Last modified: Wednesday, July 24, 2002
IU Eppley Institute to aid National Park Service with training programs
A unique partnership between the National Park Service and the Eppley Institute for Parks and Public Lands at Indiana University will soon involve training of new park service employees at two locations by visiting lecturers from Eppley.
"There are few, if any, other programs in the nation that allow for this level of cooperation and experience between a major university and a federal land management agency," said Stephen Wolter, director of the Eppley Institute that is part of the IU School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation.
Shayne Galloway, a doctoral candidate in recreation from HPER, and Amy Lorek, a facilitator and educational designer from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, were selected for the one-year appointments after a nationwide search. They will each spend six months at NPS training centers in Grand Canyon, Ariz., and Harpers Ferry, W.Va., to develop and provide training programs for an estimated 900 new NPS employees. Topics to be covered will include NPS values and traditions, natural resource management, cultural/heritage resource stewardship, visitor protection in national parks, and public use.
"We believe this program is a positive experience for both our institute and the Park Service," Wolter explained, "because it gives the Park Service an opportunity to enhance the education of new employees while improving training delivery and content. It also provides our graduate and doctoral students with an excellent field work experience."
The program will begin in early August and is funded as part of a $3.5 million training program approved by Congress. Epply personnel have worked with the Park Service in recent years on a variety of training and development programs. The IU institute received $500,000 in training funds from the Park Service earlier this year. Last year the Eppley Institute received the highest honor for training and excellence that can be presented by NPS.
The Eppley Institute was created in 1993 to encourage quality recreation and educational experiences for people while providing for protection of the natural and cultural resources of this country. More details on the institute are available at its Web site at https://www.eppley.org.
Wolter can be reached at 812-855-7083 or sawolter@indiana.edu.
