Date: April 28, 2017
Contact: Denise Germann, 307.739.3393
MOOSE, WY — As a part of last week’s celebration of National Park Week, Grand Teton National Park education rangers launched a new distance learning program titled “Behind the Flat Hat: Ranger Careers.” The interactive program designed for students in seventh and eighth grade, and adaptable for other ages, was highly successful during its first week and the program will continue through this school year and in future school years.
The program consists of 45-minute sessions offered via Skype, Google Hangouts, and other broadcast platforms. Each program includes a combination of live conversations with park education staff and videos of rangers in the field doing trail work, backcountry patrol, law enforcement, wildlife science, and more.
During the sessions, students see the connections between school work and career paths within the National Park Service. For example, students learn how math is used to build a backcountry trail and how wildland firefighters rely on maps. By highlighting real world applications of school subjects, the program helps students discover connections between their personal passions and studying. Students learn about the variety of national park sites and jobs, the everyday life of a ranger, and what it takes to protect national parks.
Teachers interested in signing up should email e-mail us.
“Behind the Flat Hat: Ranger Careers” builds on the success of two other park distance learning programs—“Snow Desk” and “Ask a Ranger.” “Snow Desk,” which is in its sixth year, reached over 2,000 students this February. “Ask A Ranger” reached over 1,000 students this school year.
