Natural advice: Powering up for Program Plans

When I was first informed that we were now going to be asked to submit official program plans for our nature center education programs, I couldn't help but cringe a little bit.  Another piece of paperwork to fill out?  I even noticed my coworker roll his eyes a bit.  But when I thought about it for another moment, I began to understand why the agency I work before was taking the initiative to have their staff develop written plans for their education programs. 

Program plans, or program outlines, offer a summary of what you have planned for your interpretive program, including themes, materials, where you'll conduct the program, and other pertinent information.  A good program outline allows someone to pick it up and know right away what the program is about and what materials and preparation tasks are necessary to conduct the program successfully.  But what is a program plan supposed to look like?  It seems like all of my coworkers have their own way of planning a program.  I like to write detailed, verbatim outlines that are more like a script, while the other naturalist I work with simply jots down some bullet points on a piece of scratch paper.  Another naturalist doesn't even bother to write an outline because he already feels comfortable enough with the topic!  Because it has been optional for my organization’s staff to write program outlines, we have never really had to worry about other people looking at them or needing them - until now.

So why go through the extra trouble of writing a program plan?  For one thing, it's important to remember that many of us work for public service agencies, such as park districts, nature centers and museums whose core values include accessibility for all.  Our work is not usually copyrighted nor meant to be proprietary.  Therefore as paid staff of our organizations, we are obligated to contribute to our organization's egalitarian mission by providing educational services to our respective constituents.  Therefore we should allow our work to complement our organization's mission and act as educational resources ourselves.  We can also contribute to the success of our colleagues and coworkers by allowing them to “CSE” (copy and steal everything) so that they can improve their interpretive programs (but of course give proper and due credit to those who generated the original ideas!).

So what does an ideal program plan look like?  There are many variations on program plans, and the National Association for Interpretation (NAI) has a rigorous outline format for planning interpretive programs as part of their Certified Interpretive Guide (CIG) training.  But you don't necessarily need to follow their outline format completely.  At a minimum, your program plan should generally include your title, your audience, the location of your program, your objectives or your overall theme, materials needed, your introduction, body, and conclusion, and perhaps any special notes or remarks about your program before or after you go through with it.

Title
You don't need to get too hung up on this part, but your title should be catchy and reveal the program's topic.  For example, a program on maple syrup could catch people's attention with a title such as:  Maple Sugar Time!

Audience
What is the intended age group for your program?  Try to be specific and avoid general categories such as "families" or "general audience."  For example, perhaps your program is best suited for Pre-K and K or for ages 12 and up.

Location
Give the specific location or locations for where your program will take place.  Do you have an indoor location as an alternative if there is inclement weather?  And is your location accessible to persons with disabilities or the elderly?  Include any pertinent information about your program's location in your plan. For example, the outdoor learning circle is a better description of your location as opposed to just saying "the nature center."  Your location doesn't have to be set in stone - but for planning purposes it is a good idea to factor in what kind of space you will utilize for your interpretive program and where those spaces are. 

Objective or Theme
One of the major criterion that NAI focuses on their CIG training is whether or not the interpreter can demonstrate developing a sound theme or set of objectives that captures in a single sentence what the outcomes will be after participants have attended your program.  For example, a program on deer could have a theme statement such as "After attending my presentation on deer populations in our park district, my audience members will have a greater appreciation about and will show more support for managing deer populations in urban areas."  NAI's Certified Interpretive Guide (CIG) training manual provides excellent tools for developing interpretive program themes and objectives:


Materials Needed
List what supplies you'll need or think you'll need.  For example, a preschool program on coyotes might require a coyote pelt to see and touch or perhaps a colorful picture book featuring coyotes.  Or if you are leading a long hike, you might want to include a first aid kit as a program item if you are going to be a good distance from a visitor center.

Introduction, Body, and Conclusion
You can either format this part as bullets or verbatim, whichever you are most comfortable doing.  As long whoever might pick up your outline can understand generally how you intend to format your program, you’ll have plenty of flexibility here.

Your introduction should include what actions you will take to get your audience situated, such as giving an overview of what they will be doing or pointing to the location of the restrooms.  Your body is the content of your program, and this would be a good time to mention how or when you are going to use your materials as well as stating your subthemes.  An example of a section in your program plan's body could include a statement like "pass around coyote fur for audience members to touch and ask them why they think coyotes have such thick fur" or "tell a story about how maple syrup is made."  Your conclusion should wrap up your theme and you should state what type of closing remarks or actions you might take, such as promoting an upcoming special event or passing out program evaluations.

Special Notes and Remarks
I like to occasionally include some "heads-up" information such as what to do if trail conditions are not conducive to your program, or any special notes about how to address any controversial topics that might be included in your program (e.g. global warming, slavery).  You don't necessarily need a separate section to your program plan for special notes, but they are definitely nice to include somewhere in your program plan.

Reflection
Program plans are meant to be dynamic rather than static documents.  The forest preserve district that I work for requests any feedback for improvements in the "reflections" section of their program plan template.  If there is something that could have been improved, something you wish you would have included, or if there was something that went exceptionally well, you can include your remarks in your program plan after it is over.  For example, for one presentation I did on snakes, I wish I would have included a longer nature walk following the presentation, since my audience really seemed to enjoy walking on the trails with a naturalist.  I would include this remark in my reflection so that the next time I do (or somebody else does) this program they could include a longer hike.

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To some degree, interpretation is an art, and many interpreters understandingly like to claim a certain level of "ownership" over their creative work.  For example, my coworker is considered the expert on salamanders and has a very specific format for his salamander programs.  He has even included his own photos and hand-outs that he himself produced in his program.  But what if my coworker called in sick that day and I was called on to do his program, or what if he quit and decided to work somewhere else?  I know enough about salamanders to conduct a quality interpretive program, and being able to turn to his program plan at the last minute would serve as a critical reference.  Also, what if another naturalist in my agency wanted to do a similar program at their nature center?  They would have a fantastic in-house resource to turn to as would other environmental education agencies with a similar mission.  Well-composed program plans could serve as the foundation for developing and delivering quality interpretive educational programming.

So power up for program plans!  They're not just another form that you have to fill out.  They are a critical resource for your colleagues and others that support your organization's mission.

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