Interpretive Planning for Busy People
A lean and practical method of creating interpretive plans that connect visitors to heritage sites, landscapes, stories, and collections.
Blended Learning
- Interactive online content paired with live webinars for practical application, supported by peer discussion groups.
Self-Paced Flexibility
- Complete the online modules on your own schedule.
Expert Instruction
- Taught by Don Enright, an experienced interpretive planner with over 40 years in the field.
Mentorship
- Submit assignments for personalized written feedback.
Meet Your Instructor
Don Enright brings over 40 years of professional experience in interpretation. He has led interpretive master planning projects for renowned sites such as Gros Morne National Park, Elk Island National Park, and the Kebaowek First Nation Cultural Centre.
Don’s work extends to exhibition development, where he has served as interpretive planner and writer for projects like The Politics of Luxury at Point Ellice House, Calgary Zoo’s Bugtopia! and Panda Passage, and the Marine Discovery Center in Washington State. His mentorship of interpretive writers and planners includes partnerships with Parks Canada, the Canadian Wildlife Service, and Indigenous organizations.
A three-time winner of Interpretation Canada’s Award of Excellence, Don has also received the National Association of Interpretation’s prestigious Grant W. Sharpe Award.
Educational Outcomes: You will learn to…
- Define the purpose and benefits of interpretive planning.
- Identify and apply the eight core principles of interpretive planning.
- Conduct inclusive and efficient community consultations.
- Use AI tools to streamline data analysis and reporting.
- Scale the process of interpretive planning to projects of any scope
- Harness your community’s creativity to craft theme frameworks and interpretive products.
- Evaluate potential products for impact vs cost.
- Develop state of the art interpretive content matrices.
- Create efficient evaluation frameworks for interpretation products.
- Identify potential career paths in interpretive planning.
Course Format
This course offers a blended learning experience designed for busy professionals. Through an interactive online environment, hosted on a dynamic learning management system, you’ll explore the principles and practices of interpretive planning. The online content includes theory, real-world examples, exercises, quizzes, and an extensive library of background resources to deepen your understanding. It is self-guided and self-paced and is intended to function as a resource for you to return to in the months to come.
To bring the learning to life, the course features four live webinars. These sessions include case studies, group discussions, problem-solving activities, Q&A opportunities, and more—helping you connect theory with practical application. Webinars will be recorded and placed online for your reference.
For those looking to go deeper, the course also offers feedback opportunities from Don. Submit assignments for direct written feedback and tailor your learning to your specific needs.
This is a professional development course, not an academic program. That means no final exam, no mandatory assignments, and no stress—just an opportunity to learn, grow, and enhance your skills on your own terms.
Prerequisites
This course assumes you have some professional experience in planning and delivering interpretive programs or media.
Budget Your Time
- Eight hours total webinar time including Q and A
- In addition to the above, a total of about 8 hours self-guided course work. You may finish this at your own pace in the weeks or months to come.
Tech Requirements
- A browser and web connection
- Zoom with camera and microphone. One learner per screen please: shared screens and mics make for a hellscape of echoes.
- For webinars, in addition to Zoom you’ll need a second tab or screen for Mentimeter, an interactive collaboration platform.
Course Schedule
Tuesday, February 4, 2025
Webinar 1
9:30 AM-11:30 AM Pacific Time
- Setting yourself up for success in planning
- Setting measurable goals
- Introduction to community consultation
- Includes general Q and A (30 mins)
Tuesday, February 11, 2025
Webinar 2
9:30 AM-11:30 AM Pacific Time
- Understanding our audiences
- What to do when you have minimal audience research to go from
- Drafting target audience profiles
- Includes general Q and A (30 mins)
Tuesday, February 18, 2025
Webinar 3
9:30 AM-11:30 AM Pacific Time
- Crafting theme frameworks
- Defining essence of place
- Includes general Q and A (30 mins)
Tuesday, February 25, 2025
Webinar 4
9:30 AM-11:30 AM Pacific Time
- Interpretive product development
- Analyzing potential products for bang per buck
- Includes general Q and A (30 mins)
Feedback from other Interp Academy courses
“It is incredibly helpful! Full of truly applicable and effective tools. An excellent and deeply practical foray into how to create the best signs for your site.”
“Take it! Don is engaging, interesting, realistic and funny. “
“Don’t just consider taking it – take it! Don is an incredibly experienced interpreter – his course takes all that experience and knowledge and shares it in an engaging way. Having the chance to learn from other interpreters was wonderful as well.”
“I would highly recommend this webinar to every organization. No matter who you are, you’re bound to create even the simplest of signage and it is so helpful to keep in mind all the factors that could make that one sign effective.”
“You will learn so much and your work will improve a lot!”
“Just do it! You will learn a lot of principles that apply not just to signs, but for other products. And, if you’re not familiar with thematic interpretation, you will get a healthy introductory dose of it.”
“Take it – it’s worth every cent and you’ll have fun.”
Certification
You will receive a Certificate of Completion for this course upon finishing all online modules and quizzes. All quizzes are open-book and may be repeated as many times as you need to.
Payment
You are welcome to use the credit card, PayPal, or Apple Pay checkout system within this site. If you want to register someone else (your staff, for example) please just add a note in the payment details.
Group Booking
You are welcome to pay for multiple people—please include the names and email addresses of the participants for whom you are paying. I will personally transfer the registrations to them.
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What’s included in the price?
- Four interactive webinars
- All online materials in an interactive learning management system, available for at least six months after the course
- Online forum-style discussion space exclusive to learners in this course
- Individual feedback from Don Enright on your optional submissions
Terms and Conditions
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