Ranger Joshua Kuykendall helps an Ivy student with a foot bridge project
Ranger Jordan Sikkema and resident ranger Anna Schilling pause with Ivy staff and students headed out to inventory an endangered wildflower
Resident ranger Schilling helps a young Ivy camp student understand more about aquatic life
Ivy Academy Chattanooga is a Hamilton County public charter school beginning its tenth year of operation by announcing its partnership with Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation Division of State Parks. Because of the school’s environmental focus, the sponsorship and resulting partnership with Tennessee State Parks was a natural fit.
Nancy Dorman, interpretive program manager for Tennessee State Parks noted, “This program and partnership are groundbreaking advances for environmental literacy within our state.”
As part of this partnership, Ivy will provide office space to the rangers of the Justin P. Wilson Cumberland Trail State Cumberland Trail State Park in its new facility scheduled to open in September. With the new facility, Ivy Academy will have over 35,000 square feet of classroom and covered outdoor learning spaces. Previously, the rangers had no office space in close proximity to the North Chickamauga Creek Gorge, a popular recreational area, and where Ivy Academy does most of its field work.
Two part-time state parks personnel will work directly with classes at Ivy Academy, in addition to other CTSP rangers, who will be on campus in the new office space. Angie Markum of Ivy Academy who worked with TSP to develop the partnership explained that, “Resident rangers will work closely with Ivy staff and the Ivy middle school Student Junior Ranger Program--a pilot program launched at Ivy. They will also work with Ivy’s Tennessee State Parks Environmental Institute, which houses three majors for high school students: Veterinary Science, Environmental Audio and Video Production, and Environmental and Natural Resource Management. The purpose in all of this is to increase student investment into the learning process with the end result being increased academic achievement and preparedness beyond high school.” There are limited 9th grade spots still available in the Institute for this school year. In addition to their own participation, the rangers will schedule guest speakers from the state’s network of professionals practicing in the career fields related to each environmental topic. Tennessee State Parks will also offer seminars and fee-based programming on weekends on the Ivy Campus.