Company Profile
Crow Canyon Archaeologcial Center
Company Overview
Crow Canyon
Founded in 1983, the Crow Canyon Archaeological Center is dedicated to understanding, teaching, and helping to preserve the rich history of the ancestral Pueblo people (also called the Anasazi) of the American Southwest.
What We Do:
Conduct long-term archaeological research into the ancestral Pueblo Indians of the American Southwest, with a focus on the Mesa Verde region in southwestern Colorado
Teach the public about archaeology, history, and culture through a variety of hands-on experiences: experiential education programs for children, teens, and teachers; includes field trips, multiday programs, and professional-development opportunities
* excavation and laboratory programs for adults and families
* online educational resources for teachers, students, and the general public
* travel programs in the American Southwest and around the world
Collaborate with American Indians on a wide variety of initiatives of mutual interest, including research projects, education curricula, and language- and cultural-preservation programs
Company History
Crow Canyon's History
The Crow Canyon story began in the late 1960s, when Dr. Edward Berger, a Denver high school history teacher, brought his students to southwestern Colorado for outdoor education adventures. In 1974, Berger purchased 70 acres of pinyon and juniper forest just outside the town of Cortez and established the Crow Canyon School as an outdoor education center. Berger and his wife, Joanne, developed experiential education modules, including archaeology programs in which students worked alongside professional archaeologists. Although the campus facilities consisted only of trailers, tents, and tepees, it was an auspicious beginning.
During the same time period, Dr. Stuart Struever, a professor of anthropology at Northwestern University, had established the Center for American Archaeology in Kampsville, Illinois. Struever was highly committed to involving the public in archaeological research, and the Center offered students and adults the opportunity to work with its archaeologists on a number of research projects. In 1983, the Center for American Archaeology purchased the campus of the Crow Canyon School and created the Crow Canyon Campus of the Center for American Archaeology. New facilities, including the lodge, were built; a team of professional archaeologists was hired; and the Center began conducting its own archaeological research program.
Two years later, the Colorado-based branch at Crow Canyon became independent of the Center for American Archaeology, and, with the generous backing of Denver energy developer Ray Duncan, the Crow Canyon Archaeological Center emerged as a not-for-profit organization in its own right. Campus housing was upgraded with the construction of Navajo-style hogan cabins, and additional staff were hired to assist in the research and educational components of the program. Dr. Struever continued to raise funds for operations and for the construction, in 1987, of the Gates Archaeology Laboratory, which contains laboratory facilities, classrooms, and offices.
The Center’s research and education programs reached maturity through a decade-long study of the archaeology of the Sand Canyon locality, the development of computerized databases, and the creation of a publications division. Research findings were incorporated into an innovative, culturally sensitive curriculum, and the research and education departments were expanded to accommodate the increased interest in public archaeology programs. In the mid-1980s, Crow Canyon began offering educational travel programs that provided the public with additional opportunities to learn about the diverse cultures of indigenous peoples around the world, with a special focus on the American Southwest.
In 1995, through a grant from the Dr. Scholl Foundation, the Native American advisory group was established. This group was formed to work with the Crow Canyon staff on issues such as research, education, historic preservation, scholarship funding, and program development. The group, which helped usher in a new era of cooperation between American Indians and archaeologists, continues to be an important part of Crow Canyon today.
The challenge for Crow Canyon in the years to come is to convey the relevance of archaeology and the importance of cultural heritage preservation in a rapidly changing world. To that end, the Center will continue to develop innovative strategies for sharing knowledge with an increasingly diverse audience that, as a result of Internet technology, now constitutes a global constituency.
Benefits
Depending on eligibility, we offer the following:
·
Medical and dental plans
·
Vision discount plan
·
AFLAC plans
·
Life insurance
·
Four weeks personal time off
·
403(b) group retirement annuity (after one year of employment)
·
403(b) group supplemental retirement annuity
In addition, our employees enjoy
·
a beautiful rural campus
·
professional-growth opportunities
·
the opportunity to learn about archaeology and to participate in research, education, and travel programs
·
a world-class lecture series
·
a discount in the campus Gift Shop