The Sugar Grove Nature Center and Heartland Community College, in partnership with the National Association for Interpretation, are 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

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
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.

Course Instructor: 
Bob Carter, Ed.D., CIT
Bob Carter is a professional educator with 25 years of experience as a heritage interpreter, interpretive consultant, and as an outdoor and environmental educator.  He is on the faculty in the Department of Teaching and Learning at Northern Illinois University where he teaches both undergraduate and graduate courses in elementary education, outdoor education, environmental education, and interpretation.

The Settings: 
Sugar Grove Nature Center, the primary location for this workshop, is located in Funks Grove near McLean, Illinois, among over 1,000 acres of high quality natural areas.  Funks Grove is the largest remaining intact prairie grove in the state of Illinois.  It contains four dedicated nature preserves and has been designated as a National Natural Landmark by the U.S. Department of Interior.

Some workshop sessions will be held on the campus of Heartland Community College in Normal, Illinois, just a few miles from Sugar Grove.  Founded in 1991, Heartland Community College is a two-year, fully accredited institution of higher education with campuses located in Normal, Pontiac and Lincoln, Illinois. Heartland's main campus in Normal, has a 50 acre habitat restoration, which includes 13 acre Birky Pond, 5 acre Hawks Hill Prairie, and a new 15 acre Red Tail Tallgrass Prairie. In addition, Heartland's newest building, the Workforce Development Center, is the first state-funded building in Illinois nationally certified for environmentally-conscious construction. Heartland Community College is proud to be a leader in efficient use of energy and conservation of natural resources.

Registration
Download the registration form here Workshop Registration Form

Further Information
For more information about the course, please contact Bob Carter at carter@niu.edu or call 815 753-9070.