Local teachers and students spent their summer in the National Park

Junior rangers receive their certificates after completing summer programs in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Image courtesy of the National Park.

GATLINBURG, TN — Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials announced the completion of two unique summer programs involving select high school students, college students, and teachers. Participants learned about park resources through on-site training that enabled them to perform ranger duties during their six-week, paid work experience and also to return to the classroom this fall with a wealth of knowledge and experience gained by working in a national park.

“These programs are mutually beneficial,” said Park Education Specialist Karen Ballentine. “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.”

Participants worked alongside park rangers in the field assisting with education programs and resource management activities gaining hands-on experience and exploring career opportunities in wildlife biology, fisheries science, botany, forest and stream ecology, geology, Cherokee history and culture, Appalachian history, and park management. When not in the field, teachers worked with park staff to develop elementary, middle, and high school park-based curriculum for the Parks as Classrooms program.

These successful programs were made possible through public and private funding sources. Grants were received from Alcoa, Friends of the Smokies license plate funds, and the federally-funded Youth Partnership Program (YPP). These funds supported five teachers, 25 high school students, and five college students. Additionally, the YPP grant supported four teacher-naturalist positions based out of Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont who assisted with summer camp and research projects.

Student interns will make presentations about their summer experience in North Carolina on Thursday, July 24 at 12:00 p.m. and in Tennessee on Friday, July 25 at 5:00 p.m. The events are open to the media. Please contact the park public affairs office for more information.

The following high school students were selected for the program: In North Carolina: Aidan Galloway, Jackson County Early College; Alec Wells, Buncombe County Early College; Alex Treadway, Swain County High School; Annie McDarris, Cary Academy; Chace Morgan, Smoky Mountain High School; Holli Whittle, Robbinsville High School; Joshua Jimison, Pisgah High School; Kayla Humphrey, Buncombe County Early College; Orion Holmberg, Cherokee High School; Sydney Schulhofer, Tuscola High School; Todd Allred, Haywood Christian Academy, Ben Ogletree, Smoky Mountain High School; and Allie Dinwiddie, Tuscola High School.

In Tennessee: Isaac Adams, Cosby High School;; Caleb Downey; Gatlinburg-Pittman High School; Daniel Hatcher, Pigeon Forge High School; Natasha Henderson, Cocke Co High School; Sarah Ottinger, Maryville High School; Zachary Parker, Seymour High School; Jared Rumple, Heritage High School; Sarah Stewart, Homeschool; Austin Valenzuela, Sevier County High School; Caden Watson, Walker Valley High School; Summer Wegwerth, Gatlinburg-Pittman High School; and Madeline Wimmer, Maryville High School.

The following teachers were selected for the program:
In North Carolina: Rich Harvey, Swain West Elementary and Cindy Bryon, School of Inquiry and Life Sciences at Asheville High School.

In Tennessee: Charles Slawson, Fulton High School; Amanda Hendricks, South Doyle Middle School; and Mark Andrews, Heritage High School.

The following college students were selected for the program:
Jarred Burcham, Western Carolina University; Lauren Bartl, State University of New York; Zach Copeland, University of Tennessee; Grant Fisher, Carson Newman; and Victoria Becerra, Oconlauftee Job Corps.

Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont Teacher-Naturalists:
Simon Carbone, Gretchen O’Henley, Wyatt Moore, and Amy Wilson.

Published August 17, 2014