The Academy of Leisure Sciences

The 2025 Conference on Research and Teaching will be held March 5-7, 2025 in Pittsburgh, PA.

What we do.

As an academic association and 501c3, TALS aims to recognize, support, and establish a network and forum for scholars and educators committed to the intellectual advancement of the field.  TALS carries out this purpose through meetings and activities devoted to furthering the study of leisure and its implications for individual and collective well-being.

Awards & Future Scholars

We love to celebrate our members for their successes and build capacity in new scholars joining the field. See more about our Awards and Future Scholars Programs.

TALS Fellows

TALS Fellows are outstanding performers and recognized leaders in the leisure profession with a minimum of ten years of experience. Read more about these leaders within our field.

Get Involved.

Whether you’re most comfortable contributing time to help achieve our educational goals through webinars, fundraising to help us grow endowments that support our members, or engage with conference planning, we’d love to have you join our organization. Find out about the committees that you can get involved with today.

Leisure studies must contribute to the analysis and affirmation of what makes life meaningful. Leisure is essential as a value, privilege, and responsibility and must be articulated.

— Leisure Studies in the 21st Century: The Sky is Falling?

Karla Henderson, 2010, p. 398