Before starting at NC State, I taught in residential outdoor and high school classroom settings, always with an emphasis on outdoor and experiential education. At NC State, I aim to keep these foci as I interact with undergraduate and graduate students through service learning and community engagement. I use these approaches to give students experience in participatory social science research and bridge them directly to the communities we serve as researchers. At NC State, I teach the following courses:
PRT 442: Recreation & Park Interpretive Services (Spring semesters)
Interpretation is a communication technique that translates technical language to connect people’s hearts and minds to a resource. Commonly, interpretation occurs at local, county, state and national parks; state and national forests; other protected areas; as well as natural and cultural history centers and sites. This course is designed to provide fundamental knowledge of environmental and cultural interpretation, as well as develop practical skills in providing interpretive services. Students will enroll in the National Association of Interpretation Certified Interpretive Guide course and have opportunity to apply for certification ($125 fee). Students completing this course will also earn a minimum of 20 hours toward NC Environmental Education Certification.
This course is designed to prepare students to enter the environmental education (EE) profession. Topics will include EE professional standards, program planning and delivery, and program evaluation. A significant portion of the course focuses on securing and completing a field placement involving at least 10 contact hours with learners through teaching or observations. In addition, students are highly encouraged to attend an EE professional conference which may require overnight travel. Completion of course activities will provide 50-80 hours toward the NC Environmental Education Certification Program.