Rocky Gap State Park, 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 any resource, facility or business such as visitor centers, nature centers, parks, museums, zoos, tour companies, living history or heritage 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
• Creating programs that are 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
• NAI Certification requirements (open book literature review; program outline; 10-min. presentation)
• All materials, workbook, and an optional CIG course textbook

Your Instructor is Angela Yau, MS, a NAI Certified Interpretive Planner (CIP), Trainer (CIT), Guide (CIG), and Registered Coach with the National Park Service with over 15 years of experience in interpretation, education, training, planning, and sharing a love of natural and cultural history.  Angela enjoys training fellow interpreters to create wonderful interpretive experiences for their visitors and themselves!  Angela is a part time professor for Santa Fe College when she is not busy with Interpretive Consulting to help sites reach their mission and goals with the best interpretation possible.

Sessions begin at 8am and end no later than 5pm daily. We may finish training activities early on some days but you will need time for group work and one-on-one coaching which we usually fit in around other activities and in the afternoon or evenings.  Meals are not included; there are limited lunch possibilities nearby or bring a bag lunch. To save resources, please bring a water bottle and a coffee cup.  Classroom sessions will be held in the nature center at Rocky Gap where we will make use of the outdoor areas and the nature center.

Rocky Gap State Park is just 7 miles East of Cumberland at 12500 Pleasant Valley Road, Flintstone, MD 21530, for directions call 301-722-1480 (park headquarters) or visit http://www.dnr.state.md.us/publiclands/western/rockygap.html

The four-day training is intense with completing your literature review and preparing your presentation, so allow yourself an extra day or weekend to explore the area with the great travel tips from your instructor and the Rocky Gap staff.  Bring your hiking boots and binoculars for break time on trails and great wildlife viewing opportunities.

Cost: (Course Registration includes snacks, instructor and facility fee, and course materials)
With certification:
$350 for Certification only as a current member of NAI
$400 for Certification and one year Membership in NAI
$420 for Certification as a non-member of NAI
The optional Personal Interpretation text will be available at the workshop for $12
Without certification (class only):
$320 for Class and one year Membership in NAI without certification
$270 for Class only as a current NAI member without certification              

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.

Interpretation Library
Six texts are necessary for completion of the open-book literature review and will be provided for student use during the workshop. If you wish to purchase your own books, NAI offers a discounted package price of $120 plus $10 shipping. Visit www.naimembers.com/store/ or call NAI at 888-900-8283, order the "Certification Library" and have the books shipped to you now.  I highly recommended reading the material in advance as it is a lot of material to cover and this will free up your evenings and allow you to focus more on class activities. 
I will have two sets of books available during the training for completing the literature review.
The texts used are:
Environmental Interpretation by Sam Ham;
Interpreting Our Heritage by Freeman Tilden;
Interpretation of Natural and Cultural Resources by Knudsen, Cable & Beck;
Interpretation for the 21st Century by Beck & Cable;
Sharing Nature with Children by Joseph Cornell;
Interpreting for Park Visitors by Bill Lewis.

Registration

Download the registration form here. Course Registration must be completed with your instructor, Angela Yau, angela@parchmentandpcs.com or call 410-838-9694.  Fees are due within one week of registration via check payable to Angela Yau and mailed to 1402 Hillside Dr., Bel Air, MD 21015  You must complete the CIG Registration form for your registration.

Lodging

• There is ample lodging at Rocky Gap State Park. To book one of these park lodgings contact Sarah Milbourne at (301) 722-1487 or smilbourne@dnr.state.md.us We hope to fill the Easter Hill Chalet first!
  
  
• Easter Hill Chalet: Our maintraining hot spot!  This is where we will gather after hours to work on the open book literature review portion of CIG and have evening hangout and group dinners. This is a two-story, three bedroom chalet that accommodates up to eight people. It has a completely furnished kitchen, wrap around deck, fireplace, outdoor campfire area and grill. Get one of the 2 available private rooms with bath for $45 per night or use one of 3 folding cots in the downstairs room for $20 per night.
  
  
• Rocky Gap offers 278 individual campsites, including 30 equipped with electric hook-ups. The electric sites are $30/night, non-electric are $25.  People can camp in tents or bring RVs.  
  
  
• Ten one-room cabins that sleep up to four people.  They have electric, a bunk bed and a double bed and cost $50.00/night.  Four two-room cabins that sleep up to 8 people, have a double bed, futon, and one bunk bed and are also electric.  These cabins are $65.00/night. 
  
  
• One two-story mini cabin with a balcony, porch and electric, as well as six electric hookups and a group fire ring. Access to two nearby bathhouse facilities is available. Rental of the cabin is $75.00/night. It can sleep up to 8 people.
  
  
• The Rocky Gap Lodge and Golf Resort have offered a discounted room price of $99.00/night!  That is a steal!  If someone wants to book there---call CeAndra Smith at (301) 784-8427.
  
  
• Finally, there are several chain hotels in Cumberland that you can book on your own.  

Please contact Angela if you are seeking a roommate so she can match you up with someone!