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The Teacher-Ranger-Teacher (TRT) program provides a unique professional development experience by linking national park units with teachers from predominantly Title 1 (at least 30 percent of students on free or reduced cost meals) school districts. Teachers participating in the program will complete a three credit hour online course in experiential learning through the University of Colorado Denver while they also experience diverse functions of park operations through shadowing NPS staff. TRTs and NPS staff will plan a major education project to be completed by the teacher as part of the online course requirements. The project, depending on their interests and the needs of the park, could include developing and presenting interpretive programs for school field trips or summer camps, creating new content for the NPS educator's portal, developing curriculum-based materials for the park, or other special education related projects. Teachers who successfully complete both the online graduate course and the NPS program requirements will receive a stipend that can help cover living expenses and local travel costs to participate in the program.
One of the primary goals of the TRT program is to develop relationships between the NPS and its local education community. We hope that the teachers who have completed the program will be able to engage their students in subsequent school years in NPS education programming and ultimately have an onsite field trip to the park. The vast majority of teachers who participate in the program are recruited from NPS units within a commuting distance to their homes or schools. Funding for the program does not cover housing or long distance travel for teachers who apply for a TRT opportunity at a NPS unit a long distance from their homes. Most parks are not able to offer housing to teachers in the program.
Click here to learn more about the TRT program. Questions about Teacher Ranger Teacher can be directed to teacherrangerteacher@nps.gov
Last updated: August 30, 2019