CIG Cincinnati Nature Center March 2020

Certified Interpretive Guide Training Course

March 17-20, 2020
Cincinnati Nature Center
4949 Tealtown Road, Milford, OH 45150
Instructors: Jason Neumann and Dan Best
Registration Cost: $230 (Certification is an additional $150)

Cincinnati Nature Center, in partnership with the National Association for Interpretation (NAI), is offering a training course for individuals in the field of Interpretation. It is designed for individuals who deliver interpretive programs or have contact with the public at interpretive sites.

Course Options

There are two options for this course.

Option one: take the course without obtaining certification.  
Option two: take the course and add certification as a Certified Interpretive Guide (CIG). You will pay an additional fee for certification and you must complete an open book Core Literature Review exam. The CIG lasts four years and comes with a complimentary one year membership. If you are already a member of NAI we will add your complimentary membership onto the end of your current membership.

The CIG Program

The nationally recognized Certified Interpretive Guide (CIG) program is designed for anyone in the interpretive field. Whether you’re a new hire, a professional looking to refresh your skills, or beginning a second career, this course will aid you in improving your presentation techniques. The course combines the theoretical foundations of the profession with practical strategies in delivering quality interpretive programming to visitors.

This 32-hour course includes:

  • The history, definition, and principles of interpretation.
  • Techniques on how to make your programs purposeful, enjoyable, relevant, organized, and thematic.
  • How to use tangible objects to connect your audience to intangible ideas and universal concepts.
  • The 3 certification requirements needed to obtain a CIG (open book CORE Literature Review exam, program outline, and 10 minute interpretive presentation).

Texts Used in the Workshop

During this course, the books on interpretation listed below will be mentioned and some of their ideas explored. They are what the open book Core Literature Review exam covers and are useful texts for any interpreter to read. You are not required to purchase these texts for the course and a loaner set of these books will be provided by your instructor during the class for those who choose to add certification. If you would like to buy your own set for use during the class or for your own library, you can order them from NAI’s online store as individual books or as a package and listed under “Core Review Library Package”.  Click here to go to the NAI Store. 

Member Discount: Those choosing to apply for certification will receive a complimentary one year membership to NAI. Memberships will become active within a couple of days of registration and will allow you to purchase course books and other registrations at the discounted member rate. Once memberships become active, you will receive a receipt via email letting you know that you are all setup. Current NAI members will receive a one year extension on their current membership. If you are registering for $0, your membership will become active when you are certified.

 The texts are:

  • Interpreting Our Heritage, by Freeman Tilden (4th Edition, U. of North Carolina Press, 2007)
  • The Gifts of Interpretation, by Larry Beck and Ted Cable (Sagamore Publishing, 2011)
  • Personal Interpretation: Connecting Your Audience to Heritage Resources, by Lisa Brochu and Tim Merriman (National Association for Interpretation, 2015)
  • Interpretation: Making a Difference on Purpose, by Sam H. Ham (Fulcrum, 2013)

Instructors

For Jason Neumann, growing up on a farm in northern Michigan set the stage for a lifelong interest in agriculture as well as interpretation. He earned a BS in Crop and Soil Sciences in 1993 (Michigan State University) and, recently, a graduate certificate in Agroforestry through the University of Missouri (2018). Once he discovered the field of interpretation, he never looked back. Early in his career, he took an interest the how of teaching, becoming involved with National Association for Interpretation. He has earned credentials as a Certified Heritage Interpreter, Interpretive Planner, Interpretive Manager and Interpretive Guide Trainer. In 2002, he received the NAI National Master Frontline Interpreter award. In his current role as Public Programs Manager for Cincinnati Nature Center, he focuses on interpretive training and uses native foods to engage visitors in conservation efforts. Jason’s 25 years in the field have spanned a camp that served inner-city youth to an educational farm to conservation-related natural history programs.

Dan Best, a Northeast Ohio native, has served as a professional interpretive naturalist since college graduation in 1979 (BS in Environmental Interpretation, Ohio State University School of Natural Resources). His 40+ years in the field included time with Shaker Lakes Regional Nature Center (1979-1987) and Geauga Park District (1987-2019). A member of the National Association for Interpretation (NAI) for over 30 years, Dan is a Certified Interpretive Guide and a Certified Interpretive Guide Trainer. He has been recognized by this professional organization as recipient of the NAI Great Lakes Region Distinguished Professional Interpreter Award and the NAI National Master Interpretive Manager award, both in 2008. Dan takes a holistic view of his local landscape as an interpreter of the interwoven natural and cultural history of Northeastern Ohio’s Western Reserve, a region of rich natural and cultural diversity. Dan is also very active musically as a longtime participant in the Northeast Ohio folk music scene.

Further Information

For more information about the course, please contact Jason Neumann at jneumann@cincynature.org or call (513) 831-1711 ext.221.

Special Terms and Cancellations

Cancellations must be made in writing and emailed, postmarked, or faxed by March 1, 2020. A nonrefundable processing fee of $50 will be assessed. Emailed cancellations should be sent to registration@interpnet.com. Cancellations cannot be made by phone.

No refunds will be given after March 1, 2020.
When
3/17/2020 - 3/20/2020
Where
Cincinnati Nature Center 4949 Tealtown Road Milford, OH 45150 UNITED STATES
Online registration not available.

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