This course is especially designed for Museum/Heritage Site volunteers and docents who have a passion for sharing their love of history, art, nature or other topics with visitors to their particular site, and provide their services on a volunteer basis.

Many of the docents we have had the pleasure of providing training workshops for are retired teachers, historians, naturalists or others with a desire to instill that love of their subjects with the visitors they meet and guide and really like connecting with people of all ages.

This would be a great course for docents/volunteers working in:

• Museums
• Zoos
• Historic homes and gardens
• Science museums
• Botanical Gardens and Arboretums
• Heritage attractions and facilities
  

Learn more about this course from the instructor John Veverka in this video introduction.

Course Goals
You should complete this course with a general understanding of interpretive exhibit planning process. In four weeks we can not possibly cover every situation that one could encounter in interpretive exhibit planning, but we hope to give you the tools and resources to figure out issues that arise. The main goal of this course then is to introduce you to the most essential methodology and resources.

Participant Outcomes
Participants will:

• Understand and be able to utilize the Interpretive Exhibit Planning Outline.
• Develop their skills in developing an interpretive exhibit plan.
• Understand exhibit contracting needs - what should be in a Request for Proposal in selecting an exhibit planning and design firm.
• Be able to conduct an exhibit interpretive communication evaluation (existing exhibits).
• Understand how to conduct an exhibit pre-post test evaluation before exhibit construction is finalized.
• Understand that exhibits need to be cost effective - i.e. for a $20k exhibit project will you be able to document that you will receive, over the life of the exhibits, $20k in benefits?
• Be more involved and focused on the details of exhibit project management.