Training Opportunities: Week of February 19, 2024

Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies

Storytelling from a Cultural Perspective

Date: February 29, 2024     
Time: 4:00-4:30 PM ET
Cost: Free
Registration Required: Register HERE

Join us for this special webinar as we talk with authors Moana McAdams and Brad Wagnon. Both children's book authors write stories from a perspective that reflects their cultures and attitudes towards wildlife and being in the outdoors. 

Moana McAdams 

Moana McAdams is a Hawai’i-born writer and cultural ambassador who uses the power of storytelling to nurture curious minds and inspire cultural self-awareness. She made her writing debut with Aftermath for the Amazon best-seller “Set Apart and Chosen” and now uses her talents to cultivate and write children’s books. Moanaʻs self-published bilingual children's book series - written in ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian) and English - includes 4 fun tales that are inspired by her childhood adventures and the joy of adolescence while uplifting Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander cultures. Moana also freelances as a writer and cultural consultant for mainstream clients such as Disney, Audible, Dynamite Entertainment, and more. She is currently a creative team member for the new Lilo and Stich comic book series set for release on Jan 31, 2024!

Along with being a writer and author, Moana heads the digital media platform, Moana Nui Podcast, a storytelling podcast to celebrate and honor the history, culture, & perspectives of Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander (NHPI), POC, indigenous, and African Diasporan peoples. With sponsorship from Papa Ola Lōkahi, the Moana Nui Podcast amplifies the rich heritage and culture of NHPI peoples to improve their health status and wellbeing. The Moana Nui Podcast helps corporate clients such as the Kimberly-Clark Corporation build the equitable and inclusive businesses of the future, while partnering with non-profit community organizations like the Center for Asian Pacific American Women (CAPAW) to develop NHPI women leaders. 

McAdams’ dedication to her craft and focus on sharing the voices of the BIPOC community sets her apart from the rest of her peers as a storyteller, writer, and author.  With a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Hawai’i at Manoa, and a Master of Science in Information Technology from the University of Maryland, McAdams combines both her creative and analytical expertise to not only produce compelling stories but makes her adaptable in the changing landscape of literature. Check out her books and her MoanaNui podcast.

Brad Wagnon

Brad Wagnon is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation.  Brad lives in Gideon on the Cherokee Nation Reservation with his wife, Tanya and next door to his mother, Judy.  Brad is a published author of 4, soon to be 6 children’s books on the subjects of Cherokee stories, language and history. Brad works for the Cherokee Nation as the Emergency Management Community Preparedness Coordinator.  In his spare time Brad is a bonsai hobbyist and enjoys spending time in his greenhouse or working on his trees.  Brad is an identical twin and his brother Brian lives close by with his wife Ashley and their children, Isaac, Anna and Levi. Check out his books.

Electric Vehicle (EV) Safety Training

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has many resources listed for EV safety training.

Fire Science Research Institute (FSRI) also has research you can review.

Additionally, you can also check the MOPS as a Lithium Ion battery was created for the department.  

National Association for Interpretation

Mission-Based Dialogue Workshop

Thursday, February 29

7:00am–1:00pm Pacific/10:00am–4:00pm Eastern

André Copeland and Yvette Méndez

Recent studies suggest many individuals have conflicted feelings about topics such as history, social equity, human rights, and animals residing in zoos and aquariums. Our conversations with visitors can help align the goals of our respective organizations with their values. Understanding Mission-Based Dialogue’s principles and techniques will provide you with skills to engage in productive, mission-based conversations. This 5-hour workshop will highlight activities and exercises that provide an empathetic context, help develop active listening skills, and use questioning strategies that foster meaningful conversations that can lead to more balanced and productive outcomes.

CIG Train-the-Trainer Course — Online

Dates: Monday–Thursday, July 22–25 and July 29–August 1, 2024

Times: 7:00am–12:00pm PST / 10:00am–3:00pm EST

Location: Online

Instructors: Andre Copeland and Karin Hostetter

Cost: 

• $925 Non-member (includes a complimentary one-year NAI membership)
• $850 with NAI Member Discount 

About the Course

Are you interested in leading Certified Interpretive Guide (CIG) courses for other interpreters? Interested trainers who have taken a CIG course and already have their Certified Interpretive Trainer (CIT) professional certification with the National Association for Interpretation (NAI) are eligible to enroll in this course and become sanctioned to teach the CIG curriculum.

This course is designed to prepare you to teach NAI's CIG curriculum. Learning alongside other participants, you will practice evaluating and giving feedback on interpretive presentations and develop a 20-minute training segment that you will present during the course. You will build your skills as a trainer and leave ready to award CIG certificates to interpreters at your own site, or serve as a contractor to sites without a trainer on staff.

You must take a CIG Train-the-Trainer course in order to teach the CIG curriculum. If you enroll in this course, you must have previously taken a CIG course and be a Certified Interpretive Trainer (CIT) with NAI by the day the course starts. For more information about CIG or the CIT credential, please visit our website.

Contact Information

For more information about the course, please contact NAI at training@interpnet.com.

NAI Chesapeake Region 2024 Workshop

Please "Meet Us At The Junction" and join regional interpreters for the annual NAI Chesapeake Region 2024 workshop! 

Dates: March 20-21, 2024

Times: 1pm-4pm.

Location: Zoom

 

Click Here To Register  (you will need to scroll down to the Chesapeake Workshop and click the link there to register.  You will need to have a member login to register for this workshop.)

We have two great keynote speakers lined up:

• Wednesday: Ruth Wilson, author of Naturally Inclusive - "Naturally Inclusive" Outdoor Experiences for Children | C&NN (childrenandnature.org).
• Thursday: Gaynell Brady, of Our Mammy’s History and Genealogy - African American History - Our Mammy’s (ourmammys.com)

Want more? Check out these great concurrent sessions:

• Finding Tilden
• Grounds for Interpretation
• Historic Interpretation - Designing Your Site Stories
• Interpreting Our Environment in a World of 8 Billion
• Jump Right In: Starting Your Own Networking Group
• Neurodiversity and the interpretive profession
• Social Media in the Outdoors, Helpful or Harmful?
• To be, or not to be - Reconciliation in Australia