Resources for Agencies

 

Unplugging is more than just putting your electronics down.

The community campaign “Unplug Illinois” is a statewide effort to educate the public on the value of parks and recreation. This public awareness campaign is designed to empower park and recreation professionals and Illinois citizens by building enthusiasm and knowledge of the benefits of parks and recreation.

Unplug Illinois Transformation Kit

The Unplug Illinois Transformation Kit provides statistical and measurable values and benefits of park, recreation and conservation agencies.

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Unplug Illinois Agency Video

Schedule a videographer to capture your community enjoying your programs and facilities! Includes two hours on site. 

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Unplug Illinois Activity Guide

Learn about how to find constellations in the night sky, engage in fun arts and crafts activities and more!

Social Benefits

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Conservation Benefits

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Health Benefits

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Community Events

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Unplug Illinois Day
Saturday, July 12, 2025

Unplug Illinois demonstrates the value of park and recreation facilities by addressing three key issues facing our communities. On July 12, Unplug Illinois Day, communities throughout Illinois ditch their electronic devices and plug into fun and activities at their local park and recreation agencies. 

 
 

We Need More Activity

 

As technology is becoming an increasingly integral part of our lives, it is more important than ever to unplug and get active. See the below statistics on the mental, physical and social health challenges in the U.S.

Unplugging has been shown to help improve quality of life, improve energy every day, improve sleep and improve interpersonal communication. In addition, physical activity fosters growth and development and can make people feel, function, and sleep better and reduce the risk of many chronic diseases.

  • Less than 5% of adults participate in 30 minutes of physical activity each day.

    (Department of Health and Human Services, 2017)

  • 36.5% of U.S. adults are obese. Another 32.5 percent of American adults are overweight.

    (CDC, 2020)

  • Approximately 80% of U.S. adults and adolescents are insufficiently active.

    (The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, 2018)

  • 55% of Americans regularly take prescription medication—four on average.

    (Consumer Reports, 2017)

  • Heart disease, diabetes and stroke cost Americans over $500 billion annually.

    (CDC, 2016 & Diabetes Council 2018)

  • 43% of Americans aged 18-29 use their smartphones for four hours per day.

    (PEW, 2015)

  • The prevalence of obesity in children ages 2-19 is 18.5%. This affects about 13.7 million children and adolescents.

    (CDC, 2019)

  • It doesn’t take marathon training to see real health gains. A 30-minute brisk walk five days of the week will provide important benefits for most people. Getting any amount of exercise is better than none.

  • 56% of teens ages 13 to 17 play video games for an average of 2.5 hours per day.

    (Center of Media and Child Health, 2018)

  • The total number of prescriptions filled by all Americans has increased 85% over two decades while the total population has increased by only 21%.

    (Consumer Reports, 2017)

  • 75% of Americans regularly take at least one over-the-counter drug.

    (Consumer Reports, 2017)

  • Children spend more than seven hours per day in front of a screen.

    (Dowshen, 2015)

  • 86% of American healthcare spending is for treating chronic and mental illness or $316.1 billion.

    (CDC, 2017)

  • The No. 1 health condition in the U.S. is heart disease. It is one of the leading causes of death, comprising more than a quarter of all deaths annually.

 

Nature Gives Back

 

Explore the benefits of parks, recreation and conservation and how they can help us build healthier, more sustainable communities.

Contact with nature offers a range of medical benefits including: lower blood pressure and cholesterol, enhanced survival after a heart attack, quicker recovery from surgery, fewer minor medical complaints. (Institute for Natural Medicine, 2018) 

  • 150-299 minutes of brisk walking a week has been found to increase life expectancy by 3.4 years.

    (American Heart Association, 2018)

  • Illinois community park and recreation agencies protect nearly 25,000 acres of natural areas and manage nearly 3,000 miles of trails.

    (IDNR, 2015)

  • For every dollar we spend on a tree we get a $1.50 - $3.00 return on investment.

    (EPA, 2016)

  • Trees put in strategic locations help lower energy costs and prolong the life of pavement by shading concrete and pavement that absorb the sun’s radiation.

    (EPA, 2016)

  • Environmentally knowledgeable people are 31% more likely to conserve water and 10% more likely to conserve energy in the home.

    (NEEF, 2014)

  • Seven in ten Americans regularly visit their local park and recreation facilities.

    (NRPA, 2015)

  • Nine in ten Americans agrees that their communities benefit from everything their local park and recreation agencies offer.

    (NRPA, 2015)

  • Local park and recreation agencies generated $218 billion in economic activity and supported more than 1.3 million jobs in 2019.

    (NRPA, 2019)

  • Illinois community park and recreation agencies protect nearly 25,000 acres of natural areas and manage nearly 3,000 miles of trails.

    (IDNR, 2015)

  • Public and private agencies in Illinois protect nearly 54,000 species.

    (IDNR, 2015)

  • Trees are filters for water pollution and absorb nutrients created by human activity which otherwise pollute lakes and streams.

    (US Forest Service)

  • Community gardens have been shown to lead to more food security, decreased obesity rates, improved mental health and improved sense of community.

    (Greenleaf Communities, 2013)

  • Environmentally knowledgeable people are 50% more likely to recycle and avoid using chemicals in lawn care.

    (NEEF, 2014)

  • Mature trees can provide anywhere between a 2% to 15% increase in value for nearby properties. Trees improve the look of an area, whether it is urban or rural, and they provide nature-based stress relief.