National Park Service ProRanger Program
ProRanger is a collaborative partnership between the National Park Service (NPS) and San Antonio College. The program is a two-year-academic-intake program that connects students to national parks and prepares them for a career in the NPS focused on law enforcement. ProRanger is stationed at the San Antonio College campus, located in San Antonio, Texas, and benefits from the close working relationship between NPS and college staff. ProRanger is a career development program focused on creating new pathways for students into the NPS. Students in the program receive orientation, training, hands-on experience, and mentoring designed to help them succeed in an NPS law enforcement career.
The program is designed to complement the academic program of the student and provides them with the basic competencies to prepare them for their careers. During the school year, the ProRanger director (NPS employee stationed at San Antonio College) will provide professional development, logistical support, and mentoring to prepare the student for NPS employment. During the summer semester, ProRangers will participate in paid internships at host parks using a structured training curriculum.
Rather than recruit or find the next generation of NPS Law Enforcement Rangers, the ProRanger program is a proactive approach to creating them. The program focuses on current students to prepare future employees. Providing structured training during college based on specific needs and issues within the NPS prepares students for the challenges and requirements of a law enforcement career.