Tuesday, Jun 9, 2009
The efforts of the National Park Serviceâs Recruitment Futures Implementation Team (RFIT) have begun showing significant results in the area of diversity recruitment.
The team developed an annual National Park Service recruitment event that brings up to 40 students each year from as many as 20 diversity-serving institutions and organizations to a National Park area for four days to learn about the National Parks, the National Park idea, and the various potential career paths in the Service â with an eye toward placement for at least one summer season using the STEP authority and the potential for eventual permanent employment through the SCEP program.
In January, Timothy McElwain was hired by Fort Davis National Historic Site as a law enforcement/interpretive ranger. Timothy was a participant in the first annual National Park Service recruitment event, held in January 2006. He spent his first and second summers with the NPS at Wind Cave NP as a STEP employee. His third season was as a SCEP with Fort Davis, with eventual permanent placement early this year.
This spring, Grand Teton NP hired Vanessa Torres as a full-time permanent NPS employee. Vanessa was originally recruited by the RFIT to work at Kenai Fjords as a STEP for one season. Following a second season as a STEP at Hubbell Trading Post NHS, she then worked a third season at Grand Teton National Park as a SCEP and was converted this year.
Other students from the recruitment event who continue to work with the National Park Service as summer seasonals include:
- Raza Cruz of Palo Verde College, Santa Monica Mountains (in her third season);
- Miriam Spruill of Livingstone College, Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site (in her fourth season);
- Christopher Ben of Dine College, Canyon de Chelley (in his second season);
- Lelo Burt of Livingstone College, Statue of Liberty (one season, then went on to Great Smoky Mountains NP in 2009);
- Brandon Davis of Livingstone College, Glacier National Park (two seasons, then went on to Great Smoky Mountains NP for 2009);
- Edna Flores of University of TexasâEl Paso, Santa Monica Mountains (two seasons, returning in 2009 as a SCEP);
- Jessica London-Roundtree of Grambling, Chattanooga National Battlefield (one season, then Vicksburg NMP for one season, and Jean Lafitte NHP for 2009);
- Garin Greyeyes of Dine College, Mesa Verde National Park (one season and returning in 2009);
- Esteban Monreal of Scott Community College (National Hispanic Environmental Council), Death Valley National Park for one season and Channel Islands NP for 2009; and
- Renaldo Torres of St. Maryâs University, National Capital Region (one season, then went to Cape Cod for 2008 and 2009).
Another 23 students who have participated in NPS recruitment events have served the National Park Service for at least one summer to date. A partial list of participating parks and offices include Pipestone, Yellowstone, Rocky Mountain, Santa Monica Mountains, Indiana Dunes, Glacier, Cuyahoga Valley, Statue of Liberty, Glacier Bay, Ft. Sumter, Denver Service Center, and National Capital Region.
Participating colleges include St. Maryâs University, Cal StateâMonterey Bay, Haskell Indian Nations University, Blackfeet Community College, Tuskegee University, Palo Verde College, University of Texas at El Paso, Livingstone College, Santa Clara College (North American Association for Environmental Education), Grambling State University, and Dine College.
During the four recruitment events that have been held to date (one each at Timucuan/Fort Caroline, the Black Hills area parks in South Dakota, Grand Canyon and the Flagstaff area parks, and the Washington, DC, area parks), a total of 95 students been exposed to:
- The mission of the National Park Service;
- What it is like to be an NPS employee;
- What it is like to work for the federal government;
- Ongoing issues in the national parks;
- NPS site visits;
- NPS history and purpose; and
- Federal resume preparation and RFIT mentoring
In July, the fifth annual National Park Service event is scheduled at Acadia National Park.
The Recruitment Futures Implementation Team is excited by the growing success of the program, as evidenced by the increased numbers of students participating in the events, the increasing numbers of diversity-serving institutions and organizations drawn to the events, and the high level of success in student hiring taking place. RFIT co-chairs are Marie Eilander, Carol Daniels, and Danni Brown.
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