In this issue:
Anne O'Neill wins Freeman Tilden Award
Anne
O'Neill, a participant in the 2002 BTW summer teacher / ranger institute,
has been awarded the 2002 Freeman Tilden Award for developing the program
"Reaching Out to Our Neighbors". The Freeman Tilden award is
the highest honorary award presented to a National Park Service employee
for an interpretive or educational program.
"Reaching Out to Our Neighbors" is a multi-cultural and multi-lingual
program that assists the communities bordering Rock Creek Park to discover,
appreciate, and make a personal connection to the park. In order to better
serve the communities neighboring the park, Anne created a partnership
with the Latin American Youth Center, the Next Step Charter School, George
Washington University, Galludet University, Upward Bound, The Charter
School and multiple individuals to developed multi-lingual interpretive
community outreach programs. As a part of this effort, Anne wrote two
grants that funded the translation of the park and volunteer brochures
into Spanish. She also vigorously recruited members of the communities
neighboring Rock Creek Park and trained, coached and mentored them as
a new population of Rock Creek Park volunteers. Through Anne's hard work,
the diversity of the volunteer program at Rock Creek Park has expanded
and become more representative of the neighboring community.
