The education program at Santa Monica Mountains is recognized as one of the top programs in the National Park Service in terms of breadth of theme, diversity of clientele, and complexity of educational partnerships. The programs are multi-disciplinary and interdisciplinary, using sciences as well as the arts and humanities as routes to cultural and environmental understanding.

Duties

Designs and implements annual strategy for evaluations of Santa Monica Mountains education standards, engaging students in learning, preparing staff, attracting a diverse audience, and providing accessible programming. Researches, designs, evaluates, and revises education programs and media based on established interpretive themes and objectives, goals, and initiatives set forth by the park and region, current school curriculum studies, and terms of existing and developing partnerships. Seeks and consolidates input from the Education staff, NPS partners, program co-sponsors, local educators and school officials. Plans meetings with park personnel, park partners, and school officials and teachers to develop specific programs, based on park resources that support school curriculum and state standards. Develops goals, program objectives, timelines, staffing requirements, facilities and budgets for education, funding proposals for the park wide education program. Park Ranger (I): The employees of the National Park Service care for special places that are the heritage of all Americans. Since its inception in 1916, the National Park Service has been dedicated to the preservation and management of this country's outstanding natural, historical, and recreational resources. Park ranger - interpreters connect people to parks. They play a key role in ensuring that visitors have a meaningful, satisfying, and safe park experience, help visitors decide how to spend their time in the park, and inform them about the wonders that await their discovery. Park ranger - interpreters are specially trained to engage the public so that each park visitor can find a personal connection with the meanings and values found in the places and stories of that park. They help visitors explore the many dimensions of parks by introducing them to a variety of perspectives. By providing the opportunity for visitors to care about the places they visit, they promote stewardship and the opportunity for those visitors to care for park resources. National parks are among the most remarkable places in America for recreation, learning, and inspiration. The work done by park ranger-interpreters through effective interpretive and educational programs encourages the development of a personal stewardship ethic and broadens public support for preserving and protecting park resources, so that they may be enjoyed by present and future generations.

Requirements

Qualifications

All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-07/19/2024-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement. Credit will be given for all appropriate qualifying experience. For current Federal employees, if hours worked per week are not included on your resume, you must submit a non-award SF-50 for each federal position listed as part of your application to be used to validate your work schedule and determine the amount of qualifying experience that you will be granted. An award SF-50 will not be acceptable documentation for which to consider your amount of qualifying experience. For all other applicants who are not current federal employees, your resume must state either "full-time" (or "40 hours a week") or "part-time" with the number of hours worked per week to ensure proper crediting of specialized experience. Failure to adequately provide information needed to determine number of hours worked in each position may result in that time not being credited when evaluating qualifying experience. For periods of time that reflect military service, the DD-214 or Statement of Service is sufficient to meet the full and/or part-time hours requirement as the service dates will be reflected. To qualify for this position at the GS-11 grade level, you must possess at least one of the following minimum qualifications by close of the announcement: EXPERIENCE: Possess at least one year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-09 grade level in the Federal service (or private sector). This experience includes activities such as: Mentoring lower graded staff, interns, and volunteers in carrying out a park's interpretive program; program work involving the development, evaluation, implementation of education programs; providing training in education topics; developing and presenting interpretive programs. You must include hours per week worked. -OR- EDUCATION: Have successfully completed at least 2 full academic years of progressively higher-level graduate education or master's or equivalent graduate degree related to the occupation such as natural resources management, natural sciences, earth sciences, history, archeology, anthropology, park and recreation management, Law enforcement/police science, social sciences, sociology, or other closely related subjects pertinent to the management and protection of natural and cultural resources. Course work in fields other than those specified may be accepted if it clearly provides applicant with the background of knowledge and skills necessary for successful job performance in the position to be filled. IMPORTANT - PLEASE NOTE: If you are using education to qualify you must document your degree in your resume. If your degree was not in one of the directly related fields listed in this response, you must submit a copy of your transcripts or a complete list of college courses taken that identifies for each course the college or university, semester or quarter hours earned, grade received, and date completed. We cannot determine eligibility without this information. (A copy of your official transcripts will be required before entrance on duty, if selected). You must include transcripts. -OR- COMBINATION: Have successfully completed a COMBINATION of education and experience as described above. To combine education and experience, first take the number of semester hours (or equivalent) earned towards a graduate degree, in excess of 18 semester hours, and divide by 18 semester hours (or equivalent). Then take the number of months of full-time experience and divide by 12 months. Add the percentages together. The total must equal at least 100 percent to qualify. You must include transcripts. Volunteer Experience: Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Education

To qualify based on education, you must submit a legible copy of transcripts from an accredited institution with your name, school name, credit hours, course level, major(s), and grade-point average or class ranking. Transcripts do not need to be official, but if you are selected for this position and you used your education to qualify, you must provide official transcripts before you begin work.

If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet qualification requirements, you must show that your education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university.

Contacts

• Address Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area 401 West Hillcrest Drive Thousand Oaks, CA 91360 US
• Name: Billie Bowker
• Email: [email protected]