Ten North Carolina teenagers spent the summer getting the real-life, hands-on feel of what it’s like to be a ranger with the National Park Service. On Thursday, July 23, they “graduated” from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park’s six-week, paid High School Summer Intern Program, as their families, teachers, park staff, and Smokies Superintendent Cassius Cash looked on.
“We have done so many things in six weeks – wildlife management, resource education, which is my favorite, trail crew and vegetation crew, fisheries, we studied dragonflies and salamanders, we worked in the ozone garden to see how bad the ozone is affecting the plants – we have done tons and tons of stuff,” said Kyra Mehaffey, 16, a senior at Pisgah High School.
The Smokies also hold a Teachers in Parks program, as well as a high school internship for students from Tennessee. The park sits on the border of North Carolina and Tennessee.
Participants will complete the programs just before the new school year begins, allowing them to return to the classroom with a wealth of knowledge and experience gained from a summer working with rangers in a national park.
“These programs are mutually beneficial,” said Susan Sachs, Education Coordinator for the Appalachian Highlands Science Learning Center in the Haywood County, North Carolina, section of the park.
“The students and teachers get an in-depth study of resource education techniques, scientific methods, and field research to enhance their skills and talents, and, in turn, the park creates advocates through better understanding of and appreciation for the Smokies. Teachers will bring the knowledge into their classrooms and the interns will share their education and experience with the local community through their friends and family.”
During their time in the park, teachers work alongside park rangers in the field assisting with resource management activities and education programs. When not in the field, teachers are working with Resource Educators to develop elementary, middle, and high school curriculum for the popular Parks as Classrooms program.
In partnership with American Conservation Experience, student interns from different local high schools within the surrounding communities, assist scientists and park staff with field research and education programs while exploring possible career opportunities. They get exposed to and gain knowledge about a variety of areas while working in the park, including wildlife biology, fisheries science, botany, forest and stream ecology, preventative search and rescue, archaeology, Appalachian history and park management.
Grants received from Alcoa, Friends of the Smokies license plate funds, Great Smoky Mountains Association and the federally-funded Youth Partnership Program expanded the two successful programs this summer.
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