The South Carolina State Park Service 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
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
If you wish to purchase your own books, NAI offers a discounted package price at www.interpnet.com/store/ or call NAI at 888-900-8283, order the "CIG 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.
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.
The Location
Table Rock Mountain provides a towering backdrop for the premier South Carolina upcountry retreat at the edge of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The park features two lakes, a campground, mountain cabins, meeting facilities and its historic, renovated lodge. Built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s. Many of its structures are now on the National Register of Historic Places.
Table Rock was home to one of the state’s first formal nature education programs and now serves as a trailhead for the 80-mile long Foothills Trail through the wilderness along the Blue Ridge Escarpment. Trails through the forested park also include one that leads to the top of Table Rock Mountain itself.
Lodging
Lodging in the form of cabins that sleep multiple persons is available. Prices are commensurate with hotel lodging and will vary depending on the number of persons staying in each cabin.
Please contact Scott Enter for more information or to make your reservations.
Phone: (803) 331-9535, senter@scprt.com
Registration
Download the registration form here.
Further Information
For more information about the course, please contact Scott Enter at senter@scprt.com or call (803) 331-9535 or Rob Bixler at (864)656-4849 or rbixler@clemson.edu.
Workshop Instructors
 Rob Bixler, PhD., CIT
Rob is an associate professor at Clemson University in the Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management where he teaches a two-semester series on interpretation and conducts research and evaluation that informs the practice of heritage interpretation. Previously he was Manager of Research and Program Evaluation at Cleveland Metroparks, and has over ten years experience in interpretation and natural history education in camp, state park, and not-for-profit organizations. He is currently an associate editor for the Journal of Interpretation Research and a consulting editor for the Journal of Environmental Education.
Scott Enter, M.Ed., CIT
Scott has more than ten years experience in the fields of interpretation and education and has been a trainer in these disciplines for the last five years. He has directed interpretive and educational efforts in historical and nature based parks and museums and currently serves as director of interpretation and training for a 17 county national heritage area. In this position, he serves as a consultant to the 100+ sites of the South Carolina National Heritage Corridor offering services ranging from training and planning to museum exhibit design. Scott holds five certifications and licenses in interpretative training and coaching.
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