GSA Online Application System

 

APPLY NOW   Public Land Name: John Day Fossil Beds National Monument Position Title: Curriculum/Education Specialist [spring] Agency: NPS Position Type: GeoCorps Position ID Number: 2015035 Location: Kimberly, OR Accepting Applications? # of current Applicants: 0 Position Description: The interpretive specialist is expected to explain complex scientific concepts to the public in an understandable, meaningful, and engaging way one-on-one or to groups in a busy paleontology museum setting to curious visitors. The Thomas Condon Paleontology Center at the Sheep Rock Unit of John Day Fossil Beds National Monument near Dayville, OR, will serve as the office. The monument is an ideal place to interpret paleontology, geology, evolution, and climate change. Over 40 million years of life is preserved in these fossil beds and actively researched. The fossil beds tell the story of ancient ecosystem changes and species’ emergence, evolution, and extinction as the environment changed from semi-tropical forests on a warm marine margin to a dry, cold, inland steppe semi-desert. The internship has two components. The first is resource interpretation and visitor service. The intern will learn what an interpretive ranger does on a daily basis. Approximately half of the internship will be spent in a frontline ranger role. The intern will be expected to provide visitor service such as answering questions about paleontology and geology, area recreation, and regional travel. The second component of the internship is the curriculum project. The spring GeoCorps intern will work closely with experienced NPS interpretive staff to research and develop curriculum for a traveling fossil kit that will reach approximately 1500 students annually. A set of lab activities and curriculum will be developed by the intern to aid educators teaching earth science content and common core standards for the park's traveling fossil trunks. Distance learning and site-based educational components will link classrooms and students to current scientific work at John Day Fossil Beds National Monument. The traveling kit notebook will be designed for easy use in the classroom. New curriculum and activities will be aligned with current Oregon science common core and content standards. Collaboration with research scientists on staff and the use paleontological resources will aid the intern in preparing a formal education program. The intern will individually research, develop, and present a guided hike in Blue Basin to visiting school groups and other visitors. This site-based interpretive walk will be a component of formal education programs available for school groups arriving in April and May. Typically these programs reach about 1000 students, elementary through undergraduate and are based on the abundant natural resources of the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument. The intern will also have the opportunity to join the paleontology research staff for a few day-long field trips to learn how to prospect for, protect, and collect fossils. If you have questions about the application and selection process, please contact GSA's GeoCorps managers.  If you have questions about any aspect of the position — description, qualifications, housing, dates — please direct them to the contact(s) listed in the project description. Remember, application materials can only be submitted online. The project contact(s) will not accept application materials sent to them via e-mail, mail, fax, etc. See the full program details at the GeoCorps homepage.