The Eagle Rock Internship Program is a collaborative partnership between Rocky Mountain NP and Eagle Rock School. The Eagle Rock Internship Program begins with a volunteer experience, followed by a fulltime, paid, temporary position in the park. In the summer and fall of 2011 four students participated in the program. These are their stories.
- Credit / Author:
- Eagle Rock Students
- Date created:
- 2011-10-15
Script of Eagle Rock School Podcast
I am Scott Forrester, I am 20 yrs old, I am from Denver, Colorado and I work with the VIP trails crew.
What’s going on? My name is Damian Hernandez. I am 20 years old. I come from the Richmond California born and raised. So I am a current student at Eagle Rock School and will graduate this trimester and right now am a VIP at Bear Lake and soon will transition to the STEP. So I'm trail master at Bear Lake, like I said and what I do right there, I provide visitors with information on the park. Protect park resources buy helping visitors understand the park regulation and safety information. Report emergencies and missing persons. And Help traffic control and keep the park clean.
I’m Gretchen Horne, I’m 19 years old and I am from Las Vegas New Mexico. This summer I’m volunteering, then working in Rocky Mountain National Park in the Interpretation crew. I think this is really great because I’m a normal person, a normal teenager in high school. I love to knit, I love to snowboard. And I’d like to put it out there that anybody can work in a National Park.
We met with Kathleen Kelly the Volunteers in the Parks Coordinator and asked her what she thought could be done to bring more youth workers to Rocky Mountain National Park and here is what she had to say:
“To really try to connect the parks needs to their levels and why would it be important and why would it be a great experience for them to volunteer here in the park. I think the park service is very much behind in how folks, say, under 25 years old I think we’re very much behind how you all communicate with each other and with your surroundings. And I think if we could join the 21st century someday maybe we’ll help make that connection and could realize, at every age parks belong to you, no matter what your age. And this park belongs to you, you own it. How would you like to see it taken care of and what is your passion for this park, what direction you would like to see it go”.
Through Eagle Rock School I managed to get into working with the Rocky Mountain National Park as an intern. And because of Eagle Rock School I got to expand my professional network, which will help me for future goals to work in other parks across the nation and that’s why I am grateful for having the park and Eagle Rock.
For more information on how to volunteer in Rocky Mountain National Park please go to: www.nps.gov/volunteers
And if you like to learn more about Eagle Rock School visit our website at www.eaglerockschool.org
And for more information on the Rocky Mountain National Park Eagle Rock School contact Ben_Baldwin@nps.gov or janderson@eaglerockschool.org
