Training

Currently Available Training Opportunities with Tim Merriman and Lisa Brochu – Scroll to see all CIG, Interpretive Planning and Contract Management courses

Certified Interpretive Guide (Virtual Training Workshop by Zoom) This internationally-recognized standardized training curriculum (created by Tim and Lisa for National Association for Interpretation) provides the basics for interpretive communication and offers an option for certification through NAI. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the course is offered on Zoom and requires approximately 24 hours of meeting time (spread over six days) and individual work time to prepare for class. Current course(s) available on:

• May 1-11, 2023. Register for the CIG workshop at NAI.

Contact Tim Merriman at timfmerriman@gmail.com for more information.

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Interpretive Planning (Virtual Training Workshop by Zoom)

August 21-24, 2023 8:00 am – 11:00 am Hawaii Standard Time

Limited to 9 participants

How to Attend: Once you register by clicking on the Paypal icon above, you’ll be sent a password and link to the Zoom workshop platform. You’ll need to have access to internet and the Zoom app downloaded to your computer. Please note that the time of the workshop is in Hawaii time, so adjust for your time zone, wherever you are in the world.

Who Should Attend: Anyone who has been assigned the task of completing an interpretive plan for the first time or anyone who wants to sharpen their existing planning skills, whether you work as a consultant or are employed at a museum, park, nature center, zoo, community organization or any other place that uses interpretation as an approach to communication.

What You’ll Learn: With a small group, it’s possible to address more questions in depth and encourage more group interaction, even in a virtual setting.

During the workshop, we’ll demonstrate various analysis and planning tools, using real-world examples to demonstrate flexible planning processes that you can apply to your real-world or theoretical planning challenges. We’ll discuss in depth how to use the 5-M Model in a variety of circumstances and show you how to decide which planning tool to use in which situation to get the best results. We’ll talk about and demonstrate how to lead group input and decision-making processes, and spend time on theme development and writing measurable objectives that matter. We are going to assume that participants already understand the basic concept and principles of interpretation, but we will review the application of those principles to interpretive planning and media choices to enable you to bring your end products to a higher level of success. There are no formal group or individual presentations and no grades of any kind, just a positive learning environment to help you enhance your interpretive planning skills.

Please note this is not a design workshop. We’ll discuss the fine line between planning and design, but we will not be designing products in this workshop. This workshop is more about how to make the decisions about which products and experiences you should be designing.

How to Prepare: If you are already working on an interpretive plan and getting stuck along the way, with your permission, we’ll use your examples to demonstrate how to get past those sticking points, so bring your projects to the table and be prepared to give us a quick overview we can use to problem-solve. As soon as you register, we’ll send additional information about what constitutes a quick overview and how we’ll integrate your project into the workshop.

It will be helpful if you have either an electronic or hard copy version of the 2^nd edition of Interpretive Planning: the 5-M Model for Successful Planning Projects on hand during the workshop as the book content will be referenced. Hard copies are available from the National Association for Interpretation bookstore at interpnet.com. Electronic copies are available on Amazon.

Continuing Education Credits: Each participant will receive a certificate of attendance to verify 12 hours of continuing education which can be used toward recertification requirements through NAI. This workshop does not substitute for any NAI certification requirement in any category nor is it affiliated with NAI in any way.

Questions? Contact Lisa Brochu at lbrochu57@gmail.com for more information.

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Contract Management (Virtual Training Workshop by Zoom)

August 25, 2023 8:00 am – 12:00 noon Hawaii Standard Time

How to Attend: Once you register by clicking on the Paypal icon above, you’ll be sent a password and link to the Zoom workshop platform. You’ll need to have access to internet and the Zoom app downloaded to your computer. Please note that the time of the workshop is in Hawaii time, so adjust for your time zone, wherever you are in the world.

Who Should Attend: Anyone who has been assigned the task of writing a request for proposal (RFP) for interpretive services consulting or anyone who wants to be a successful consultant in the field of interpretation.

What You’ll Learn: With a small group, it’s possible to address more questions in depth and encourage more group interaction, even in a virtual setting.

During the workshop, we’ll look at what happens on both sides of the table before, during, and after a contract for interpretive services. We’ll discuss how to write a scope of service to get what you want from a contractor, how to respond to a request to increase your chances of successful selection, how to evaluate proposals, realistic calendars and expectations for deliverables, managing a review process and associated meetings, and more.

Continuing Education Credits: Each participant will receive a certificate of attendance to verify 4 hours of continuing education which can be used toward recertification requirements through NAI. This workshop does not substitute for any NAI certification requirement in any category nor is it affiliated with NAI in any way.

Questions? Contact Lisa Brochu at lbrochu57@gmail.com for more information.