Engagement

Beyond Outreach Handbook: A Guide to Designing Effective Programs to Engage Diverse Communities, 2011
Engaging the full spectrum of Americans in the stewardship of our parks and special places is now recognized as crucial to the future of our national park system. This handbook represents an important tool to assist National Park Service (NPS) managers and practitioners and their partners in developing programs that successfully connect diverse communities with their local national parks. It guides practitioners through an assessment that identifies gaps in readiness and informs the development of an effective engagement strategy. The handbook is based on a research project that probed what constitutes good practices for engaging diverse communities and enhancing the relevancy of the national park system.

Leading in a Collaborative Environment: Six Case Studies Involving Collaboration and Civic Engagement, 2010
These case studies address some of the most challenging situations facing NPS superintendents today. In addition to being useful to managers at various levels within the NPS, the case studies and the common leadership strategies and practices are also relevant to conservation practitioners outside of the NPS working in similar situations.

Stronger Together: A Manual on the Principles and Practices of Civic Engagement, 2009
In recent years, the NPS and its partners have undertaken various activities that have led to a deeper reflection on the importance of civic engagement in helping the public participate in dialogue and reflect on the value of American places and their resources and stories. The cumulative learning from these activities has informed this manual.

Engaging Young Adults in a Sustainable Future: Strategies for National Parks and Other Special Places, 2009
The purpose of this project was to inform the National Park Foundation’s (NPF) program development strategy for engaging young adults age 18 to 25 in environmental sustainability through collaboration with national parks and their partners and communities. This project positions the NPF to capitalize on research- and experienced-based knowledge about engaging young adults in the design of new initiatives. Program development for this key age group is an essential part of the NPF’s overall strategy of engaging the full spectrum of youth audiences.

Scholar’s Forum, The National Park Service and Civic Reflection: A Summary Report, 2006
On January 14, 2006, the National Park System Advisory Board’s Education Committee convened a forum of distinguished historians and sociologists to talk with NPS leaders about civic engagement; the place of national parks in our nation’s educational system; and how an NPS commitment to young people and education can strengthen civic awareness and stewardship in America. Present at the forum were members of the Advisory Board, (NPS) National Leadership Council, and representatives of the National Education Council (NPS) and other NPS leaders.

Learning to be Better Neighbors: Case Studies in Civic Engagement between National Parks and Neighboring Communities, 2006
This handbook discusses five different models of civic engagement, and uses case studies (“success stories”) to illustrate how people worked together to create effective community–public land initiatives. Each case study includes a set of “success factors” that can help guide others interested in learning about effective community engagement.

Collaboration and Conservation: Lessons Learned from National Park Service Partnership Areas in the Western United States, 2004
This workshop report distills partnership lessons learned and key components of successful partnership areas from a diversity of federal and private practitioners and examination of a series of case studies. The participants also identify a set of strategic recommendations for creating a sustainable environment for partnerships.

Collaboration and Conservation: Lessons Learned in Areas Managed through National Park Service Partnerships, 2001
This report is based on workshop (in May 2000) which generated discussions and written comments from the workshop participants (both NPS and partner organizations). It is intended to contribute to the a continuing dialogue - both within NPS and between NPS and its many partners - on the increasingly vital role of partnerships in conservting the heritage of America's most important landscapes.