Continuing Education Opportunities – March 2026
Keep your AICP CM credits up to date this March with a range of timely continuing education opportunities. Topics include park access, planning for aging populations, navigating uncertainty in today’s political environment, and more. There are opportunities to earn both Equity and Sustainability & Resilience CM credits, so be sure to mark your calendar. Read on for information about upcoming webinar opportunities.
Navigating Uncertain Political Environments
Date: March 17, 2026
Time: 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM
CM Credits: 1.0 CM
Cost: Free
Location: Online
Organizer: APA National
Register: https://www.planning.org/events/eventsingle/9324744/
Description: Join Lauren M. Driscoll, AICP, President-Elect of the APA Board of Directors, and Silvia E. Vargas, FAICP, President-Elect of the AICP Commission, for a timely and candid conversation about planning through difficult and uncertain environments. Drawing from their experiences across the public and private sectors, they will explore how political, regulatory, and market uncertainty pose particular challenges for planners and will discuss how planners can adjust their strategies without losing sight of core professional values. Panelists will reflect on lessons learned from past cycles of disruption, discuss how planners can preserve progress during periods of political change, and share practical approaches for navigating uncertainty. The conversation will also highlight the importance of adaptability, perspective, and professional judgment—reminding planners that uncertainty, while challenging, can also be a space for learning, preparation, and future opportunity.
TOOLBOX – Greener for All: Reimagining Access to Parks
Date: March 20, 2026
Time: 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM
CM Credits: 1.0 CM [Pending]
Cost: Free
Location: Online
Organizer: PSRC
Register: https://psrc-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_MwRX9g4KQZ28DT7hVA9ETA#/
Description: This TOOLBOX session will explore how improving access to parks and green spaces can support equity and community well-being. Speakers from the Trust for Public Land will share national approaches to expanding access to green spaces, followed by local examples from Parks Tacoma and the City of Renton highlighting how these strategies are being applied in our region.
The Colorado Water Plan: A Framework for Collaborative Action Around Water Development & Conservation
 
Date: March 20, 2026
Time: 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM
CM Credits: 1.5 CM |1.0 Sustainability & Resilience CM
Cost: Free
Location: Online
Organizer: Planning Webcast Series: APA Water & Planning Network
Register: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Ny_AcchaQdevRfTCTfrRvg#/registration
Description: The Colorado Water Plan is a statewide planning document created first by legislation, and then refined through years of robust stakeholder input and complex modeling to provide a data-driven understanding of our current water supply and potential future scenarios. This plan highlights Colorado’s water vision, assigns work to the Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB) and its sister state agencies, and provides a framework for the critical efforts requiring collaboration from partners across the state. The 10-year schedule set forth in the Water Plan allows time to work on these important issues while setting a deadline for its update before it becomes outdated. The CWCB leads this collaborative action through guiding principles, funding, and technical support, but cannot do the work alone. This webinar will open with a summary of water and land use planning requirements in the 50 states, and will then feature presentations explaining how the Colorado Water Plan is organized and implemented from the state level to the boots-on-the-ground partners, resulting in a statewide cooperative effort -- developed over many years -- to both develop and conserve water resources.
Carrying HERstory Forward: Young Planners’ Perspectives on Care and Aging
Date: March 24, 2026
Time: 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM
CM Credits: 1.0 CM | 1.0 Equity CM
Cost: Free
Location: Online
Organizer: APA Women and Planning Division
Register: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87146644110?pwd=qPZwcFdWRBp9PNE9zJFlQbVPt6IHxC.1
Description: This webinar is designed to advance a specific planning-related training objective: strengthening planners’ ability to integrate lived experience, caregiving realities, aging populations, and informal community leadership into professional planning practice.
The session is structured for planners in active practice with several years of professional experience who are responsible for shaping policy, facilitating engagement, and advising decision-makers. It moves beyond introductory awareness and focuses on applied strategies that can be incorporated into long-range planning, community development initiatives, public engagement processes, and equity-driven policy implementation.
LGBTQIA+ Visibility in Main Streets
Date: March 26, 2026
Time: 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM
CM Credits: TBD
Cost: Free
Location: Online
Organizer: Planning Webcast Series: LGBTQ & Planning Division
Register: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_LuoCDA6qSk-qn-AekBE6bg#/registration
Description: How can planners and downtown leaders cultivate Main Streets where LGBTQIA+ people feel visible, welcome, and celebrated? Join the APA LGBTQ & Planning Division for a panel conversation featuring practitioners from communities across the country who are advancing inclusive downtown initiatives through programming, partnerships, placemaking, and storytelling.
Making the Most of Clean Energy Incentives in Washington State
Date: March 26, 2026
Time: 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM
CM Credits: 1.0 CM | 1.0 Sustainability & Resilience CM [Pending]
Cost: Free
Location: Online
Organizer: MRSC
Register: https://mrsc.org/training/upcoming-trainings/making-the-most-of-clean-energy-incentives-in-washington-state
Description: This webinar will discuss how to unlock substantial savings for clean energy projects at any stage—whether your entity is exploring possibilities, currently developing a project, or ready to seek a credit for projects that have recently been completed. We’ll describe the process for maximizing federal credits while they remain available, with topics including the elective pay framework, strategies for combining multiple funding streams, and the current landscape and challenges for clean energy incentives. We'll also share information about free services available through the Washington Clean Energy Tax Assistance (WA CETCAP) program, including a real-world case study from King County highlighting their experience navigating federal clean energy incentives with the assistance of the WA CETCAP program.
Explore more CM credit opportunities using the CM Search function on APA's website!
Stay Connected
For questions or to share ideas for future training opportunities, contact Katie Enders, APA WA Continuing Education Chair, at [email protected].
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