CIG Schiele Museum November 2017

Certified Interpretive Guide Training Course

November 6-9, 2017
Schiele Museum
1500 E Garrison Blvd., Gastonia, NC 28054
Instructor: Stephanie Berggrun
Registration Cost: $249 (Certification is an additional $150)

The Schiele Museum, 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.
The Schiele Museum of Natural History is dedicated to inspiring wonder and appreciation for science and the natural world through programs, exhibits and research. We strive to lead the Charlotte region in promoting awareness and understanding of natural history and science by providing an attractive, visitor friendly environment for learning that is both experiential and informative. For more information check out www.schielemuseum.org.

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

Stephenie Berggrun is the Environmental Educator for the Schiele Museum of Natural History. She not only has experience connecting people to the natural world from the past, in the present and for the future but also in conducting outreach programs (off-site), using and caring for live animals for educational purposes and navigating the ins and outs of a public-private partnership. Stephenie is a Certified Interpretive Trainer and Guide and enjoys helping others refine their interpretive skills. She is also a Certified Environmental Educator through the state of North Carolina. Stephenie lives in Belmont, a suburb of Charlotte, with her husband and toddler. 
Hope Matthews has been working in the field of informal education for over 25 years and has been an Interpretive Trainer for four.  Hope currently works as an Outdoor Educator for the City of Rock Hill, but has experience working and teaching on farms, museums, and zoos.  While she loves all kinds of interpretation, she is especially drawn to stories that highlight the intersection of history and natural history.  Hope currently lives in Rock Hill with her husband, two children, dog, and two cats. 

Further Information

For more information about the course, please contact Stephenie Berggrun at stephenieb@cityofgastonia.com or call (704)866-6915.

Special Terms and Cancellations

Cancellations must be made in writing and emailed, postmarked, or faxed by October 22, 2017. 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 October 22, 2017.
When
11/6/2017 - 11/9/2017
Where
Schiele Museum 1500 E Garrison Blvd. Gastonia, NC 28054 UNITED STATES
Online registration not available.

Sign In

Please note: you must be logged in to the NAI website to register for this event.

If you have never had an NAI account, please choose Create an Account below.

If you are a current or previous member of NAI and have problems retrieving your login credentials, please email login@interpnet.com.

If your event registration fees come to $0, you will need to continue to the payment page and proceed through all of the payment steps (you will not be asked for a credit card number) to finalize your registration.
Need to pay with multiple payment cards?
If you need to pay with two cards, please proceed to register for the base registration and anything else that can be added to that card. Proceed to checkout and pay for the registration. Once you have completed that step, come back to the registration page and add any additional events. When you proceed to the payment page again, you will be asked to reenter your payment information.

Already registered but want to add something else?
If you've already registered but want to add additional items, just come back to this page. You will be able to edit your additional events until about two weeks before events.

Wanting to add a second ticket for something you are already registered for? You will have to remove the first ticket and add 2 tickets (or however many you want) back on to your registration.