STEWARDS INDIVIDUAL PLACEMENTS
YOUTH EMPOWERMENT STEWARDS
FY2024 REPORT
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
HEADER
YOUTH EMPOWERMENT STEWARDS
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CONTACT INFORMATION page two
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS page three ABOUT page four
FUNDING page five
PROGRAM SUCCESS page six
PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS page seven QUOTES page nine
PROJECT IMPROVEMENTS page ten
DEMOGRAPHICS page eleven
CONCLUSION page twelve APPENDIX page thirteen
CONSERVATION LEGACY
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE FY2024 REPORT Report Term: October 2023–September 2024
CONTACT INFO FOR CONSERVATION LEGACY: April Elkins Badtke
Executive Director 330 Harper Park Drive Suite I Beckley WV 25801
Email: april@conservatoinlegacy.org Phone: 304.444.2764
FOR NATIONAL PARK: Ernestine M. White (she/her) National Youth Employment Programs Coordinator (Acting Youth Program Manager) (21CSC, Vets, YMCA, BGCA) 1849 C Street, NW Mail Stop: 2355 Washington, D.C. 20240
Email: ernestine_white@nps.gov Phone: 202.570.5628
www.conservationlegacy.org
Youth Empowerment Stewards - Park Accessibility Information Review (YES-PAIR) Members gather together on the steps outside of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. after a day of YES-PAIR training.
YES member, Ian Phillips (Redwood National and State Parks), preparing to give a presentation at the Jedediah Smith campground and campfire center.
Cover Photo: Ana Young, a YES-PAIR Member, enjoying a break at Brooks Falls day use area and overlook at New River Gorge National Park and Preserve after collecting data for a Park Information Accessibility Review (PAIR).
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Conservation Legacy and Stewards Individual Placements would like to thank the National Park Service staff and partners, including the National Park Foundation, who have helped make the Youth Empowerment Stewards program a continued success.
CONTACT
National Park Service –Ernestine White, Youth Programs Division Workforce and Inclusion Directorate, National Park Service
Jeremy Buzzell, NPS Park Accessibility for Visitors and Employees (PAVE)
Lenard Ramacher and Patrick Taylor, Redwood National and State Park
Elisa Kunz and Kelly Kachurak, NPS South-East Regional Office
Amber Kraft, Keweenaw National Park
Margie Brown, Minute Man National Historic Park
Miki’ala Pescaia and Nancy Holman, Kalaupapa National Historic Park
Jay Elhard, Acadia National Park
Jacob Ross and Alexie Palmer, Roosevelt-Vanderbilt
National Historic Site
AJ Legault and Tera Lynn Gray, Agate Fossil Beds National Monument
Scott Babinowich, The NPS Outer Banks Group
Melissa Weih, Prince William Forest Park
Stacy Humphreys and Noelle LeGrand, Abraham Lincoln
Birthplace National Historic Park
Shirley Baxter, Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail
Kelly Fellner, Springfield Armory National Historic Site
Jacob Hartsog, New River Gorge National Park and Preserve
Susan Snow and Jeremy Parker, Effigy Mounds National Monument
Christine Jacobs and David Vekasy, San Antonio Missions National Historic Park
Erika Williams, Joshua Tree National Park
Dwayne Scheid, Colonial National Historic Park
George Jaramillo, Cape Hatteras National Seashore
Kristine Brunsman, Castillo de San Marcos National Monument
Supporting Partners –
Ron Hassel, National Park Foundation
Stef Martin, National Park Foundation
Moses Espaniola and Elizabeth Fien, Friends of Hawaii
Volcanoes National Park
Alyce Almond, West Virginia Department of Rehabilitation
Stewards Individual Placements –April Elkins Badtke, Executive Director
Jessica Zukowski, Program Director
Amberly Borday, Program Manager
Susie Schroer, Disability Program Coordinator
The National Park Foundation (NPF) funded the PAIR training in Washington D.C. and the first day of training was at the NPF Offices.
YES Member, Ian Phillips, uses a tape measure to measure the width of a footpath at Redwood National and State Park.
PURPOSE
Stewards Individual Placements embarked on an ambitious journey in 2021 with the launch of the Youth Empowerment Stewards (YES) pilot initiative initially supported by the Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation. The program’s inception marked a significant step towards creating a more inclusive and accessible national conservation workforce, addressing both the need for increased visitor accessibility in public lands and the opportunity to establish a sustainable model for the direct employment and development of talented young adults from the disability community. With the National Park Service (NPS) as a founding national partner, the YES initiative was designed to transform the landscape of conservation careers and public land accessibility.
The purpose of the YES program is two-fold: 1) To create and showcase a sustainable model of employment and talent development for individuals with disabilities in land management and conservation programming, thus ensuring that all abilities are included in the conversations and solutions of today, and 2) To serve on projects that increase accessibility at and within our public lands for everyone. The Youth Empowerment Stewards (YES) program works with young adults (ages 18-30) and Veterans (up to the age of 35), with close personal connections to the disability community, to serve at NPS sites. These YES members support a variety of park programs, needs, and goals to address accessibility and usability barriers, while also creating an open and welcoming environment for all who wish to enjoy our public lands. YES members, through their lenses of their own experiences within the disability community, serve in the capacity of increasing/improving accessibility at their sites for all while also elevating the representation of individuals with disabilities within conservation-based service and career paths.
Since its inception in 2021, the YES program has seen continued growth year after year in the number of YES members, funding support, and project scope. In 2021 there was one YES member with funding support from M.E.A.F. In 2022 there were 12 YES members with funding support from M.E.A.F., the Youth Programs Division of the Washington Support Office of the NPS, and with NPS sites self-funding a YES member. In 2023, the YES initiative saw continued growth in the number of YES members, partly due to additional funding support from the National Park Foundation. Also in 2023, the YES initiative started to expand the YES program beyond summer terms and welcomed YES members into the program for a fall cohort. To help coordinate and support the success of the YES program, Stewards Individual Placements hired a fulltime Disability Program Coordinator in the Fall of 2023.
2024 has seen YES members serving throughout the year with 23 YES members placed in Hawaii to Maine to Florida and everywhere in between with members serving throughout the year. With the support of the National Park Foundation and the NPS Park Accessibility for Visitors and Employees (PAVE) office, a sub-set of YES was also created called YES-PAIR. These seven (7)YES members were tasked with completing Park Accessibility Information Reviews (PAIR) at seven (7)NPS sites across the Nation. The YES-PAIR members have been tasked with collecting accessibility conditions at park sites to be communicated with future park visitors so that they can have better informed trip planning.
The Youth Empowerment Stewards (YES) initiative exemplifies Conservation Legacy’s dedication to fostering an inclusive and diverse conservation workforce while enhancing the accessibility of public lands. Through its strategic partnerships, innovative programs, and unwavering commitment to accessibility, YES is paving the way for a more inclusive future in conservation.
Attendees of an adaptive hiking event at Great Smokey Mountains National Park enjoying the scenery of an accessible hike.
TOTAL FUNDING SUPPORT
FUNDING
YES Members earned a $600 per week living stipend and several also earned $100 per week stipend in additional benefits to help support housing, food, and transportation costs (if the Park did not have housing for the member).
Between October 1, 2023 and September 30, 2024, there were 173 member weeks supported
$150,000 was provided through the NPS
• $105,700 to support 151 weeks of member living allowances
• $42,280 Stewards support fees
• $2,020 to support reasonable accommodations such as ASL interpretative services
$150,000 was provided through the National Park Foundation to support YES-PAIR
• $74,880 to support 96 weeks of member living allowances
• $26,880 Stewards support fees
• $44,240 to support member training and additional project supplies
$125,000 was provided through the NPF Service Corps
• 72 weeks were supported between Oct 2023 – Sept 2024
• $43,200 in member living allowances
• $20,160 Stewards support fees
• 54 weeks will be supported in service terms beginning after Sept. 30, 2024
• $32,400 in member living allowances
• $15,120 in Stewards Support fees
• $3,800 supports members professional development and travel
• $10,320 supports reasonable accommodations such as ASL interpretative services
$43,120 in NPS sites that “self-funded” the costs of a YES member at their NPS site
• $30,800 to support 44 weeks of member living allowances
• $12,320 Stewards support fees
WV Division of Rehabilitation Services
• $7,800 to support 13 weeks of member living allowance
• $3,640 Stewards member support fee
Of the total funding support:
• $294,780 went directly to member stipends
• $120,400 supported members through Stewards support fees
• $60,380 utilized to support YES member training, YES professional development goals (such as registering for an online webinar about effective audio descriptions, or traveling to participate in and learn about adaptive hiking and mountain biking equipment and experiences at a workshop) and reasonable accommodations such as ASL interpretative services
Arika (AJ) Abbott giving a pop-up presentation to three visitors at the Calumet Visitor Center in Keweenaw National Historical Park.
YES-PAIR member, Feli Badji (pictured in stern) experiencing a dugout canoe made by members of the Ho-Chuck Nation during an educational event at Effigy Mounds National Monument
PROGRAM SUCCESS
HIGHLIGHT OF THE PROGRAM SUCCESSES (OUTCOMES)
• YES members interacted with countless visitors from all walks of life at various visitor centers, ranger stations, trails, and while assisting or facilitating campfire programs, guided walks, pop-up displays, and outreach events
• Park Accessibility Information Reviews (PAIR) were completed at seven (7) NPS sites
• Accessible/adaptive bird watching kits were researched and created to accommodate visitors with limited mobility, or neurodivergence, or limited sight and/or hearing that are interested in bird watching
• Media files (audio, video, and print) were updated to be 508 compliant
• Audio described park brochures and films were created
• Members collaborated with local community stakeholders to gather feedback on accessibility issues and solutions
• Unigrid Audio Descriptions were updated
• An inclusive communication guide was developed for interacting with visitors and staff with disabilities
• Invasive species were removed, including removal of invasive species encroaching upon and disrupting sections of accessible pathways
• Social media videos with in-video ASL interpretation were created
• Mental health guides and information presentations for park staff were created
• Member collaborated with IBCCES to help Castillo de San Marcos become a Certified Autism Center (CAC)
• A comprehensive accessibility review was created in accordance with ABAAS specifications to identify barriers, successes, and opportunities within the park
OUTCOMES AS IT RELATED TO DOI PRIORITIES
Individuals with a disability have been a historically marginalized community, especially in the fields of conservation and outdoor recreation. The YES program addresses the DOI Priority of “Centering Equity and Environmental Justice” by enrolling individuals with disabilities to work at NPS sites through AmeriCorps service projects; ensuring that this historically marginalized community has a voice in today’s conservation efforts.
TRAINING PROVIDED
A unique aspect of the YES program is that it is set-up as a cohort model and as such there was a designated bi-weekly meeting YES cohort meeting. In the YES cohort meeting space, YES members from across the Nation gathered to share and celebrate project successes, discuss project barriers and brainstorm possible solutions to overcome them as a collective group. The Disability Program Coordinator would also facilitate professional
development presentations and discussions on a variety of topics including:
• Networking
• Disability Awareness
• How to Utilize the AmeriCorps Education Award
• Developing Land Acknowledgements
• How to Utilize Schedule A Hiring Authority
Outside of the YES cohort space, YES members also received the following trainings, either provided at their park site, or through their professional development funds available to Stewards Individual Placement members. These additional trainings include but aren’t limited to:
• Making a Difference Through Interpretation – TORE Training
• Week-long training in Washington D.C. on Park Accessibility Information Reviews (PAIR) for 8 YES members
• First Aid/CPR/AED
• Operational Leadership Training
• Foundations of Accessibility through the Eppley Institute
• PPE and Hurricane management training
FEDERAL HIRES
2024 Conversions:
Isabella Craven – Served a 12-week YES service term with Friends of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park; her YES service term started shortly after she also completed a 20-week service term with Stewards Individual Placements’ sister program, Ancestral Lands Conservation Corps. After her YES service term and gaining Public Land Corps (PLC) hiring authority, Isabella accepted a fulltime position as an Archaeological Tech with the USDA Forest Service in Oregon. Isabella’s on-site supervisor at Friends of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Moses Espaniola, is an alumnus of Conservation Legacy’s Community Volunteer Ambassador (CVA) program.
2024 YES members returning to school = 8
2024 YES members seeking another term of service = 4
2024 YES members that will be completing their terms late 2024/early 2025 = 9
2024 YES members undecided on next steps or taking a full-time (non Federal) job = 3
YES Alumni Conversions:
Sasha Johnson served as a YES member at the NPS Southeast Regional Office during the Summer of 2022. Shortly after completing his 12-week term of service, Sasha was hired full-time as a Communications Coordinator with the Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area.
Annora Melton was a YES member at Jimmy Carter National Historical Park in the summer of 2022. After utilizing her AmeriCorps Education Award to complete her degree, Annora is now working at Jimmy Carter National Historical Park.
PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS
PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS/ IMPACT STORIES
1. One of the most unique and successful projects this year includes the research and creation of adaptive/ accessible bird watching kits at Agate Fossil Beds National Monument in Harrison, Nebraska. Bird watching is one of the fastest growing recreation activities and bird watching, with the correct materials, can also be extremely accessible and inclusive. Olga Fritz-Pulford completed a 12-week AmeriCorps service term at Agate Fossil Beds National Monument in which she researched and created 5 birding kits. Each of the 5 birding kits have been designed with various disability impairments in mind: there is a birding kit for those with limited mobility impairments, a kit for those with limited sight, a kit for those with hearing loss, a kit for those with neurodiversity, and a standard bird watching kit for family and friends.
In addition to the bird watching kits, Olga also improved the bird watching binder for visitors at the site’s visitor center. Olga improved upon the descriptions of the birds found at the site, keeping in mind descriptions for those that are color blind, and including descriptions of the birds’ calls/ songs for those with a hearing loss. Finally, Olga developed a bird-watching trail guide for the park that visitors can use and a script for Rangers as they lead accessible bird-watching tours.
2. This year Stewards Individual Placements developed a collaborative partnership with the West Virginia Department of Rehabilitation. The WV Department of Rehabilitation often has funding available for those receiving rehabilitation services to help support their clients re-entering the job force with needed supplies and job training. The WV Department of Rehabilitation was able to support a 12-week service term at New River Gorge National Park and Preserve. This has been a successful relationship for Stewards, WV Department of Rehabilitation, New River Gorge National Park, and the service member – an individual that was an avid outdoorsman prior to sustaining a spinal cord injury. Until this partnership and opportunity was formed, the member was unsure if they would be able to pursue a career in the outdoor recreation and conservation field, since the completion of the members service they have returned to school with a new major in Natural Resources and Recreation Management and dedication to a career in the outdoors. The success of this relationship will open many more opportunities for other WV Department of Rehabilitation clients, and Stewards will be seeking other collaborative relationship opportunities with rehab departments of different states.
Ethan Hoke preparing for a pop-up program on fish and fishing at New River Gorge National Park and Preserve.
Olga Fritz-Pulford, standing in front of accessible/adaptive bird watching kits they created for visitors and families to enjoy while visiting Agate Fossil Beds National Monument.
PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS
3. A new offshoot of YES, called YES-PAIR, was piloted this year. PAIR (short for Park Accessibility Information Reviews) includes gathering data and information about features at a park site and communicating those features so that future visitors to the site can have better “informed trip planning” for themselves. PAIRs included gathering information on items such as trails by answering questions like How long is the trail? How wide is the trail? What is the trail made from; is it compacted dirt, or mulch, or maybe the trail is paved? How many accessible-designated parking spaces are there at the Visitor Center and what is the path of travel from the parking lot to the Visitor Center? Does the site have an informational video for patrons to enjoy and, if so, does the video include Closed Captioning and/or are there other equitable alternative formats? Once all the detailed information and pictures are gathered, the site can communicate all findings on their site’s accessibility webpage, thus empowering future visitors to make informed tripplanning decisions.
There were seven (7) YES-PAIR members during the pilot of this program. YES-PAIR members all started their terms of service at the same time, at seven (7) different NPS sites across the USA, and they all came together in Washington D.C. for a week-long training on how to complete PAIRs. The YES-PAIR program was created with funding support from the National Park Foundation, and our partnership with the Park Accessibility for Visitors and Employees (PAVE) office of the NPS.
4. Castillo de San Marcos National Historic Site was one of the 7 host sites for the YES-PAIR pilot program. Desiree Barba was the YES-PAIR member at Castillo de San Marcos; because of her data collection needed to complete PAIRs, Desiree also played a very important part in the site becoming a Certified Autism Center through the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards.
Mary Elizabeth Lane taking PAIR measurements of a boardwalk at Cape Hatteras National Seashore.
Ana Young taking slope measurements with a smart level for a PAIR report on trails at New River Gorge National Park and Preserve.
ISABELLA CRAVEN, SPRING/SUMMER 2024 WITH HAVO
‘ This was the best experience I have had. I’m so grateful to the people I’ve met and the things that they’ve taught me. They helped me push myself outside of my comfort zone. I’ve learned so much that will help me with my future endeavors. They taught me to not take the beauty of our world for granted. Working in Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park, I have a deeper love of nature and of the environment. I have more confidence in myself and know that I can accomplish anything if I just seize the opportunity and give myself a chance.’
NATALIE BAILEY, SPRING/SUMMER 2024 WITH SERO
‘ I cannot speak highly enough of Stewards and the YES program! This was a once in a lifetime experience, and I grew so much both personally and professionally.’
DESIREE BARBA, YES-PAIR MEMBER (SUMMER 2024 AT CASA)
‘ I came across this opportunity that tied in aspects I never knew intersected, and learned on a deeper level the importance accessibility plays in all interactions.’
ANONYMOUS, YES-PAIR MEMBER IN REGARD TO PAIR TRAINING
‘ This isn’t really something replicable, but everyone was lovely to be around. Getting to be in a group of mainly disabled young people, where the focus is on making the outdoors - a transformative, grounding
place for very many people - more open to people like us and our loved ones, was a really special experience.’
IAN
PHILLIPS, YES INTERN (SPRING/ SUMMER 2024, REDW)
‘ I am very thankful for the opportunity this program provided me. As someone without an education in resource management, this position let me break into work with the park service, and that’s an incredibly valuable opportunity. It led to one of the best five months of my life.’
ANA “ARBOR” YOUNG, YES-PAIR MEMBER (SUMMER 2024, NERI)
‘ I could not be more grateful to have spent the summer in such a beautiful place, with fascinating history, unique ecology, and an incredible community nearby that I made several friends in who supported me when I was sick. My eyes are more open than they have ever been to the world of disability. I am excited for my work to eventually help others make more informed decisions – if even one more visitor with a disability comes to New River Gorge due to better information, that would be a success! This is a beautiful place with, I believe, something for everyone, and everyone deserves a chance to experience it.’
ANA “ARBOR” YOUNG, YES-PAIR MEMBER (SUMMER 2024, NERI)
‘ It has been incredibly rewarding to marry one of my oldest passions (the outdoors) to one of my newest (accessibility and disability rights). I would gladly do another term like
this in the future. Not only has the work been fulfilling, the flexible nature of it has meant it was suited to my physical and mental needs in a way that perhaps no other job I’ve had before has been, and ideally I will someday find a job that has those same qualities: self-directed, project- and results- based, detailoriented, flexible timewise, and equal parts outdoors and remote. That kind of environment would allow me to do my best work and also have a good quality of life.’
JACOB HARTSOG, SUPERVISOR/MENTOR AT NEW RIVER GORGE
‘ I had full trust in Ana to do her job independently and thoroughly. I would highly recommend her for any job related to outdoor recreation or disability access.’
DAVID VEKASY,
SUPERVISOR/MENTOR
AT SAN ANTONIO MISSIONS
‘ Deli was a tremendous addition to the park team. This is a significant compliment given that her internship was just 3 months’ time. Her attitude, personality, and enthusiasm were both engaging and refreshing. She made a lasting contribution to the park in important ways with her focused attention on universal accessibility. The park has a strong foundation of accessibility history and intent. Her work will allow existing content and planning to coalesce and be a realized product as a benefit to all park visitors.’
QUOTES
KRISTINE BRUNSMAN,
SUPERVISOR/MENTOR
AT CASTILLO DE SAN MARCOS
‘ Desiree worked with us to bring IBCCES (International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Educations Standards) on board, including providing training to staff and conducting a site assessment. She routinely identified potential issues or challenges within visitor service operations and suggested mitigations, changes, and potential solutions.’
PROGRAM IMPROVEMENTS
PROGRAM IMPROVEMENTS
Continued program growth is funding contingent, Stewards recommends that NPS sites incorporate a YES member into their annual program budgets expanding the accessibility of YES opportunities for participants and growing the program through wider park participation.
Stewards looks forward to the opportunity to work with the NPS leadership to develop and implement a national Youth Empowerment Stewards program modeled after historically successful intern programs with the NPS such as Scientists in the Park (SIP) or Community Volunteer Ambassadors (CVA).
EVALUATIONS
GIS Mapping projects:
6 new maps designed/ created
233 Youth and Children served
120 Veterans served
320 Veteran families served
20 Active duty Military members served
250 Active duty Military families served
While visiting the White House Visitor Center, YES-PAIR members work with Kris Rugg (NPS PAVE Program) to learn about and experience the importance of tactile displays and models for visitors with disabilities.
Ian Phillips, YES Member at Redwood National and State Parks, poses with a slug he found after conducting a campfire presentation.
EDUCATION
Bachelors: 11 Some College: 203 No Answer: 38 Associates: 63
Masters: 76
CONCLUSION
CONCLUSION
Youth Empowerment Stewards (YES) celebrates another successful year. The YES program has proven to be beneficial to NPS sites, park visitors with disabilities and their families, and YES service members. YES members bring their experiences, skills, insights, and passions to NPS projects to make our public lands more accessible and inclusive for all. These YES members are influencing the conversation and redefining perceptions of disabilities in conservation fields.
Stewards looks forward to continuing to grow, expand, and enhance this unique initiative. Future plans include developing a year-round/52-week service term position, collaborating with other Conservation Legacy programs to create more YES projects, and exploring new partnerships for expanding service opportunities through state rehabilitation departments. Most importantly, Stewards, with support from our partners, look forward to continuing the efforts to make our public sites more accessible and inclusive for all.
Quinn Raffo, YES-PAIR member, takes note of a bronze tactile map for her PAIR report of Joshua Tree National Park
APPENDIX A:
INTERN BIOS
Ian Phillips – Ian served a 20-week term at Redwoods National and State Parks. Ian was tasked with doing accessibility audits, with ABAAS standards, on numerous aspects of the park to help inform the park of accessibility items that should be addressed. Because Ian’s scope of work overlapped with PAIRs, he also joined the YES-PAIR training in Washington D.C. which proved to be beneficial to Ian’s service term. Ian started a second service term in September with the Outer Banks Group where he will audio-describe exhibits, as well as research, design, and create accessibility guides for all three parks of the Outer Banks Group.
Natalie Bailey – Natalie served a 20-week term with the Southeast Regional Office. Natalie was tasked with creating special event guides and resources for parks to use while developing a special event at their parks, helping to ensure accessibility is considered in the planning and execution of special events. Natalie also gave informational presentations to park staff on Dynamic Disabilities.
Amanda Page – Amanda also served a 20-week term with the Southeast Regional Office where she gathered accessibility information on all of the sites in SERO and compiled that information onto one SharePoint document for park use. Amanda was the first military Veteran YES member.
Isabella Craven – Served a 12-week term with Friends of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park where she focused on invasive species removal as well as created a mental health model for the site to better understand and support individuals that struggle mental health. After her YES term of service, Isabella took a full-time position in Oregon with the USDA Forest Service.
AJ Abbott - AJ is a 20-week YES service member at Keweenaw National Park. AJ has been creating visual displays to accompany an interactive activity about the restoration efforts of stamp sands. With Universal Design in mind, AJ has also been expanding upon hands-on learning activities started by the 2023 YES member.
David Griffith – Returned to Minute Man National Historic Park for a second term of service as a YES member. During this 12-week service term, David focused on resource management projects, such as removing invasive species covering or encroaching upon accessible trails. David will be using his AmeriCorps Education Awards from 2022 and 2024 to help cover the costs of college tuition.
Cynthia Herman – Cynthia’s served a 12-week term at Kalaupapa National Historical Park. In preparation of the park’s reopening after Covid, Cynthia explored the park’s historical sites to identify accessibility barriers to be addressed. Cynthia also did outreach with disability community groups to get stakeholder feedback on accessibility. Working with the park’s Interdisciplinary team, Cynthia also wrote audio descriptions for the park’s UniGrid.
Maggie DeVasher – Served a second YES term at Roosevelt-Vanderbilt National Historic Site. During this 12-week service term, Maggie researched President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s presidency and disability and incorporated findings into accessible park informational tours for visitors.
Olga Fritz-Pulford – Olga served a 12-week term at the Agate Fossil beds National Monument where she researched and created adaptive bird watching kits for visitors with physical, vision, hearing, and neurodivergent disabilities. Olga also created accessible bird watching guided hiking scripts for Park Interpretation and visitor guides.
Maddi Whiting – Serving at Prince William Forest Park for a 20-week term, Maddi has been working to make the site’s digital files (photos & videos) 508 compliant. To do so, Maddi has been working to make the park’s digital files (photos and videos) 508 compliant, Maddi has also been audio-describing park videos and making sure the videos include closed captions.
Ethan Hoke – Ethan is serving a 12-week term at the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve. Ethan has been supporting the creation of accessible educational and interpretation materials for park visitors and staff about Leave No Trace principles, wildfire preventions, and minimizing campfire impacts. Ethan has also been collaborating with YES-PAIR member, Ana “Arbor” Young, on accessibility considerations through his personal lense.
Leundria Brooks – Recently started a 25-week YES service term with the Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail. In preparation of the 60th Anniversary of the Voting Rights March and the 35th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, Leundria will be helping the National Historic Trail by reviewing campsites along the trail for accessibility, helping to ensure that everyone is welcome to participate in the anniversary marches.
Feli Badji – Feli served a 12-week YES-PAIR service term at Effigy Mounds National Monument. In addition to completing PAIRs at the site, Feli also supported the park’s Visitor Center in welcoming guests from the HoChunk Nation and learned about the history of dugout canoes and their importance to the area.
Deli Rocha – Deli, a returning YES member from 2022, served a 12-week YES-PAIR service term at San Antonio Missions National Historic site. During this service term, Deli also created some videos in ASL for the park’s VIS Ranger to use.
Quinn Raffo – Quinn served as a 12-week YES-PAIR member at Joshua Tree National Park. Quinn is now doing a 52-week AmeriCorps service term with Monongahela National Forest at the Gauley Ranger District – Cranberry Mountain Nature Center.
Ana Young – Ana served a 12-week YES-PAIR service term at New River Gorge National Park and Preserve. Ana also assisted Active Southern West Virginia with an in-depth assessment of the park’s two most popular hiking trails.
Jack Neiswanger – Jack served a 12-week YES-PAIR service term with Colonial National Historic Park. Jack also supported the park’s archeologist on a project, and Jack is now pursuing a YES position with the Springfield Armory National Historic Site
Mary Elizabeth Lane – Mary Elizabeth is a returning YES member from 2023. This Summer, Mary Elizabeth served a 12-week YES-PAIR service term at Cape Hatteras National Seashore. In addition to completing PAIRs, Mary Elizabeth supported the park in designing 6 new maps.
Desiree Barba – Desiree served a 12-week YESPAIR service term at Castillo de San Marcos National Historic Site. In addition to completing PAIRs, Desiree also worked closely with the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES) to help make Castillo de San Marcos a Certified Autism Center (CAC)