Tom and Barbara are available to provide training in various aspects of curation, interpretation and interpretive techniques, and history. These can be delivered virtually or in person, location permitting, using a combination of slides, videos, and live activities. Training can be customized for every site and delivered at any time. Costs range from between $100 to $400 depending on time. Contact us if you’d like to discuss something personalized for your needs!    

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Beginner Package	Time
CONNECT 4: The Interpretive Equation in Four Simple Sessions	4hrs
Beginner Sessions
INTERPRETATION 101: Making Connection, Revealing Meaning	1hr
GIVING GREAT GUIDED TOURS: What makes them great and what makes them poetry.	1hr
BEYOND THE BOOK: Research for Guides and Interpreters	1hr
EVERYONE’S A CRITIC: Evaluating Interpretive Opportunities	1hr
INTERPLES TO INTERPLES: The Interpretation Training Game	1hr
THE INTERPRETER’S TOOLBOX: Tours, Demonstrations, Conversations and When to Use Them	1hr
Advanced Sessions
KNOWING IS (ONLY) HALF THE BATTLE: Interpreting Difficult History	1.5hrs
SUBLIMINAL, LIMINAL, AND SUPERLIMINAL: Using Video Review in Hiring and Training Interpreters	1hr
TO LISTEN AND UNDERSTAND: Introduction to Working with Indigenous Elders and Knowledge-Keepers	1hr
AUTHORITY & HUMILITY: Introduction to Indigenous Content Interpretation for non-Indigenous Interpreters
BEYOND THE BOX AND PANEL: Creative Ways to Present Heritage & History	1hr
Guest Experts
WHAT ARE THEY DOING HERE? Knowing the visitor in living history By Kevin Baron	1hr
BUT HOW DO YOU DO IT? ‘Appropriate techniques’ in living history interpretation By Kevin Baron	1hr
OPEN TO ALL: Tools for Inclusivity and Accessibility for Neurodiverse Audiences in Heritage Interpretation By Joshua Carlson	1hr

Beginner Package

For a well-rounded training experience for heritage interpreters and museum programmers, consider this package. You’ll not only get the two presentations above, but also special guest presenter Kevin Baron will add two more. The National Parks Service of the US uses this equation to break down training into four components:

(KA + KR) x AT = IO

KA is Knowledge of the Audience, KR is Knowledge of the Resource, AT is Appropriate Techniques, and IO is Interpretive Opportunities. Our sessions are as follows:

1. Knowledge of the Audience: What are they doing here? Knowing the visitor in living history
2. Knowledge of the Resource: STRATHCategories and the Fine Art of Research for Interpreters
3. Appropriate Techniques: But how do you do it? ‘Appropriate techniques’ in living history interpretation.
4. Interpretive Opportunities: Everyone’s a Critic – Evaluating Interpretive Programs.

My co-presenter Kevin Baron is a museum educator and interpreter with over fifteen years of experience in the field, including as supervisor and trainer.

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Beginner Sessions

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Heritage Interpretation is a complex field with much to know, but every journey begins with a single step. This one hour introduction to interpretation will introduce attendees to the use of intangibles to reveal the greater meaning behind objects and artifacts, storytelling in interpretation, and how to classify and satisfy visitor motivations.

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Not only can heritage interpretation techniques improve your tours, but we can also help you avoid some of the most common tour pitfalls. This one hour introduction to interpretation will touch on themes, visitors, and the best tips to make your tours rock!

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Interpreters are a trusted source, and we must strive to be worthy of that trust. This webinar will take participants through a range of research practices and resources, including primary, secondary, and tertiary sources as well as the importance of creative experiential research. Participants will participate in two activities and be given a research plan outline at the conclusion. 

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Hockey teams constantly review video of their games in order to reach the next level of greatness and there’s no reason interpreters shouldn’t do the same. This webinar will use that same principle to engage participants with evaluating several different interpretive programs, equipping them to better self-evaluate in the future. Participants will learn NAI’s POETRY model of program evaluation and put it into practice so that every program can strive to be purposeful, organized, enjoyable, thematic, relevant, and reflect your site’s values and strengths. 

This webinar iscompatible with the National Association of Interpretation’s approach for the Certified Interpretive Guide course (which Tom is qualified to instruct). It also reflects the National Parks Service’s “Interpretive Equation” and can be purchased as a package with three other elements (see above)

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“Sufficiently advanced learning is indistinguishable from play.” In this spin on the popular card game “Apples to Apples”, Tom will help your site develop personalized playing cards before the session even starts. Your site’s tangible buildings, artifacts, and activities will turn into our red cards and intangible themes, ideas, and visitor types will turn into our blue cards. Then our hour is devoted to either playing the game with your staff, or training your core staff to lead the game on their own! As a bonus, you keep your cards afterwards, to play during training or use as flash cards. You won’t believe how much fun interpretation training can be!

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To a tour guide, everyone looks like an audience with time to kill. But the spectrum of interpretive activities is so large, it behooves you to consider the utility and challenges of each before you decide which to use and how. This session uses “Donnie Don’t” examples and break-out groups to evaluate the pitfalls of tours, demos, conversations, and even powerpoint webinars just like this one.

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Advanced Sessions

No one can tell you how to change a visitor’s mind, or how to engage on a difficult topic with ease and and come out on the other side without repurcussions. If they did, politicians and family gatherings would be knocking down the door. But there are some guidelines to follow and some tips and tactics that will equip your interpreters for success in the field of difficult topics. Eugenics, colonialism, racism – if history isn’t upsetting, then you’re probably not reading enough of it. Museums can and should challenge visitors to face these facts, and interpreters are the frontline of this discussion.

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What if there were a way to almost invisibly influence your candidates to self-select in and out of your job based on your own interview? What if you could simultaneously test their interpretive instincts? And then what if you could use the exact same method to train them in best practices?

Sports teams review video playbacks as a way to get better by identifying mistakes and emphasizing successes. With all of youtube spread out before you, there’s no reason your site can’t do this as well. We’ll review this technique and then practise evaluating a video ourselves. We’ll also watch a clip from the Simpsons, because why not?

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Neither Barbara nor Tom are Indigenous. However, we have been lucky enough to work extensively with First Nations, Metis, and Maori communities, including with Elders. If you and your museum are getting ready to form today’s necessary partnerships and want a few tips this session is for you. We’ll discuss different ways of knowing, common misconceptions, the importance of hosting and more. You and your team will leave not at the end of your journey, but ready to start it.

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Neither Barbara nor Tom are Indigenous. However, we have been lucky enough to work extensively with First Nations, Metis, and Maori communities, including with Elders. A modern museum must by necessity engage with Indigenous communities, but while your relationship-building starts or continues, you and your interpreters can benefit from understanding how to start interacting with Indigenous source material and content in a respectful, humble way. We have worksheets, videos, and practical experience to share in getting your site ready to share stories respectfully and avoid appropriation.

Tom shares case studies involving several public history and museum projects he’s been involved with from small to large. Hear about the multi-year building and launching of a historic wooden boat, or the process of interviewing community groups and turning their favourite stories into historical webcomics. Learn and become inspired by a grant-funded queer history project that shined a light into lesser known stories of Edmonton’s past and how to navigate their collection and depiction. Relevant to any museum or group of interpreters.

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Guest Experts

Through their careers, Barbara and Tom have met and associated with many diverse professionals with expertise and presenting skill. Book one of these presentations by our colleagues.

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Presenter: Kevin Baron

A short presentation based around the concept of the “interpretive equation” as an approach to providing excellent communications and service to your audience, whether in a museum or any other undertaking. This presentation will answer the questions: “who is our audience and why do they come to us?” and “how can we connect our goals with theirs?” while providing examples of specific strategies and approaches to audience engagement. Presented by Kevin Baron.

This webinar is compatible with the National Association of Interpretation’s approach for the Certified Interpretive Guide course (which Kevin is qualified to instruct). It also reflects the National Parks Service’s “Interpretive Equation” and can be purchased as a package with three other elements (see above)

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Presenter: Kevin Baron

A short presentation based around the concept of the “interpretive equation” as an approach to providing excellent communications and service to your audience, whether in a museum or any other undertaking. This presentation will answer the questions, “what is an interpretive technique?”, “what is brain-based learning?”, and “how can we engage the senses of our audience?” while providing concrete examples and activities to try. Presented by Kevin Baron.

This webinar is compatible with the National Association of Interpretation’s approach for the Certified Interpretive Guide course (which Kevin is qualified to instruct). It also reflects the National Parks Service’s “Interpretive Equation” and can be purchased as a package with three other elements (see above)

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Presenter: Joshua Carlson

Inclusion is not just about learners with special needs. It is an attitude and approach that embraces diversity and learner differences and promotes equal opportunities for all learners. How can your team better meet the needs of children with autism, ADHD, or other challenges? This presentation will provide an introduction to the principles of Universal Design Learning and give some tools for creating great guest experiences for neurodiverse individuals and groups. Presented by Joshua Carlson.

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Testimonials

“The programming team at the Nanaimo Museum have completed two training programs with Tom and have thoroughly enjoyed both of them. The training is engaging, inspiring and actionable. We have taken what we learned and are now using it in our programming planning at the museum. I would highly recommend Tom’s training and will think of him first for future training needs.” Sophia Maher, General Manager, Nanaimo Museum.

“What a valuable training opportunity. We walked away from our Interpretation 101 course with practical tools and systems to develop our tours with. Tom creatively designed his workshop to model some of the concepts he was teaching, and he took the time to ensure we could apply what we are learning to our local context. Highly recommend!” Claire Miller, Director, Wildernook Fresh Air Learning

“Tom’s engaging style and interactive presentation was concise and meaningful to our volunteers” Laura Nichol, Core Programs Manager, Fort Edmonton Park.

Inquiries

Fill out this form if you’d like to inquire about booking a training session: