Rachel Adamsky

Where are you from?

I am from Newton, MA

Where do you attend school? Share with us the city/town, what you are majoring in, what your academic interests are?

I recently graduated from Skidmore College located in Saratoga Springs, NY. I majored in geosciences with a focus in education.

What are your career or educational goals?

The long-term goal is to design curriculum and resources for science education. However, before I embark on that journey, I want to become a middle school or high school science teacher.

Outside of school and work what are your hobbies and/or interests?

I love to be outside. I’m always ready to go on a hike or start a new adventure. I’m a big fan of travelling and exploring new places, cooking, and I swing dance!

What is your internship project focus? Explain what you will be doing, which parks/partners will you be working with? Who is your mentor at OCLP?

I am the education associate at the Olmsted Center. My work focuses on developing a curriculum for the Arborist Training Program. I am working alongside Michael on this project. We are working to make a successful blended learning program to help more NPS employees become certified arborists. The other half of my responsibilities are supporting the 2020 Designing the Parks Internship program with Jennifer. I am helping with internship marketing, planning intern enrichment, and the organization and planning of the intern trip to Acadia National Park.

Why did you choose to participate in a Designing the Parks Internship? How is your internship hosted? (Examples include: LIHP, ACE, HBCUI, Mosaics in Science, etc)

I wanted to be a part of the Designing the Parks Internship program because I was interested in gaining hands on experience in developing educational curriculum. The project I am working on allows for me to do just that! NCPE is supporting my internship with the Olmsted Center.

What are you looking forward to learning or exploring during your internship?

I’m looking forward to learning more about learning opportunities for NPS employees and the work the Olmsted Center has done in part with these learning opportunities.

What types of opportunities will Designing the Parks provide you with?

The Designing the Parks is providing me with the opportunity to take a lead on designing a curriculum for a program they are looking to reboot. I’m excited to further develop my skills in curriculum development and explore the use of distance learning/blended learning.