December 31, 2014

To Whom It May Concern,

Emily Stover was a summer nature camp counselor with the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy during
the summer of 2014. Emily worked with children three years old through those completing third
grade. She was responsible for preparing, implementing and evaluating dynamic and engaging
nature programs for urban youth in a city park. These programs were received with enthusiasm
by children and parents. Emily was part of making the 2014 camp season a great success.

Emily was dedicated, reliable and had a strong work ethic. She researched additional
information on her own time and shared pertinent information with fellow staff. Emily worked
additional hours as needed to support the program and her coworkers. She worked well with
other staff, always taking on responsibility and following through with her commitments.

One of Emilys greatest strengths was her understanding of child development. She was great at
assessing a challenging situation and developing a positive approach to support the child. She
was flexible and could easily adapt to meet the childs needs.

Not only did Emily support the campers, she also was able to help guide a volunteer junior
counselor who needed direction and support to change some of his behaviors in the camp
setting. She was very objective in determining goals and expectations and helped come up with
a plan for improving his performance. With her guidance, this individual changed many
behaviors, which led to more positive interactions with the campers and other staff.

Emily is present with children always putting their learning needs first. She genuinely cared
about the quality of the campers experience which led to a rich learning experience for the
children. She had a unique ability to address the needs of individual children while managing
the group.

Emily was very adept at using the park as a classroom. She had a talent for capitalizing on
teachable moments. She had a confidence and ease interpreting what was happening in nature
and explaining it to children in a developmentally appropriate way.

Lydia Konecky
Patricia S. Himes
Naturalist Educators
Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy

Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy 2000 Technology Drive Suite 200 Pittsburgh PA 15219 (412)
586-4576