Parks and Museum Education Program Description
Since its inception, the Parks and Museum Education Program at Hocking College has become renowned for training experienced, confident and talented educators.
As a student in the Parks and Museum Education Program, you will be trained to educate others about the environment and human connections to it.
Classes use the backdrop of Southeastern Ohio to extract stories of interest in the natural world and the history of nearby areas. Emphasis is placed on practical experience, leading programs with groups of all kinds, exhibit design and development of interpretive sites. You will also receive unique training in researching and developing living history subjects and techniques.
Hocking Woods Nature Center provides students the opportunity to work with captive wildlife, including raptors and reptiles. We even have a planetarium for learning and teaching about astronomy and night interpretation. Robbins Crossing is a collection of authentic log homes that allows students to practice "living history" presentations in period clothing, designed to engage visitors in the skills and lifestyles of the past including blacksmithing, wood stove cooking and woodworking.
Hocking College offers all-inclusive pricing and works with students to assure they have complete college funding, including financial aid, before they start classes. Please reference the course curriculum tab for program costs.
All-inclusive pricing includes the following:
PER SEMESTER
$300......Learning Fee
$20........Health Center Services
$75........Career Center Services
Not included in the All-Inclusive Pricing
$53......Parking
Pricing for housing and meal plans can be found here.
A Career in Parks and Museum Education Promises an Entertaining Future
Graduates of the Parks and Museum Education Program are prepared to perform as practitioners within private and public educational settings, including national, state, and metropolitan parks, residential camps, museums, zoos, and educational institutions.
Graduates of this program have found positions such as: Park Naturalist, Outdoor/Environmental Education Specialist, Museum Educator, Zoo Educator, Living History Interpreter, Tour Guide, Camp Program Specialist, Interpretive Ranger and Adventure Guide.
Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) are statements of what a student will be able to do when they have completed a program. They represent the knowledge and skills a program has determined are most important for students to gain from that program and include both the Success Skills (institutional outcomes) and Program Outcomes. SLOs are specific and measurable so the program can accurately assess the degree to which students have achieved each outcome, and they align with college and institution mission and values. Data on the achievement of SLOs is used to make improvements in the program and increase student success.
Hocking College Institutional Learning Outcomes
1) Demonstrate sound critical thinking, information literacy and technological competency in the production of academic writing and presentations
2) Apply the methods of mathematical, statistical or analytical reasoning to critically evaluate data, solve problems and effectively communicate findings.
3) Demonstrate an awareness of the social, political and economic forces which shape individuals, institutions and communities in the modern world.
4)Understand social justice and the diversities and complexities of the cultural and social world past and present and come to an informed sense of self and others.
5)Demonstrate a foundation of knowledge in the natural sciences based on theory and laboratory skills.
6) Cultivate ethical values, personal wellness and personal learning strategies in the development of the whole person, mind, body and spirit.
7) Integrate content material to application in the workforce and apply discipline specific knowledge and skills to successfully transfer or effectively meet the expectations of internships, workplace, volunteerism and/or entrepreneurship endeavors.
8) Utilize the ethical and professional application of current information technology and tools effectively.
Program Outcomes
The following outcomes are skills, behaviors, and attitudes cultivated in students seeking the Associate of Applied Science in Natural and Historical Interpretation:
- Interprets accurate information in an interactive, entertaining, and educational fashion to the satisfaction of a variety of audiences.
- Demonstrates guiding abilities in group programming situations, both educational and recreational.
- Demonstrates ability to match Ohio Academic Content Standards to specific environmental education activities.
- Demonstrates ability to research and gather information from both primary and secondary sources to develop interpretive programs and displays.
- Initiates professional contacts in the interpretation field.
| DOWNLOAD 2017-2018 DATA |
Retention Rates
- All registered fall/autumn students with registration status for the following fall/autumn.
- Excludes special populations - College Credit Plus, Non Degree, Online Military and University Center.
Potential for upcoming fall/autumn excludes graduates from that fall/autumn, spring and summer terms.
| Academic Year | Retention Rate |
| 2014 | 83% |
| 2015 | 78% |
| 2016 | 56% |
| 2017 | 79% |
| 2018 | 64% |
| 2019 | 71% |
Graduation Rates
Graduation rates are determined by the office of Institutional Research. To ensure appropriate time for data collection, this report will be run and posted annually in the last week of September for the previous academic year. It should be noted that annual graduation rates may change as students continue to graduate. The following criteria will be utilized for the calculation of graduation rates:
- Overall Program Completion Rate is defined as a percentage of the ratio:
All graduates of the program
_________________________________________________________________
All students with the program in their history of programs of study - For the purposes of reporting, the program completion rates are aggregated by academic year of entry.
- A student is considered to have completed or graduated from a program or certificate by virtue of having been awarded the degree or certificate.
- A student is considered to be undertaking activity in a program of study for the duration of time that they are in an active status in a program or certificate. This is defined by having a Program of Study with a status of ‘A’ during the duration of time they are taking coursework. Should a student move in and out of active status in a program of study while continuing to take coursework, we only take into account the student’s activity while the program has an active status for that particular program of study.
| Academic Year | Graduation Rate |
| 2014 | 58% |
| 2015 | 33% |
| 2016 | 56% |
| 2017 | 43% |
| 2018 | 9% |
The Parks & Museum Education program at Hocking College offers fantastic opportunities for field trips or on-site educational programs. Field Trips or on-site educational programs can be tailored to meet your groups' needs.
Activities offered at Robbins Crossing Living History Village are candle dipping, historic cooking, woodworking, herbal medicine, farming practices, historic games, and weaving.
Activities offered at our Nature Center are animal ambassador programs, wildlife hikes, birding programs, and environmental education programs.
In order to get started with your visit, please click here to complete our contact form.
