by Steve Zwolinski, KTA Intern
My name is Steve Zwolinski, and I am a graduate student in the Center for Environmental Research and Education, part of the Bayer School of Natural and Environmental Science at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, PA, and an intern at Keystone Trails Association (KTA). This semester, I am working with KTA to devleop an outreach program for middle-school aged youth that will encourage more adolescents to set foot on a hiking trail this year or next, in the hopes that the health and social benefits they'll receive will encourage hiking (and, hopefully, trail maintenance!) to become a life-long passion.
Over the next few months, I hope to work with many of you -- KTA members, member clubs, and hikers throughout Pennsylvania - to ensure this program's real-world relevance and eventual success. First, I plan to survey and/ or interview many of you; the feedback I receive will enable me to refine the program (entitled "SWOOPE") that I have been working to develop. No one knows your trails, clubs, friends, family, and community like you do, and your input will help make this program a success.
Our means of connecting with you are flexible, and even a little information will make a big difference! If you are interested in helping us develop a program to encourage non-hiker youth to take their first steps on Pennsylvania's magnificent trails - thereby establishing future generations of hikers and trail maintainers -- please e-mail me as soon as possible at zwolinskis@duq.edu. If you'd like to answer questions over the phone, please send me your phone number and the best time to call you. If you'd prefer to dialogue via e-mail, we can do that as well, either informally or formally (I'll send you a link to a short online survey as soon as it's ready).
Whether you have 10 minutes or 10 hours to help me develop this new initiative, I'm glad for your assistance. Thank you, and I look forward to hearing from you soon!
Best regards,
Steve Zwolinski