NPS Stewardship Institute

Carriage Barn Visitor Center at Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park

NPS

The NPS Stewardship Institute, a program of Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller NHP, was created in the establishment of the park to extend the park’s mission and themes of conservation and stewardship beyond the hills of Vermont.

The Institute models collaboration in action, from the way it is organized, to how it works. Working with a small staff and a large network of partners, the Institute supports the National Park Service and conservation practitioners in advancing stewardship practices through dialogue, inquiry and lifelong-learning.

The National Park Service established the Conservation Study Institute (now Stewardship Institute) in 1998 as a program of the park to help the agency and its partners stay in touch with the evolving field of conservation, and to develop more sophisticated partnerships, tools for community engagement, and adaptive and responsive stewardship strategies.

 

Highlighted Programs

 

Building Skills for Effective Facilitation

The Stewardship Institute supports NPS staff and partners in developing the skills necessary to ensure effective engagement in a variety of situations from team conversations to complex group decision-making processes. Through virtual and in-person facilitation training, participants gain the understanding, skills and confidence to provide facilitation in a broad spectrum of situations, increasing both efficiency and effectiveness of the work of a group of people. Contact [e-mail] to learn more about facilitation training offerings.

 

Forest for Every Classroom

Forest for Every Classroom (FFEC) is a professional development program for educators focused on place-based learning that connects local schools, community partners and public lands in gateway communities. By collaborating with various stakeholders, it aims to enhance educational experiences while promoting stewardship, strengthening community ties and supporting conservation efforts. Teachers who participate in FFEC develop curriculum that fosters student understanding of and appreciation for the public lands in their community. At the heart of the FFEC program is the belief that students who are immersed in the interdisciplinary study of ‘place’ are more eager to learn and be involved in the stewardship of their communities and public lands.

A Forest for Every Classroom is made possible by the partnership with Shelburne Farms.

 

Managing by Network

The Stewardship Institute is a co-host for Managing by Network, an inter-agency course designed for public agency managers, specialists, coordinators, and front-line supervisors run by the Partnership and Community Collaboration Academy. The curriculum for this course centers on the 22 partnership and community collaboration competencies defined by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). In this course, members learn from subject matter experts from across agencies and organizations on topics such as assessing the performance of partnerships, developing agreements and budgets, and accountability practices. Participants develop the skills needed to build and leverage private-public partnerships to increase outdoor recreation and support community-based stewardship initiatives.

 

Superintendents Leadership Roundtable

The Superintendents Leadership Roundtable (SLR) program is a leadership development training based on peer-learning, designed for Superintendents to come together and share their experiences as park leaders. The SLR program provides a forum to support NPS leaders in working through complex challenges facing parks that can range from responding to natural disasters, budget and staffing challenges, enhancing partnerships, adapting to changing visitor use, and other emerging issues. The SLR program provides superintendents an opportunity to collaborate with leaders facing similar challenges. SLR participants are guided in the program by professional leadership facilitators. The SLR facilitators foster the development of strategies to address park challenges through sharing resources and ideas. This creates a program that enhances leadership, supports problem-solving, and strengthens parks.

The SLR program is part of the national portfolio of leadership development opportunities and is open to NPS superintendents, deputies and assistant superintendents. The program is managed by the Stewardship Institute in partnership with the Learning and Development Office.