Video
Pathways for Youth: Developing Stewards at North Cascades
Transcript
Mike: It started with just the desire to answer the kid that said, "what do I do next?" We literally had people saying/ "what do I do nex/t?"/ And/ it/ made sense to start/ to provide answers.
SECTION BREAK: Educational Programs
Grace: Uh, my name is Grace and I'm 18 and I'm from Shoreline, but originally from Cameroon./ It was really really cool / when I did NCWild./ I'm actually surprised that I even signed up for it b/c I was/ still trying to learn the language and just kinda adjust to the culture and you know there were all these/ things going on. Um, so I was really nervous on my trip, (for the) first couple of days at least.
Laura: A lot of my other friends, when they you know ask me what I did over the summer, and I tell them you know about PCC and SCA, all those things, they just go woah b/c (like they) they can't imagine doing that kind of thing, but/ kind of what I've learned from that is that anyone really can, you know like/ I didn't know that I would be really interested in cc, or public lands, or NPs before I did PCC, but just taking that leap definitely opened the doors to so many new opportunities.
Chris: So my first experience up here was with Mtn School, then I went on CCC for 21 days up here, then I did and electronic fieldtrip/, and finally I'm back here for a youth leadership conference./ Everytime I come back here it just calls me back almost. I need to come back up here./ (Sigh) I gotta be here.
Michael: PFY is a deliberate effort to create the next generation of Park stewards./ The way that we achieve that/, is through our educational programs, our internships and our seasonal employment./ These programs have always existed but what we're doing through PFY (are) deliberately connecting those dif exp (such) that a youth could have a defined, designed pathway.
SECTION BREAK: Internships
Grace: Yeah, after NC Wild and NOLS and all the /outdoor stuff I had/ done, I was like hey, I want to come back and work for the Park. And it was just perfect b/c/ you know they were offering positions for students.
Laura: Um, last summer I went with SCA, which is the Student Conservation Association, up um to Mount Rainier for a trail crew that lasted two weeks.
Jennifer: Um, spending all of (all of) the summer in the NC as a ranger really placed me in my um first individual national park experience. All of the other times were with um my family on road trips or with student groups camping and just having fun. Um, but this was a deeper kind of learning where I could reflect on all of the past times that I've been to parks. (And um) where I wasn't with family. I wasn't with friends and other students. I was identified as myself and as a ranger.
Amy: PFY is/ based on the assumption, and actually research supports this, that students need more than one experience to engage them. And we do a great job with the programs we have, especially like mtn school is one of our flagship programs./ But they need another program, another step to keep that connection going or else it's just an isolated exp.
SECTION BREAK: Employment
Michael: Our park partners, The North Cascades Institute the Student Conservation Association, through their programs are creating this alumni base of incredibly enthusiastic, passionate people./ NCNP wants to hire incredibly enthusiastic, incredibly motivated people for their positions. So who better to pull from than alumni from our partners programs?
Joseph: (Sigh) The first time I ever put my uniform on?/ You know the patch really got to me,/ That's been a really big goal of mine to have that on my left shoulder./ And I think I sat in front of the mirror for about a half an hour/, just looking, and then I'd show my wife and show my daughter.
Grace: It's so funny that you mention this b/c my step-mom and I were watching a movie the other night and the park rangers always look the same. They were tall, thin, Caucasian, obviously. And that's what I usually picture but it's starting to change b/c I've seen park rangers that are not my typical image of a park ranger.
Gerry: You know, for me growing up, the Park came to me. Like how many young people get to have all of a sudden a NP made in their backyard? And then the next thing that happened to me, and I never would have believed this, but then the world came to me in these youth programs. And these are kids from all over the world that are now (come) to this park. It's not limited to one culture, one anything, it's limited to being a human on this planet.
Michael: Pathways For Youth isn't necessarily anything revolutionary. It's not this new concept. It's not this new program. It's certainly not funded. It's essentially taking existing programs, existing pieces, existing relationships with our partners and just aligning those so that there are deliberate opportunities for our youth.
Mike: I find it very very energizing to work with kids. So that's one of the straight answers. It's fun! These are people with fresh perspectives, different ways of approaching things, lots of energy/ God, I have a job where I can have fun, I can be creative, I can work with the next generation to address problems./ It's a really good job./ I think that more people should try it.
Description
Pathways for Youth is an effort to create the next generation of public lands stewards and National Park Service employees. By deliberately connecting existing programs and partnerships, North Cascades is creating a continuum of meaningful park-based experiences. Follow Grace and other youth as they discuss their own unique pathways through educational programs, internships and seasonal employment.
Duration
6 minutes, 13 seconds
Credit
Benjamin Drummond and Sara Joy Steele, bdsjs.com
Date Created
12/20/2010
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