Certified Interpretive Host Training Workshop
March 1-2, 2019
Oxley Nature Center
6700 Mohawk Blvd., Tulsa, OK 74115
Instructor: Donna Horton
Registration Cost: $130 (Certification is an additional $150)
The Certified Interpretive Host Program
Oxley Nature Center, in partnership with the National Association for Interpretation (NAI), is offering a training course designed for staff or volunteers who have contact with the public, but do not necessarily lead interpretive programs. Anyone age 16 or over with a desire to increase their knowledge and skills related to customer service and interpretation may participate.
Thinking about attending the Certified Interpretive Host training? Here’s an endorsement. Tulsa’s Oxley Nature Center recommends that all of their new volunteer staff start their training with a CIH workshop.
Every single person who works at a park or museum is part of a team that wins or loses, in terms of the agency’s mission and goals. The person a visitor is most likely to encounter at any site is usually a member of the support staff, not the naturalist leading a tour or the historian giving a talk. It is part of everyone’s job description to help the visitor understand and protect a resource and to provide excellent customer service. You are invited to join Oxley Nature Center’s staff in this training and certification course for people who work to build a positive visitor experience at an interpretive site.
The training takes place onsite in Oxley Nature Center’s classroom. Plan enough time for your drive in, so that you can mosey through the watchable wildlife in Mohawk Park and along the entrance road to the nature center. Bring a sack lunch to eat, and wear comfortable walking shoes so that you can explore a nearby trail during a break.
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 Host (CIH). You will pay an additional fee for certification and you must complete the open book CIH Literature Review. The CIH 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.
Why Become a Certified Interpretive Host?
A positive first impression of your site can leave a lasting mark on a visitor. Many times, that first impression is made by a campground host, maintenance worker, fee booth attendant, site steward, trail monitor, law enforcement ranger, or front desk volunteer. If you interact informally with visitors, this course will teach you easy ways to strengthen your public interactions while supporting the mission of your organization.
Specifically, this 16-hour course covers:
- Customer Service Skills
- Hospitality and Communication Skills
- Tips for Handling Difficult Visitors
- History and Importance of Public Lands
- History, definition, and principles of interpretation
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 CIH Literature Review exam covers and are useful texts for anyone in the field 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 you own library, you can order them from NAI’s online store as individual books or as a package and listed under “CIH Literature 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:
- 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)
- Interpreting for Park Visitors, by William J. Lewis (Eastern National, 2001)
Instructor
Donna Horton teaches both CIG and CIH workshops through the National Association for Interpretation. She has worked as an interpretive naturalist at Oxley Nature Center and at Oklahoma State Parks, and as a teacher-naturalist at two Ohio resident outdoor education centers: Glen Helen OEC and Woodland Altars OEC. She has experience as aclassroom teacher in grades 4-12.
Further Information
For more information about the course, please contact Donna Horton at donnahortoncit@att.net or call (918) 587-0522.
Special Terms and Cancellation
Cancellations must be made in writing and emailed, postmarked, or faxed by February 17, 2019; a nonrefundable processing fee of $50.00 will be assessed. Emailed cancellations should be sent to registration@interpnet.com. Cancellations cannot be made by phone.
No refunds will be given after February 17, 2019.