Background

Canby’s youth are important users of parks and recreation facilities.  Their input is vital for creating a Park and Recreation Master Plan that best serves the needs of the entire community.  While the Canby Park and Recreation Community Survey asked respondents to represent their entire household’s views, we felt it was also important to hear directly from Canby’s youth.

As a result, Community Planning Workshop met with 51 students from Canby High School and Ackerman Middle School in March and April, 1997, to identify student opinions regarding Canby’s current and future park and recreation system.

Methodology

First, facilitators briefly introduced themselves and the project.  The introduction was meant to explain who Community Planning Workshop was, why the Park and Recreation Master Plan was being updated and how student opinions would be included.

Next, we divided the classes into small groups and brainstormed over what students liked most about Canby’s parks and recreation facilities.  This exercise was meant to be a “warm-up” to start students thinking about activities and features of Canby’s park and recreation system.

Each group then created a list of ways Canby’s parks and recreation could be improved.  After a long list of park and recreation improvements was created, students ranked their top three choices.  Results were tallied so students could see how their favorite issues ranked.

Last, we gave students a questionnaire to fill out with detailed questions about their park and recreation use.  We collected the questionnaires after about 10 minutes.

The information gathered from the student meetings is qualitative. Opinions gathered are not meant to be representative of how all of Canby’s youth feel about park and recreation.  Nonetheless, these student meetings provide an important ‘piece of the puzzle’ for help in planning for Canby’s future park and recreation needs. 

High School Focus Group Responses

Table 6-1, shows the combined results from the three focus groups.  Developing a skate park is by far the most popular change or improvement students would like to see made to Canby’s park and recreation system.  Students described the skate park being used for both skateboarding and in-line skating, and open during the day and at night.  Also important to students is increased maintenance of Canby’s current parks and recreation facilities, especially Canby Community Park, and developing mountain biking trails.  

Table 6-1
High School Focus Groups Combined Voting Results

                  Source:  Canby High School Student Meeting, CPW, 1997

1. Build a skate park (for skateboards and in-line skating)

2. Maintain existing parks better, especially Canby Community Park

3. Develop more trails for bicycling and hiking

As in the high school meeting, middle school students were split into three focus groups of approximately ten students.  Students were very involved in the process and came up with long lists of creative ideas. 

A combined list of voting results for the middle school focus group is shown below in Table 6-2.  Developing a go-cart facility was the most popular suggestion for improving Canby’s park and recreation system.  Students also wanted to see “fountains to play in on hot days” and “trails for hiking and bicycling.”   

Table 6-2
Middle School Focus Groups Combined Voting Results  

                 Source:  Canby Middle School Student Meeting, CPW, 1997

As the results show, students were interested in recreational activities with a social element, where they could meet their friends.  Go-carts, playing in fountains on hot days, bumper boats and a wave pool are all social activities students would like to see more of.  In addition, more baseball fields, running tracks, more soccer fields, and better basketball courts all show that students are interested in increased sports facilities.

As in the high school meeting, middle school students were also concerned about park maintenance, especially regarding the cleanliness of rest room facilities and  the availability of drinking fountains.  Also similar to the high school meeting, middle school students suggested that they would like more hiking and bicycling trails, particularly if the trails connect to areas they visit often.  For middle school students, bicycling is an important form of transportation, as they don’t have to rely on their parents.  

The questionnaire was included in the student meetings to provide CPW with more specific information about student park and recreation use and also provide a format for students to express their opinions without the influence of peer pressure.  Fifty-one students returned questionnaires.  Listed below are the most significant findings from the questionnaire.

Park Usage

Library and Swim Center Usage

Middle School students use the library once a month to a few times a year.  High School students use the library a few times a year to not at all.  Most students picked the Canby Swim Center as their favorite place to swim.  Also popular are swimming holes along the Molalla River, like Knights Bridge Road.    

100 percent of high school students feel safe in Canby’s parks.  Virtually all (86 percent) of middle school respondents feel safe in Canby’s parks.

Activities

While a wide range of responses were listed, the activities students most often participate in are playing sports and socializing.  Students also enjoy picnicking and barbecuing, attending events and festivals, and walking and jogging in Canby’s parks.

The sports students most prefer playing are basketball (37 percent) and football (35 percent).  Baseball/softball (27 percent) and volleyball (24 percent) are also popular.

Transportation

Most students walk or drive to park and recreation facilities, while many middle school students also indicated they ride their bicycles.  Students also like to bicycle at Molalla River State Park and along the Logging Road.  

Maintenance

Students overwhelmingly think Canby Community Park is not well maintained (91 percent).  Most students think that Maple Street Park, Wait Park, and the Canby Swim Center are relatively well maintained.  

Likes and Dislikes

Students listed a wide range of things they like about Canby’s parks and recreation.  Middle school students like socializing, swimming, and relaxing in open spaces.  High school students appreciate having quiet, natural places to relax that are well-maintained.  

Dislikes include the present condition of park and recreation facility rest rooms and drinking fountains, the lack of lighting for night-time park use, and vandalism and litter.

•  Students seem to have a sincere interest in Canby’s park and recreation system.  They care about the future of Canby’s parks and recreation facilities, and want to see them well maintained.  Despite this, park and recreation usage is low.  On average, students only use Canby’s parks and recreation facilities, including the library, a few times a year.  

• Safety is not a concern for students.  All high school students and most middle school students feel safe at Canby’s parks and recreation facilities.

• Students use park and recreation facilities mostly to socialize and play sports, and they would like to have more opportunities for these activities.  Most of the improvements suggested in the high school focus groups were additional sports-related activities, particularly a skateboard park. Most of the improvements suggested in the middle school focus groups were additional social activities such as go-carts, bumper boats, and playing in fountains.

• Although only four students indicated on the questionnaire that they like to skateboard, a skate park was the most popular suggestion by far in the high school focus groups.  Students saw a skate park as a possible solution to recent conflicts between skate boarders, school officials, and business owners.  A skate park was also mentioned by middle school students, but was less popular.

• There should be more places to walk, jog and ride bikes.  The location most often mentioned for bike riding was the Logging Road.  Middle school students would like paths which lead to places they commonly go.

• Park hours should be expanded for additional recreational opportunities.  High school students mentioned in the questionnaire and focus groups that they would like to increase lighting so that park hours were expanded to after dark hours.  Middle school students also suggested this in the focus groups.

• Canby’s parks should be better maintained, especially Canby Community Park.  Neither high school students nor middle school students were satisfied with the conditions or availability of bathrooms and drinking fountains.
  

Last Update 01/03/2003