Colorado Northwestern Community College is about to graduate 20 students in the National Park Ranger program offered at the college, on the Rangely campus. CNCC is one of six accredited academies in the country that offers academy training approved by the National Park Service and the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center. It’s a 16-week course. CNCC offers two academies a year.

Here is more on the program from CNCC.

Colorado Northwestern is currently one of six accredited academies in the nation that offers academy training approved by the National Park Service and the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC). The Ranger Trainee course is a hard-hitting challenging course that will test you mentally, emotionally, and physically. The course builds character, perseverance, mental capacity and decision making, authority and responsibility, physical fitness, defensive tactics skills, driving skills, firearms skills as well as increasing your leadership skills and ability to deal with life’s many challenges. The final outcome is you will learn the necessary basic knowledge and skills required to successfully perform the duties of a law enforcement Ranger in the field.

This is a sixteen week course of study encompassing over 700 hours (33 credit hours) of training. Upon successful completion of the academy, students will receive an accredited NPS/FLETC PRLEA Certification. This certification allows you to be eligible for a type II (seasonal) Law Enforcement position with the NPS. This certification is good for 3 years. Federally you must be 21 to be a law enforcement officer within the National Park Service.

Colorado Northwestern is currently holding two academies per year: spring and fall. Students will be enrolled in the college as well as the academy, but are not required to be part of a degree program. Additional courses and certificates are available to take during and after academy. These courses and certificates are not needed but are recommended. A typical day in the academy starts with physical fitness from 0530-0630, in class by 0750. After lunch, class will go until about 1700. This schedule is approximately 5 days a week. There will be some Saturday, Sunday and night classes.