Training and Coaching

Trainers and coaches amplify their impact and enhance visitor experiences by ensuring that their trainees can offer audiences opportunities to form intellectual and/or emotional connections with the meanings of the resources. The Training and Coaching Interpreters course provides step by step instruction in developing and delivering a training session as well how to conduct coaching sessions based on a positive assessment.  A basic certificate of completion may be earned by successfully completing the objective assessment at the end of the course. Go to the course listing at www.interptraining.org for details.

Recommended Pre-requisites:

Foundations of Interpretation On-line Course

Interpretive Talk On-line Course 

Peer Review Assessment:

Requires the interpreter to complete an essay questionnaire, describing and self-assessing his/her experience in training and coaching other interpreters. The submission must convey an understanding and application of interpretive training and coaching principles and methods that meets the standards and requirements described below.

Assessment Rubric:

The submission product demonstrates the certification requirements if it communicates that, through application of specific training and coaching methods, the submitter:

• has provided opportunities that enable other interpreters to help visitors make intellectual and emotional connections with the meanings and significance of the resource(s) being interpreted.

Certifiers will compare submissions to the standard above to determine whether a product “demonstrates certification” or is “approaching certification” for this competency.

Submission Guidelines

What To Submit

A completed copy of the Training and Coaching Assessment Questionnaire [doc, 56 KB]. Save your submission as an electronic Word or PDF file.

In order to complete the questionnaire you will need to do the following:

• Individually plan, develop, and instruct one interpretive training session on a concept from the Interpretive Development Program curriculum.
• Your training audience can be seasonal rangers, entry/developmental level interpreters, VIP's, interns, SCA's, cooperating association and concession employees, etc., or other interpretive audience such as local museum docents, state/county park employees, or a college class.
• Coach one or more interpretive workers (i.e., seasonal rangers, entry/developmental-level permanent interpreters, VIP's, interns, SCA's, cooperating association and concession employees, etc.), providing them with opportunities for interpretive development through ongoing coaching, feedback, modeling, and use of examples.

Describe your training and coaching experiences fully in response to the questionnaire. The parenthetical suggestions are intended as guides to help you provide information that will address the certification standards.

The interpretive training and coaching sessions themselves are not being assessed – rather your submission will be evaluated based on your thoughtful analysis and articulation of your experience as a trainer and coach.

This certification focuses on training and coaching of interpretive concepts and principles. Questionnaire answers that address other employee needs (program mechanics, behavior issues, time management, etc.), are not measured in this review, and will not contribute to success. 

Please do not send supplemental documents such as lesson plans, etc – only the questionnaire will be assessed.

Key Submission Points:

Strive to incorporate these key skills:

• Use training and coaching methods and techniques effectively
• Use coaching contacts to reinforce interpretive training concepts where appropriate
• Demonstrate sensitivity to developmental levels and situational needs of the interpreters you coach
• Demonstrate the ability to provide constructive, substantive, specific feedback for interpretive growth/improvement of others
• Demonstrate an ability to use evaluative feedback and self-assessment to gauge effectiveness of training and coaching methods
• Use the principles and concepts of the Interpretive Development Program curriculum as foundational material for training and coaching contacts
• Effectively communicate to others through training, coaching and modeling, an understanding of how to facilitate interpretive opportunities

Examples of Successful Submissions

Submission from Yosemite [pdf, 189 KB]
Submission from Wrangell-St.Elias [pdf, 183 KB]

How to Submit

When your questionnaire is complete, go to the IDP On-line Review System (ORS) to register and upload your submission electronically: http://ors.eppley.org/

Keep a copy of your questionnaire for your records.

Via your ORS account, you can track the progress of your review and will receive an automatic email when your review is complete. 

Local Registered Coach Course and Certificate 

Region-wide workshops train field interpreters, lead seasonal employees, supervisors, and regional staff for the role of Registered Coach in support of the Interpretive Development Program Distance Learning Platform. Registered Coaches join the other highly skilled trainers and coaches of their region to provide direct coaching services to interpreters. The course gives Registered Coaches the authority to award interpreters who complete the necessary requirements Advanced Certificates in the online courses developed by the National Park Service in conjunction with the Eppley Institute for Parks and Public Lands (found at www.interptraining.org).

By the end of this 40-hour coaching course participants earn a certificate as a Registered Coach for the Interpretive Talk Course. Due to the credentialing aspect of this course, the training week is rigorous, requiring mandatory prerequisites and homework assignments.

Visit the training tab above to find a list of upcoming Local Registered Coach courses.