comprehensive park plan with Park Pride’s team of professional designers and are seeking more tools to further advance their park, while others are looking for ways to bolster their Friends group and engage their neighbors.
Eli noted that the program is also serving as a way for Friends groups to create a succession plan.
“We’ve had a number of groups utilize PSA as a way to train someone to take the torch from a prior Friends of Park leader. Instead of watching things fizzle, they’re being proactive and saying, ‘Not only do I need to pass this torch, but let’s get them in this program to jumpstart their efforts,'” he said. “I think that’s a perfect reason to participate in PSA, and it supports the sustainability of these groups.”
Caitlin King with the Friends of White Oak Hills Neighborhood Parks, which created a Vision Plan with Park Pride in 2025, said she applied for PSA because “I know being surrounded by other folks who love their parks will help me ideate further on how to get our neighbors to love our parks as much as I do.”
Carla “Annie” Moore with the Friends of Lindsay Street Park shared she applied due to her “deep love for community, environmental stewardship, and the role parks play in creating healthier and more connected neighborhoods.”
She added: “As someone who has spent years helping steward community green spaces like Lindsay Street Park and Kathryn Johnston Memorial Park, I believe stewardship is about caring for both the land and the people connected to it. I want to continue growing my knowledge, leadership, and technical skills while learning from others who are passionate about park stewardship and community impact.”
PSA’s impact goes far beyond three months, with graduates walking away with a full toolbox of skills and resources needed to advocate for, steward and activate their park. By December, this network will include 45 graduates.
Each graduate is eligible for an Activation Grant to support an event in their park, which graduates have used to host Pet Wellness Day (with over 150 pets receiving free care, including spay/neuter and microchipping) and Chirp & Chalk, a family-friendly event where attendees created chalk art and learned about birds from Birds Georgia.
PSA graduates have continued to stay highly engaged by showing up at Atlanta City Hall to provide public comment in support of parks, coming back to help teach PSA sessions, and 15 alumni groups have received grant funding for capital improvements in their parks.
The 2026 cohort will graduate in December. Keep an eye on our social media to see what they’re up to!
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