Recruiting Area Teachers for Seashore Experiences

Date: February 15, 2013
Contact: Matt Daniel, 252-728-2250 ext. 3010
Contact: Wouter Ketel, 252-728-2250 ext. 3005

HARKERS ISLAND, NC - Cape Lookout National Seashore is looking for energetic and talented teachers from Carteret, Craven, and Onslow County who are interested in fostering a strong connection between local schools and their National Park. Working as a Teacher-Ranger at Cape Lookout National Seashore during the upcoming summer season will allow the teacher to bring their expertise to the park and take a deeper knowledge of the park back to their classroom.

This position is open to Carteret, Craven, and Onslow County teachers working in any grade level or subject area. Please contact Matt Daniel for more information or to receive an application. Applications are due on March 29, 2013. Applications are also available on the web at www.nps.gov/calo/forteachers/teacher-ranger.htm.

National parks enrich the lives of many in this nation. They provide access to the powerful ideas, values, and meanings associated with the remarkable cultural, natural, and recreational heritage of the United States. The National Park Service (NPS) strives to provide opportunities for all Americans to connect to their national heritage through the national parks. However, these opportunities are lacking for some children. The Teacher-Ranger-Teacher program provides a solution: connecting students to their national parks through a teacher in their school.

This will be the fourth year Cape Lookout National Seashore has benefited from the experience of a Teacher-Ranger. In this program, a teacher works as a Teacher-Ranger at Cape Lookout National Seashore during the summer. The Teacher-Ranger will use their teaching experience as he/she performs duties such as developing and presenting education programs for the public, staffing visitor centers, creating or enhancing curriculum materials to be used in the classroom, and developing in-depth knowledge of and experience with the park's resources.

When returning to school in the fall, the Teacher-Rangers will be able to draw upon their summer experiences in creating lesson plans which bring the national parks into the classroom for students. The following April, during National Park Week, the Teacher-Ranger will visit other classrooms to discuss their summer with the NPS and engage students and other teachers in activities that relate to America's national parks.

The Teacher-Ranger-Teacher program has many benefits. Participating Teacher-Rangers obtain a wide range of knowledge and skill by working with park staff and earn a $3000 stipend upon the completion of the program. Schools will benefit from the Teacher-Ranger who has learned to apply new techniques for engaging multiple learning styles, and students will be better able to connect to our nation's heritage through the experiences of their Teacher-Ranger.