Site-specific training centered on creating inclusive programs and well-balanced visitor experiences.

Who is this for?
Parks, museums, heritage sites, and more with visitor services. Additionally for mission-based organizations whose work involves connecting people and place.

For onboarding seasonal staff, recharging and revitalizing permanent or returning staff. Participants can also include interns, volunteers and partners, and staff from other divisions such as resources or fees.

This training helps individuals flourish while at the same time working to build a cohesive team. It offers interpretive foundations in a fresh, accessible way, develops innovative thinking, and builds skills for all levels of experience. It can help integrate and apply techniques gained from prior training (such as ACE, NAI or proValens) or be used as a stand-alone, comprehensive interpretive skills training.

Training for New Hires to Seasoned Pros
Formats & Sample Outlines

By the end of a training staff will:

Logistics:

Formats: Training can be offered for consecutive days onsite, or can be split into multiple half days online. Formats can be adapted to meet your staff and training needs.

Payment: Check, Credit Card, and Direct Deposit. Erica is a registered independent contractor with the Federal Government and in the SAM system.

Diversity: Sense of Place Consulting is a Woman Owned Small Business. Erica is part of the LGBTQ community and is known for her down-to-earth, inclusive facilitation skills. She is committed to helping all individuals show up fully as who they are, and meeting people wherever they are on their learning journey.

Prior Interpretive Training

National Park Service

• Acadia NP

• Adams NHP

• Assateague Island NS

• Bandelier NM

• Big Thicket NP

• Cape Cod NS

• Denali National Park and Preserve

• Everglades NP

• Fredrick Law Olmsted NHS

• Ft. Stanwix NHS

• Gateway NRA

• Governors Island NM

• Grant-Khors NHS

• Great Sands NP

• Great Smokies NP

• Hawai’i Volcanoes NP

Training Results:

“We brought Erica in to help us master the art of storytelling and to learn how to share the meaning of these places even more effectively. When we worked with Erica before, it was one of the most meaningful experiences of my career. I was thrilled by seeing the growth in rangers and the inspiration they gleaned.” National Mall and Memorial Parks, Washington, DC

"I observed my staff applying Erica's approach and feel that the level of programs this year was just outstanding. Even our more "science based" interpreters brought in more of the emotional, reflective techniques.  Her ideas were especially effective for creating that baseline of connection that leads to meaningful dialogue. I personally used her techniques in my programs and found they were incredibly powerful every time, with all ages. We're looking forward to continuing to use what we learned." Cape Cod National Seashore, MA

“With everyone, from our permanent to seasonal rangers, I noticed changes right away. After the training, they had adjusted the structure of their program and had a clearer theme. They seemed to have found their focus and grew from there. Additionally, rangers began using places at the site differently, highlighting different stories and asking deeper questions. Having had a facilitated dialog training and the Sense of Place training was for us, a powerful combination." Women's Rights National Historical Park, NY

"Erica provided our interpretive staff with a fresh angle on interpretation, new techniques, and the opportunity to stretch and experiment. Our interpreters strengthened and re-imagined their approach to sharing our resources with visitors. This training served as a solid foundation for our seasonal training and complimented prior training around audience-centered engagement techniques, peer coaching, and resource content.”  Marsh-Billings-Rockerfeller NHP & Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site,VT and NH

“This training offers a holistic approach that fosters group cohesion and gives actionable tools for program structure. Erica’s ability to offer site-specific examples makes it even more impactful. Participants came away feeling confident they could develop and give a meaningful visitor experience. The group collaboration aspect of the training was personally so beneficial — it was helpful for learning from others, gaining new insights, and generating ideas that I wouldn’t have come up with on my own.” Sitka NHP, AK

Participants REsults:

• "I would definitely recommend this component to all career NPS interpreters.” National Mall and Memorial Parks, Washington, DC
  

• “I will definitely use the tools/techniques and am inspired to create great visitor experiences. I used to
  DREAD the outline process — I would be stuck in the muck for days — Erica has given me the boots I need
  for this terrain! Thank you for the gift of this outstanding training.” Sitka NHP, AK
  

• "Re-energizing for even the most seasoned staff" Ft. Stanwix NHS, NY
  

• "I shifted from 1st to 2nd gear in understanding ACE and ways to develop a method of making connections.” Denali NP and Preserve, AK
  

• "This training is interpretation with a paradigm shift. Participants walk away with a much fuller and more
  meaningful toolbox, which can be given as a gift to the average visitor." Bandelier NM, NM
  

• "I see how I can apply this to tours that seem stale" Montana State Parks & State Historical Society, MT
  

• "Good for new interpreters and non-traditional learners who have struggled with the concepts in other training sessions.” Denali NP and Preserve, AK
  

• "This training is a safe space for learning to consider more perspectives when writing info into programs, and for exploring less comfortable audience engagement techniques.” White Sands NP, NM

What makes this training different?

Offers bespoke training, fully customized for each site. Each training is site-specific and includes prior research and a site visit to ensure all segments are fully applicable right away.

Offers a fresh perspective on interpretation. Erica blends her expertise in the field (having worked with 45+ NPS sites to date), with her career in the performing arts and experience with the creative process. Her sense of place approach offers fresh, insightful tools to rethink interpretation, visitor motivations, and storytelling.

Helps all levels of experience deliver inclusive programs. To deliver truly inclusive programs that feel well-crafted and authentic takes development and practice. To meet the pressing need for sites to tell fuller, more complete stories, this training offers in-depth support for interpreters with all levels of experience, to generate ideas, experiment with storytelling, and hone their delivery techniques so that they can share often complex stories, in a concise and effective way.

Helps all kinds of learners excel. Not everyone learns in the same way. This training offers a creative approach to help different kinds of learners quickly grasp interpretive concepts. It offers a supportive atmosphere that helps each interpreter find or affirm their most effective techniques, while also self-identifying their own growing edge and next steps. It offers personalized mentoring during the training, ensuring interpreters are able to develop the skills needed to meet performance standards with confidence and ease.

Builds a cohesive team. This creative, participatory training offers multiple opportunities to learn from peers through experimenting, brainstorming, and collaborating. The result is a chance to work in a fun, productive way that is often hoped for but hard to achieve. In the end, a spirit of teamwork is fostered that lasts throughout the season, and beyond.

Is place-centered. Rather than generic training that provides generalized methods or approaches, this training centers on using the power of place to generate program content and flow. Because every place has stories that can be seen from multiple perspectives, this training focuses on gaining techniques to best share the wider and deeper stories a particular place holds.