Conservation Curriculum for Emerging Leaders
The Institute has been conducting the conservation leadership curriculum for the NPS Entry Level Intake Program for six years. This is a two-year leadership development training program for NPS employees early in their career who show leadership promise. In 2003, the Institute conducted a two-week course titled “Conservation Leadership: History, Current Practice, and Future Directions.” Through this course, participants explored partnerships between government agencies and nonprofit organizations through site visits to Essex National Heritage Area and Salem Maritime National Historic Site. NPS and outside guest speakers joined the group for a look at conservation history and reflections on NPS leadership. The intake class graduated at CSI in August 2003. In August 2004, Virginia Farley conducted a workshop on “The Meaning of Place to the NPS” for the new class of 2005. The workshop was held at the Lied Conference Center in Nebraska.

Mid-Career Leadership Development
The Institute provided training for the 2002– 2003 pilot of the Mid-Level Intake Program, a leadership development program for midcareer NPS employees. The two-year program was designed to create a highly competent, motivated, and diverse group of people ready for the challenges of professional and management careers in NPS. The Institute conducted a series of three sessions—held in Rhode Island and Vermont—on “Conservation Leadership: History and Practice.” Guest speakers offered insights on NPS history, the spectrum of stewardship philosophies, the importance of connecting people to “place,” reflective leadership styles, future scenario planning, and effective leadership in today’s NPS. Through Northeast case studies at the Marsh- Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park, Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor, and the Green Mountain National Forest, participants looked at current trends in conservation, including partnerships—one of the new directions for NPS—and the current dialogue on wilderness.