Legacy & Internship Work

Internship Work & Legacy Project

I completed my 180 hour internship with the Aldo Leopold Charter School in Silver City, New Mexico. Aldo Leopold Charter School (ALCS) is an experiential charter school that serves students in grades 6-12 with a total student population of around 200.  ALCS was founded in 2005 and has had great success and well as some tribulations with their experiential programming. The intention of my internship experience was to learn more about the administrative needs, fiscal management, and compliance required for a public charter school in New Mexico. I intended to offer my experience and expertise to improve the ALCS outdoor and experiential education practices. I began this work with assessment and quickly found that there was some gaps in awareness, leadership skills, risk management, and outdoor technical skills. In order to address this, I offered a Backpacking Institute to provide professional development for teachers who are not wilderness experts, yet tasked with leading backpacking trips (See more on this in my full Legacy Project report). Additionally, I offered workshops on leadership and risk management throughout the Fall. These efforts were well received and I was also able to gain insight into the intricacies of state compliance and school fiscal management.

The following background information is from the Aldo Leopold Charter School website (https://www.aldocs.org/).

"MISSION:  At Aldo Leopold Charter School, the human and natural environments serve as text and lab for learning through direct experience, inquiry, and stewardship."

"VISION:  Aldo Leopold Charter School graduates will use the skills, perspectives, and information they gain at school to enhance their own lives and to advance social, economic, and environmental sustainability."

In regard to NMAC Standards, this work connects with Political Leadership (G),Legal and Fiscal Leadership (H), (I) Personal and Professional Leadership, Ethical Leadership (A), Visionary Leadership (B), and Instructional Leadership (C), Multicultural Leadership (D), Disability Leadership (E), and Leadership in Community Relations (F)