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Adaptive Recreation
Boise Parks and Recreation's Adaptive Recreation program provides a wide range of recreational, social and educational programs for youth and adults with disabilities. Individuals with disabilities can choose to participate with one of our adaptive recreation programs which are specifically designed for someone with a disability or utilize inclusion services in which accommodations may be provided so that an individual with a disability can fully participate in any of Boise Parks and Recreation's programs.
Idaho Youth Adaptive Sports Camp
Boise Fire Department
Our contribution to making Boise the most livable city in the country is to become the nation’s premier fire department. Through innovative leadership, we set a standard of excellence for superior prevention and response.
Boise Fire Department serves a population of nearly 220,000 residents in Idaho's largest city. Emergency response services are delivered from 17 fire stations located throughout the city in a 130+ square mile response area.
Ongoing Programs
Caring for Parks
Throughout our history, volunteers have been integral to Boise Parks and Recreation's operations. The skills, knowledge, and expertise volunteers bring to our department allow us to go well beyond our resources, resulting in what we believe to be one of the best parks systems in the country.
We hope that you will take a few minutes to review our list of volunteer opportunities, and find something of interest. We look forward to working in partnership with you to continue providing the high-quality parks and services our community has grown to expect from their parks department.
Community Science Programs
Boise parks are home to all types of wildlife which have a lot to teach us about our natural world. Boise Parks and Recreation works hard to provide safe spaces for our local wildlife to live, which not only includes habitat preservation but also tracking their activity to determine how they are doing. This is partially achieved through a number of citizen science programs that engage Boiseans in collecting scientific data, which is ultimately shared with national science programs. If you love to commune with nature and want to learn more about the natural world, then these programs may be what you're looking for.
On-going Programs
Looking for a longer term commitment? We have a range of opportunities that provide participants the opportunity to regularly contribute to the upkeep of their parks. If you are looking for an on-going activity for your group or simply looking for an opportunity to mingle with other volunteers that share your passion, these are the opportunities for you.
Community Centers
Boise Parks and Recreation operates nine youth Kid City centers in neighborhoods throughout Boise. All of the centers provide free or low-cost programs for children in the 1st - 6th grade, including homework assistance, youth sports, art projects, STEM activities, games and a healthy snack.
Boise Parks and Recreation partners with the Boise and West Ada School Districts to provide space for these enriching programs at Garfield, Grace Jordan, Hillcrest, Jefferson, McMillan, Morley Nelson, Whitney, Whittier and Taft Elementary Schools.
Grace Jordan Community Center
The Grace Jordan Community Center is located at 6411 W. Fairfield Avenue. Boise Parks and Recreation partnered with the Boise School District to open Grace Jordan’s Kid City after school program in 2008. Kid City provides free, or low-cost, programs for children in the 1st-6th grade including homework assistance, youth sports, recreation programming, STEM activities, art projects, games and a healthy snack (provided by the Boise School District).
Morley Nelson Community Center
The Morley Nelson Community Center is located at 7701 W. Northview St., Boise, ID 83704. Boise Parks and Recreation partnered with the Boise School District to open Morley Nelson’s Kid City after school program in 2008. Kid City provides free, or low-cost, programs for children in the 1st-6th grade including homework assistance, youth sports, recreation programming, STEM activities, art projects, gardening activities, games and a healthy snack (provided by the Boise School District).
Satellite After School Centers
After school centers are located at Hawthorne, William Howard Taft, Jefferson and Garfield Elementary Schools.
Whitney Community Center
The Whitney Community Center is located at 1609 S. Owyhee St, Boise ID 83705. Boise Parks and Recreation partnered with the Boise School District to open Whitney’s Kid City after school program in the fall of 2009. Kid City provides free, or low-cost, programs for children in the 1st-6th grade including homework assistance, youth sports, recreation programming, STEM activities, art projects, gardening activities, games and a healthy snack (provided by the Boise School District).
Youth Sports Programs
Zoo Boise
Zoo Boise is a service of the City of Boise and is supported by the Friends of Zoo Boise, a 501(c)(3) membership organization that supports Zoo Boise in the area of animal acquisition, capital improvement projects, education programs, volunteer opportunities, and special events. The goal of each of these components is to increase public awareness, knowledge, and appreciation of the zoo, wild animals, animal habitats, species conservation, and the environment.
Zoo Boise is accredited by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA). Look for the AZA logo whenever you visit a zoo or aquarium as your assurance that you are supporting a facility dedicated to providing excellent care for animals, a great experience for you, and a better future for all living things.
