News Release

2019 Professional Development Opportunity for Teachers at Obed Wild & Scenic River

Date: April 3, 2019
Contact: Daniel Banks, [phone]
Contact: Christopher Derman

Obed Wild and Scenic River is recruiting teachers to participate in the Teacher-Ranger-Teacher (TRT) program this summer. The TRT program is a professional development opportunity for K-12 teachers to spend the summer acquiring new skills in experiential learning through a program provided by a partnership between the National Park Service (NPS) and the University of Colorado Denver (CUD). The participants spend between four and six weeks in an NPS unit developing a major educational project and participating in an online graduate course from CUD. The goal of the program is to train teachers in the resources and themes of the NPS so that they can return to their schools in the fall and incorporate their new skills into their classroom activities. NPS aims to especially reach students from underserved schools and districts by recruiting teachers from Title-1, urban or rural schools and from tribal schools to participate in the TRT program.  

The projected dates of the assignment are June 10 through July 22, 2019. The selected TRT will receive a stipend of $3,000 upon completion of program and graduate course requirements. The TRT will also receive three graduate credit hours of effort resulting from approximately 160 hours working on a major educational project, 45 hours of online coursework, discussion, course readings, and 25 hours of NPS operational experiences.

Obed Wild and Scenic River is looking for teachers with experience in lesson plan development and who can help create educational experiences in a variety of subject areas.  Some possible projects may include creating an astronomy program, creating virtual field trips, informational packets for teachers and on-line lesson plans and curriculum. 

In addition to the major educational project and course work, the TRT will be trained in the field of interpretation. The TRT will have access to online courses about interpretation and have the opportunity to develop and present an interpretive program to visitors. The TRT will also learn the basic job duties of operating a visitor center, be involved in special events, and understand the concepts of managing an NPS site. A TRT’s summer will be filled with new and exciting experiences that only the National Park Service can provide.

For an application or additional questions, please contact Daniel Banks, Education Specialist, at [phone], or via email at [e-mail]. All applications must be submitted by email and are due Friday, May 10, 2019.  

For more information about the Teacher-Ranger-Teacher program at Obed, or to download an application, please use the following link: https://www.nps.gov/obed/learn/education/teacher-to-ranger-to-teacher.htm.