Preparing Today’s Virginia High School Students for Tomorrow’s Professional Careers in Outdoor Recreation, Parks, and Tourism
Many teenagers enjoy participating in outdoor recreation, visiting parks, and traveling to far- away places to experience new sights and sounds. And now some Virginia high schools are trying to channel those interests by showing students how the activities they like to do for leisure can be transformed into a professional career they are passionate about. Faculty in the School of Sport, Recreation, and Tourism Management (SRTM) at George Mason University are supporting this effort by serving as technical advisors to the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) in the review and revision of statewide curriculum designed for students who are interested in careers in the recreation, parks, and tourism industries.
The curriculum, titled Outdoor Recreation, Parks, and Tourism Systems Management, is one of hundreds of course sequences developed by the Virginia CTE Resource Center in collaboration with VDOE that are being offered at high schools and career and technical education centers across the Commonwealth of Virginia. The courses cover a wide range of topics, grouped in career clusters, and emphasize the fundamentals of workplace readiness within selected occupations. The curriculum exposes K-12 students early on to career areas they may have an interest in and gives them an awareness of the different pathways they can take that will qualify them for high-paying jobs in fields like recreation, parks, and tourism. These pathways can include obtaining licensure and certification or continuing with higher education in degree programs specific to these areas of career interest. Early exposure of this type can help build a pipeline of future career-ready professionals and this is especially important when it comes to jobs in the outdoor recreation, parks, and tourism systems management fields. Professionals in this sector play a vital role in serving the public and supporting the health, well-being, social enterprise, and economics that make the Commonwealth of Virginia a desirable place to live. Associate Professor Ellen Rodgers and Assistant Professor Sammie Powers, both of whom are in the Recreation Management and Sport and Recreation Studies Programs within SRTM at George Mason University, recently shared their thoughts on this career and technical education initiative offered in Virginia public schools.
The Outdoor Recreation, Parks, and Tourism Systems Management curriculum covers a wide range of topics.
The Outdoor Recreation, Parks, and Tourism Systems Management curriculum taught in K-12 public schools in Virginia addresses a wide range of issues specific to this occupational field. This can include the study of how this sector promotes the health and well-being of the general public, its importance in creating a strong local and regional economy in Virginia, the process involved in the acquisition of new parklands, and safety and risk management as related to the oversight of equipment and facilities found in outdoor recreation and tourism sites.
The curriculum emphasizes best practices in the sustainable use and management of natural and cultural resources at parks and tourism sites.
Another key topic covered in the curriculum focuses on the sustainable use and management of the natural resources that form the foundation of outdoor recreation opportunities across Virginia. Best practices can include encouraging people to behave responsibly when visiting park sites and to leave these areas unchanged after their visit—an exercise known as ‘Leave no Trace’ that was established to preserve and protect the integrity of natural and cultural resources found in outdoor spaces.
The curriculum addresses other key topics including:
- Ensuring that outdoor recreation spaces and parks serve a broad audience and provide opportunities that reflect the variety of interests and needs of people across the state of Virginia;
- Methods for planning, promoting, and managing recreational areas and activities so that they are conducive to creating a positive and enjoyable visitor experience; and,
- Developing leadership and business-related skills and an understanding of enterprises related to sustainable natural resources management.
The Virginia curriculum provides students with “hands-on” experience working on research projects related to the outdoor recreation, parks, and tourism career sector.
Students taking the Virginia CTE Resource Center curriculum gain “hands-on” experience working on community-based, research-oriented projects which provides them with the chance to collaborate with experts in the field and to conduct their own investigative exploration of a topic. This experiential learning component of the curriculum exposes students to field work related to careers in outdoor recreation, parks, and tourism. For students who later decide to continue their study of this sector at a four-year university such as George Mason, they will have the advantage of experiencing first-hand what it is like to work in the outdoor recreation, parks, and tourism area. And this can go a long way in building self-confidence in their ability to succeed at an institution of higher education.
Advocates hope to see the Outdoor Recreation, Parks, and Tourism Systems Management curriculum expanded to schools in suburban and urban parts of Virginia.
The Outdoor Recreation, Parks, and Tourism Systems Management curriculum is categorized under the broader Agricultural, Food, & Natural Resources career cluster appearing on the Virginia CTE Resource Center website. Most public schools offering the curriculum are in rural areas of Virginia. However, curriculum advocates would like to see it expanded to high schools in suburban and urban parts of Virginia. They say the expansion of the curriculum to schools beyond rural localities is merited given the critical impact that outdoor recreation, parks, and tourism have on the quality of life of all people in Virginia, regardless of where they live.
More information on the Virginia CTE curriculum for Outdoor Recreation, Parks, and Tourism Systems Management may be accessed here. To learn more about degree offerings in the Recreation Management and Sport and Recreation Studies Programs within the School of Sport, Recreation, and Tourism Management at George Mason University, please visit the program websites.