Shultz, Laura

Thomas, Amy E.

Toomey, Rick

Trimboli, Shannon

Wong, David

TopSCHOLAR

Western Kentucky UniversityTopSCHOLAR®Mammoth Cave Research Symposia 11th Research Symposium 2016Apr 18th, 3:25 PMYouth Engagement in Public Health at MammothCave National Park: A Pilot Alternative SpringBreak ProgramLaura ShultzStudent Conservation Association, Mammoth Cave National Park, laurashultz2013@u.northwestern.eduDavid WongEpidemiology Branch, National Park Service Office of Public HealthAmy E. ThomasMammoth Cave National ParkRick ToomeyMammoth Cave International Center for Science and Learning, Mammoth Cave National Park, rick_toomey@nps.govShannon TrimboliMammoth Cave International Center for Science and Learning, Ogden College of Science and Engineering, Western KentuckyUniversity, shannon.trimboli@wku.eduFollow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.wku.edu/mc_reserch_sympPart of the Animal Sciences Commons, Forest Sciences Commons, Geology Commons,Hydrology Commons, Other Earth Sciences Commons, and the Plant Sciences CommonsThis is brought to you for free and open access by TopSCHOLAR®. It has been accepted for inclusion in Mammoth Cave Research Symposia by anauthorized administrator of TopSCHOLAR®. For more information, please contact todd.seguin@wku.edu.Recommended CitationLaura Shultz, David Wong, Amy E. Thomas, Rick Toomey, and Shannon Trimboli, "Youth Engagement in Public Health at MammothCave National Park: A Pilot Alternative Spring Break Program" (April 18, 2016). Mammoth Cave Research Symposia. Paper 10.http://digitalcommons.wku.edu/mc_reserch_symp/11th_Research_Symposium_2016/Research_Posters/10Proceedings for Celebrating the Diversity of Research in the Mammoth Cave Region: 11th Research Symposium at Mammoth Cave National Park. Editors: Shannon R. Trimboli, Luke E. Dodd, and De’Etra Young.114Youth Engagement in Public Health at Mammoth Cave National Park: A Pilot Alternative Spring Break ProgramLaura Shultz1, David Wong2, Amy E. Thomas3, Rick Toomey4, and Shannon Trimboli51 Student Conservation Association, Mammoth Cave National Park2 Epidemiology Branch, National Park Service Office of Public Health3 Mammoth Cave National Park4 Mammoth Cave International Center for Science and Learning, Mammoth Cave National Park5 Mammoth Cave International Center for Science and Learning, Ogden College of Science and Engineering, Western Kentucky UniversityAbstractEach year, students from over 200 colleges and universities participate in Alternative Spring Breaks (ASBs) — volunteer, service-oriented missions that empower youth to become active citizens. Since 2000, at least 25 National Park Service (NPS) units have hosted ASBs where students volunteered to build trails, remove invasive plants, and provide other needed services (Nelson 2016). While such programs successfully connected youth with parks, particularly those interested in conservation, ASBs are also an opportunity to introduce students to the myriad and diverse career paths within NPS.Description of Pilot Alternative Spring Break ProgramDuring February 28 - March 4, 2016, Mammoth Cave National Park (MACA) and the Mam-moth Cave International Center for Science and Learning partnered with the NPS Office of Public Health to host a pilot ASB program focused on public health. Through direct, hands-on service, seven students and one professor from Alma College in Michigan spent a week learning about park-specific public health issues, including rabies, rodent-borne diseases, and recreational water quality. Issues were framed using a One Health perspective, which recog-nizes that the health of people, animals, and  our environment are inter-connected and are best addressed using an inter-disciplinary approach.ASB activities included monitoring bat popula-tions on tour routes to better understand risk for bat-human contacts; performing rodent exclu-sion on seasonal housing; collecting and testing cave water for E. coli contamination; and build-ing and setting traps for ticks and Asian lady beetles. For more information on each activity, see Figure 1. Students received 1-1.5 hours of lecture/training each day, interacted with park staff from multiple divisions, and learned about career opportunities in NPS, public health, or both. Proper personal protective equipment (PPE) was used during all activities.Benefits to the National Park ServiceIn A Call to Action, the NPS commits to “strengthen the Service as an education institution and parks as places of learning that develop American values, civic engagement, and citizen stewardship.” Partnering with the ASB program at Alma College is a natural extension of this idea. This pilot program capitalized on both education and service to truly impact the participating students. By engaging in participatory learning and fostering transformative experiences as outlined in Achieving Relevance in our Second Century, A Five-year Strategy for Interpretation, Education, and Volunteers as We Enter the Second Century of the National Park Proceedings for Celebrating the Diversity of Research in the Mammoth Cave Region: 11th Research Symposium at Mammoth Cave National Park. Editors: Shannon R. Trimboli, Luke E. Dodd, and De’Etra Young.115Service, we are using proven techniques that are primed to propel the Service forward. The students worked with three divisions collaboratively (Resource Management, Interpretation, and Maintenance) and were exposed to multiple One Health disciplines, including environmental studies, public health, entomology, and hydrology. By participating in hands-on data collection and solutions to public health risks (such as implementing rodent exclusion), students were able to take away a sense of pride in their accomplishments that connected them more strongly to their public lands and their contributions as citizen stewards.EvaluationParticipating students were asked to complete a self-administered survey that assessed the effectiveness of both program Figure 1: Alma College students participating in the public health Alternative Spring Break program assisted the park with five monitoring and abatement projects focused on public health issues. This chart summarizes those activities and their results. Proper PPE was used during all activities.Proceedings for Celebrating the Diversity of Research in the Mammoth Cave Region: 11th Research Symposium at Mammoth Cave National Park. Editors: Shannon R. Trimboli, Luke E. Dodd, and De’Etra Young.116implementation and impact. The survey was administered at the beginning of the program prior to the planned activities and at the end before the group’s departure. Initial analysis of the evaluations indicates a high level of success. The average level of student satisfaction with the training, facilities, diversity of projects, and relevance of the completed projects all rated between 4.75 and 4.88 on a 1.00 to 5.00 scale, with 5.00 being the highest. When asked about several specific knowledge, skills, and abilities taught throughout the programming, there was an overall 40% increase in comfort level across the various projects and their related tasks in the post-program responses compared to the pre-program responses. In one question, students were asked to rank the likelihood of considering a career in the NPS; compared to the pre-program responses, there was a 31.6% increase in the post-program responses. There was an 8.9% increase in the post-program responses when asked if the students would consider a career in public health; however, the responses were relatively high in both cases, increasing from an average likelihood of 3.88 to 4.25 on the same scale. This pilot program successfully showcased the breadth of public health activities conducted in parks, highlighted the potential for ASBs to introduce youth to new career opportunities within federal agencies, and set a foundation for subsequent programs in the future.  Several students agreed as evidenced by the following quotes:“… a once in a lifetime experience… [I] am considering a career in the NPS now thanks to this trip.”“This was the most interesting and memorable break I’ve ever had, and I’m truly inspired to learn more about the parks, public health, public service, etc.”“This experience changed my outlook on my career path and made me realize what is and is not important. I learned so much and wouldn’t trade this experience. Your passion is so inspiring.”SummaryTraditionally, student internships, such as NPS Academy and Centennial Volunteer Ambassadors, have been the primary tools for engaging youth with national parks. This pilot demonstrates that, with dedicated staff and effective programming, week-long ASBs can provide students with immersive experiences that highlight the diversity of park resources, all while introducing them to career opportunities. We plan to share the lessons learned from this pilot with other parks and other public health agencies. Similar career-specific ASBs could be developed at other NPS units and with other colleges.

Youth Engagement in Public Health at Mammoth Cave National Park: A Pilot Alternative Spring Break Program

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Youth Engagement in Public Health at Mammoth Cave National Park: A Pilot Alternative Spring Break Program

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