Just like schools and universities, the parks department in Auburn, Ala., is now turning to online instruction in the midst of the current pandemic.
Auburn Parks and Recreation has canceled all of its in-person classes, as instructors are now sending in videos of their classes or hosting them through live sessions on Facebook, Skype or Zoom.
Auburn residents can now turn to the internet for yoga, knitting and Silver Sneakers. Programs such as the Read and Reflect Book Club for Seniors, Total Brain Health memory classes, Yin Yoga, meditation and chess will all be held in live sessions on various platforms.
Gabby Filgo, community programs manager for the City of Auburn, said that Auburn has to follow certain rules to host content online.
“Because we’re the City of Auburn, we have to follow rules a little more strictly than a typical instructor,” Filgo told The Auburn Plainsman. “We have to caption our videos and do things like that, so it is sometimes a little more difficult [to provide online resources].”
Auburn has already cancelled in-person classed through April, but the department is planning summer programs.
“As of right now, summer programs have not been canceled,” Filgo said. “We are focusing on our summer camps and our pools. We’re planning for those as normal unless we get notice otherwise.”
The department is also working on a drive-thru farmers market for the end of April, Filgo said.
