National Park Service photo.

Teacher Ranger at San Antionio Missions National Historic Park.

Welcome to the Intermountain Teacher Ranger Teacher website.

Why have Teachers in Parks?
National parks enrich the lives of many in this nation. They provide access to the powerful ideas, values, and meanings associated with the remarkable cultural, natural, and recreational heritage of the United States. The National Park Service (NPS) strives to provide opportunities for all Americans to connect to their national heritage through the national parks. However, these opportunities are lacking for some — often due to a variety of social and economic factors.

The Teacher to Ranger to Teacher (TRT) Program offers a solution, by linking National Park units with teachers from Title 1 (30% of students on free or reduced cost lunch) school districts. Teachers form a link between school children and National Parks.

What would I do?
Under TRT, selected teachers spend the summer working as uniformed park rangers, often living in the park. They perform various duties depending on their interests and the needs of the park, including developing and presenting interpretive programs for the general public, staffing the visitor center desk, developing curriculum-based materials for the park, or taking on special projects.

Then, during the school year, these Teacher Rangers bring the parks into the classroom by developing and presenting curriculum-based lesson plans that draw on their summer’s experience. In April, during National Park Week, Teacher Rangers wear their NPS uniforms to school, discuss their summer as a park ranger, and engage students and other teachers in activities that relate to America’s national parks.

This is made possible through an Inter-governmental Personnel Act Agreement (IPA) between the public school district and the National Park Service. The Teacher to Ranger to Teacher Program began in 2003 and in 2007 became a national program.  During the summer of 2008, parks nationwide had over 90 Teacher Rangers  learning about their national heritage and serving National Park Service visitors.

Where might I apply for TRT work?
To find out about TRT work opportunties for Summer 2009, click on the more link on the right side of this page.

If, after you have read both TRT webpages thoroughly, you still have questions you may call Diana Truman Wiggam at 303-969-2404.

School District Flier. (8 1/2" x 14") (PDF)

Teacher Newsletter Winter 07-08
(8 1/2" x 11") (PDF)

Teacher Newsletter Spring 08
(8 1/2" x 11") (PDF)