Interpretive tool: Junior Ranger Program

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Tilden Freeman, in his handbook on the basics of interpretation, stated with regards to children,"Interpretation addressed to children should not be a dilution of the presentation to adults but should follow a fundamentally different approach. To be at its best it will require a separate program". The struggle to interpret to children as well as adults is tough, the challenge being knowing how to connect with children and not bore the adults, or vice versa, to engage adults and not lose the children. One of the ways to do this is with play. All children inherently know to play and learn as they go, so long as it is perceived as fun and not educational. Adults need to play too, for many have forgotten how to play with all the cares of the world as it is today. Going further, having a program that engages adults and children in play while cleverly disguising it as learning is a rewarding challenge. One example of this in action is the National Park Service's Junior Ranger Program which is available in most National Parks.

The Junior Ranger Program is a book or booklet that can be obtained from a location in a Park. By Park, it should be understood that this means every location under the jurisdiction of the National Park Service, so there should not be a difference between, for example, a National Battlefield, National Monument, or a National Seashore. Several states also offer similar Junior Ranger Programs for their state parks as well. It's a best bet to ask at the Visitor Center for the book or check online here to download it and print it beforehand. They are designed to be filled out by children generally aged from about 5 - 13, the general age range before un-coolness becomes a consideration. They can be done as a group or as individuals; some parks offer programs for different ages to make it easier or more challenging based on age and ability. From then on, the visiting children roam the park looking for the answers or completing the tasks. Once completed, they return to where they received the books and the books are evaluated. If the responses to the questions and activities are found satisfactory, the youths usually have the option to take the Junior Ranger Pledge and receive souvenir badges for their hard work. The pledge has been a point of some consternation with some parents; it isn't a covenant or a binding oath of fealty. It is usually a show of decorum and responsibility in the students to help protect the places they visit so others can enjoy it later. It's just more solemn than handing a badge with a "There you go". Sometimes younger children can get the badge too so they do not feel left out by older brother or sister getting one.

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This program offers a lot of great opportunities. Rather than be stuck reading signs and looking at things, younger visitors are searching for clues and answers in the waysides and looking closely at the details of things on display. It allows for more personal engagement with the resources of not only the children but also adults. Some of it is also just for fun like word puzzles, crosswords, matching, and mazes. It makes for great busy work for children even in the car ride. It can also put a new twist on a favorite Park. Plus, they get a token for their work, most of which may be a plastic or embroidered patch, but some are wood or metal and some are limited edition, especially for the Centennial year. The book and token serve as reminders of their time going to a Park as well as increase the desire to go to other Parks and appreciate those too. One of the greatest things about the program is that it's free!

It is not without its challenges either. A poorly written question, task, or activity can lead to a lot of frustration for all parties involved.  Some kids can be so focused on simply collecting the badge that they really did not connect to the resource or be so focused on completing the activities and tasks that they "miss" the park or lose out on the learning what the park was about. As a self guiding interpretive tool, the interpreter has a passive role in this program since it connects the visitor directly with the resource without a human interpreter being present. It also is not very feasible to be able to collect them all as the Parks in the NPS system are not just in the lower 48 states, but in Alaska, Hawai'i, and in the territories. Because of this, one can really only have 'most' of the badges, but would require tremendous effort to visit each park and obtain one (badges can still be obtained by downloading, completing, and mailing in the book if the park allows, so check with the park first). One consideration is how complete a booklet needs to be onsite. Some places may be very strict on making sure that all questions and activities are filled out completely before getting a badge, where others will be accommodating with reasonable effort.

So despite some flaws that can be part of any interpretive program, the National Park's Junior Ranger Program is a great way to connect children and parents with a Park. After all, getting children interested in going to natural, or historical Parks will lead to greater love and desire to protect these areas for future generations. Next month is the National Park Service 100th anniversary and will be the focus of the next blog post!