Know a teacher who wants an outstanding professional development opportunity? The park is currently recruiting one teacher from surrounding school districts to spend the summer working with us at Cane River Creole National Historical Park as a Teacher-Ranger-Teacher (TRT). The selected candidate will learn about the park’s rich cultural resources, help develop the park’s education program, and have the opportunity to share their experiences with their students and fellow teachers when they return to the classroom.
This temporary (240-hour) position is part of a nationwide professional development program to help grow and nurture K-12 educational opportunities within the National Park Service (NPS). The selected teacher will work with park staff to evaluate the park’s educational programming and develop new programs, curriculum, and teacher resources. Applicants should have experience in program planning and lesson plan development and a passion for placed-based education and national parks. Teachers of all grade levels and subject areas from the park’s surrounding school districts may apply and much of the work may be done remotely.
The TRT program includes 45 hours of online coursework, discussion, and course readings. Upon completion of the program and course work, the teacher will receive a $3000 stipend and earn three graduate credit hours through University of Colorado, Denver (UC Denver). The TRT program is provided through a partnership between NPS and UC Denver. The goal of the program is to train teachers in the resources and themes of the NPS so that they can return to their schools in the fall and incorporate their new skills into their classroom activities.
For more information and for an application, please contact JoAnn St Clair at jo_a_st_clair@nps.gov. The application deadline for the TRT program is Friday, May 14, 2021.
The grounds of Oakland and Magnolia Plantations are open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Nearly 80 original buildings remain, many open for self-guided tours including several that are historically furnished from Wednesday through Sunday. Park staff conducts tours of the plantation grounds daily Wednesday through Sunday. In addition, the park offers a cell phone tour. The Oakland Main House is open for self-guided tours from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. The Magnolia Main House is privately owned and is not open to the public. For more information, please visit the park’s website at http://www.nps.gov/cari, find us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/canerivercreoleNPS or call the park at 318-352-0383, ext. 316.
