Certified Interpretive Guide Training Workshop

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Certified Interpretive Guide Training Workshop
May 28-31, 2013
Lee County Parks and Recreation Support Services Facility Building
Eco Living Center in Rutenberg Park
Fort Myers, Florida

Lee County Parks and Recreation, in partnership with the National Association for Interpretation, is offering a professional certification course for individuals who will be delivering interpretive programs or having public contact at interpretive sites.

The CIG Program
The Certified Interpretive Guide program is designed for anyone who delivers interpretive programs to the public. It combines both the theoretical foundations of the profession with practical skills in delivering quality interpretive programming to visitors.

This 32-hour course includes:

  • History, definition, and principles of interpretation
  • Making your programs purposeful, enjoyable, relevant, organized, and thematic
  • Using tangible objects to connect audiences to intangible ideas and universal concepts in interpretive programs
  • Presentation and communication skills
  • Certification requirements (open book exam; program outline; 10-min. presentation)
  • All materials, workbook, and CIG course textbook

As a result of this training you will be able to:

  • Identify the characteristics of interpretive audiences
  • Explain why and how interpreters need to relate to their audience
  • Convey the importance of providing interpretation for different learning styles
  • Understand the need for audience analysis in order to provide quality interpretive experiences
  • Articulate the need for conducting content related research
  • Establish the relationship between tangibles, intangibles and universals
  • Synthesize information about audiences and resources
  • Write a presentation outline
  • Demonstrate understanding of the guiding principles of interpretation

Workshop participants are expected to:

  • Attend entire workshop.
  • Complete a 50-question literature review
  • Produce a one- page presentation outline
  • Deliver a ten-minute thematic interpretive talk on last day of workshop.

Requirements for the CIG Course
Anyone age 16 or over with a desire to increase their knowledge and skills related to interpretation may participate. Membership in NAI is not required, but NAI members may pay a discounted fee to participate in the program. You can also elect to take the training without becoming certified. (See below under “Cost” for details)

Class size will be limited to 12 participants to ensure individual attention.

Instructor:
Kris Whipple CIG CIT CIP is an interpretive consultant specializing in training, planning and writing for environmental, cultural and historical sites. Kris’s diverse background includes over 25 years as a field naturalist, park ranger, education specialist, trainer and curator in parks, museums, zoos and aquariums. Most recently, Kris served fourteen years as the Education Curator for Group Programs, for Disney’s Animal Kingdom and Walt Disney World Animal Programs. Kris is certified as an Interpretive Trainer, Planner and Guide, as well as a CIG Instructor with the National Association for Interpretation. She’s also a columnist for NAI’s Legacy magazine.

Schedule
Sessions begin at 8 a.m. and end at 5 p.m. daily. There will be lunch and snack breaks. Participants may bring their own sack lunch or eat lunch at one of several nearby restaurants. (None are within walking distance so you will need to drive or car pool with other participants). Light refreshments will be provided daily during the breaks.

Lodging and Transportation
You are responsible for your own transportation and accommodations. Nearby lodging options include:

Mainstay Suites Ft. Myers:
9200 College Parkway, Fort Myers, FL, 33919
Phone: 239- 454-6363
Click here.

Hilton Garden Inn:
12600 University Drive, Fort Myers, Florida, 33907
Phone: 239-790-3500
Click Here.

Please contact the hotels directly for availability and pricing information. No transportation service is available to the workshop site so a car is essential.

Books
You are not required to purchase books for this course. Loaner sets of the complete NAI Certification Library will be available for participants to use during the Literature Review portion of the certification. (two sets will be shared by the class). If you wish to purchase their own books for use with this course, NAI offers a discounted package price of $84.00 (plus $13 shipping) for the complete set. Please order them prior to the course at http://www.naimembers.com/store/acatalog/library.html.

The texts used are:
Interpreting Our Heritage by Freeman Tilden
Interpretation of Natural and Cultural Resources by Douglas Knudson, Ted Cable & Larry Beck
The Gifts of Interpretation, by Ted Cable and Larry Beck
Sharing Nature with Children by Joseph Cornell
Interpreting for Park Visitors by Bill Lewis

Registration
Registration or confirmation to attend must be received by April 27th, 2013.
Download the registration form here.

Further Information
For more information about the workshop please contact Kris Whipple, workshop instructor at kris.w@earthlink.net or call 239-643-7871 or 239-682-2151.