New Interpretive Training Contract for 2013

I hope you have all had a great Thanksgiving and are getting ready for Christmas.  Things have been moving along at this end, working on several projects both in the US and Korea.  Some good news and a great early Christmas Present.  We were just awarded a 5-year Interpretive Training contract with the US Army Corps of Engineers to teach both the Interpretive Services Course, and the Advanced Interpretation Course for supervisors and managers, starting in 2013.  We are also waiting to hear about some other projects we have proposed on as well.  So Santa was good to us already.  The photo is from our Interpretive Services Course last spring.

Korea National Parks - EE Center Planning

National Parks of South Korea/Daegu University - Environmental Education Center Concept Development/ Interpretive Plan - Pilot Project.  JVA working on the team with Dr. Ju-Hee Lee, Deagu University, was contracted by the Korea National Park Service to develop the initial interpretive concept for development of a National Parks Environmental Education Center.  This is a pilot project that will eventually be used as a model to develop EE Centers in other Korea National Parks.  This project includes: site selection for the first National Park EE Center; development of the EE building concept footprint and building program; concepts for outdoor EE facilities including demonstration and activity areas; EE Discovery Trails; EE Center program topics and content recommendations; and EE market development.  The pilot concept design/interpretive plan will be completed in December, 2012

Korea Update

Here is a quick update on our Korea work.  We have finished the draft of the first course workbook (photo) and the working draft of our new Korea Interpretation Text Book, in association with Dr. Ju-Hee Lee of Deagu University.  We hope to have the translations, etc. for that book completed by the end of the year.  We also finished the first course lesson plans (being translated) as well.  Dr. Lee is hosting a meeting of key university/agency interpreters in October (China, Korea, Japan and Taiwan) to talk about the evolution of interpretation and interpretive training.  I'll keep you posted.  JV

Korea, Falmouth and more.

The Korea National Arboretum.

Just back from a week in Korea working on our 5-year interpretive training program.  We finished the draft of our Interpretive Services Text Book - to be published in Korean, as well as the lesson plans and course manual for the first training course - Foundations of Interpretation.

New Project ; Historic Falmouth (Stafford County, Virginia) Interpretive Master Plan. JVA in partnership with Lynn Knight of Management Analysis, Inc. (Virginia) were award the contract to develop the Interpretive Master Plan and Heritage Tourism Analysis/Potential for the historic community of Falmouth, Virginia. Many of Falmouth's early buildings remain standing, including the Cotton Warehouse; Duff Green Warehouse; Cambridge Inn, Temperance Tavern; Barnes House; Magistrate's Office; Counting House; Basil Gordon House; Moncure Conway House (boyhood home of the South's most prominent abolitionist); and Shelton Cottage. For more information about the history of Falmouth (and Stafford County) click on this link: http://www.staffordcountyhistoricalsociety.org/places.html#  The project will start in mid September.

John Veverka's text book Interpretive Master Planning to be reprinted in Italian. Dr. Marta Brunelli of the Universita degli Studi de Macerata, will be undertaking the translation of the text book into Italian in January 2013 with a publication date before the summer of 2014.   IMP was published a few years ago in Chinese as well.

Check out my new InterpNEWS international interpretation newsletter.  E-mail me your e-mail address and I will send you the Sep/Oct issue.

That's the updates for new. 
JV

The International Journal of Building, Urban, Interior and Landscape Technology, Faculty of Architecture and Planning, Thammasat University, Thailand.

I am honored to have been asked to be a peer reviewer for article submissions related to Heritage Interpretation and Eco Tourism by the journal.  This is cool as it will help me keep up to date on what interpreters in these market areas are working on and studying.  I am currently reviewing an article on Interpretive Planning related to Eco Tourism.  Looks really interesting.  If/when it is published I will make a PDF of the article available (with the authors permission) to my InterpNEWS readers.  Cheers, JV

Wow, August Already.  Here's some new JVA news.  Newcastle Universitys Centre for Culture and Heritage Studies in the UK is developing a new suite of Postgraduate e-learning programs in Heritage Management and Tourism.  The program includes 6 modules with each module having 8 units in it.  For the Communication and Interpretation Module, I have been asked to create the Units for "Communication and Interpretation Planning an Programming" and the unit on "Guiding and providing information for visitors".  I have begun working on these Units and hope to have them completed in October.  Each Unit will require about 15 hours of student engagement time.   I'll provide more inforamtion on the total heritage studies program as this is further developed. - jv

InterpNEWS

Hi folks,
Just a quick July Update.  Hope the summer isn't too hot, and you've had some rain.  Lots of things going on, including moving to a new house and office.  I wanted to do a quick note about our new interpretation newsletter "InterpNEWS", that has interpretation articles, information about new books, training courses, etc.  The July/August issue is currently available.  This issue has the "Ten Things To Consider When Hiring A Interpretive Consultant" article.  If you would like to be added to the e-mailing list for the newsletter send me an e-mail and I will send you the current issue and add you to the list.  More happening on the horizon.  Cheers, JV  jvainterp@aol.com

I just completed the Interpretive Master Planning Course at Snowdonia National Park Training Center in Wales, UK.  Our group photo, and a pic from our tour at the National Slate Mine Museum are shown.  There are more photos from the course at:  http://pinterest.com/jvainterp/.   Lots going on, including working on our Old Baldy Lighthouse Interpretive Plan, and working on our new "Interpretive Writing" book.  Check out my web site for current projects, etc.  http://www.heritageinterp.com/ .   Cheers, JV

We completed our COE June training program a few weeks ago.  Just catching up on postings.  Here is a video of one of the interpretive programs one of the groups put together as part of the course: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v66l2RiFb3Y&feature=youtu.be that you might enjoy.  What a great and creative class.  The group photo is provided.  More workshop photos at:  http://pinterest.com/jvainterp/
Cheers, John V.

Interpretive Services Course - COE

This coming week I'll be spending with the US Army Corps of Engineers for our Interpretive Services course in Huntsville, Alabama.  This is a 4-day introductory course that covers many aspects of interpretation, including interpretive theory and principles, planning and designing interpretive panels and exhibits, and presenting live interpretive programs.  The above photo is from the January IS course with participants at the Wheeler Wildlife Refuge (our project site) working on interpretive panel projects.



May Update

Hi folks.  Things have been a bit busy writing proposals for new projects, completing projects on the books, and starting new projects, such as the Old Baldy Lighthouse Interpretive Plan.  I started a new post on "Pintrest", where you can post photos on any topic.  My Pintrest page has photos of curent and past projects, including a collection of Lighthouse Pics. from our lighthouse projects.  You can see my pintrest page at: http://pinterest.com/jvainterp/lighthouse-interpretation-projects/.   Updates on our Korea Nati onal Arboretum Training project will be coming in June (one of the Korea BG displays - top photo).  We also have joined an internation team for a major interpretation project in Croatia!  Fingers crossed on that one.  Cheers, JV

May update and Old Baldy Lighthouse.

Old Baldy Lighthouse and Museum Interpretive Plan, Bald Head Island, NC.  http://www.oldbaldy.org/  JVA, working with Matt Kaser of Kaser Design, was awarded the contract to develop the interpretive plan and exhibit concept plan for the Old Baldy Lighthouse and Museum.  You can visit this site via their web site link.  The project will start in May and be completed by August, 2012.  The photo is the Old Baldy Lighthouse.  What a great location to be working in during the spring and summer :).

April Update

Hi folks,
March was a slow month for travel but a huge month for writing. We are about 1/2 way through the writing for our new "Interpretive Writing" text book. I was also busy finishing writing up interpretive plan drafts for several projects, and preparting for a trip back to Korea in May/June to work on our National Arboretum training program. I was also just asked to write a new interpretation text book for Korea, working with Prof. Ju-hee Lee who will do the translations and insert Korean photos and analogies.

A few days ago I had the pleasure to providing a lecture at the University of Michigan, Flint Campus for their history department on Careers in Heritage Interpretation, which was fun.

Right now we are getting ready to finish up the fabrication for all the interpretive panels and exhibit materials for the COE Bonnet Carrie Spillway, which we hope to have wrapped up by June. I'll post some of the photos when everything is in place.

I have a new newsletter I just started "INTERPnews". If you would like a copy send me your e-mail address.

That's it for now. JV (jvainterp@aol.com)

JV Book News

Hi folks. We're thrilled that my recent MuseumsEtc book "Interpretive Master Planning" has made Museum Education Monitor's Top 10 Museum Education Books of 2011: They've been voted by the hundreds of worldwide readers of Museum Education Monitor as books which will "fuel our work and imaginations in the years to come". Of the top 10, Interpretive Master Planning was ranked #4. Thanks for everyone that voted for my book - this was a nice surprise. You can order the book from: http://museumsetc.com/products/interpretation, or from Acorn Naturalists here in the US.

Just finishing up some projects and waiting to hear back on some proposals. Also working on a new e-interp web based training module. That's it for now - happy valentines day.
jv

January Update

Hi folks, Hope you had a great holiday. Looks like the new year will be a busy one. I have my US Army Corps of Engineers 4-day interpretive course at the end of January, and was just awarded the contract to teach the COE Advanced Interpretation Course for Supervisors and Managers, this May. My newest book "The Interpretive Training Handbook" should be released this month or early February, and I launched my e-interp web based training courses with "Introduction to Interpretation", and "Planning Interpretive Panels" as the first two courses. I am working on the third e-interp course "Planning Interpretive Exhibits" now, and hope to have it on-line by the end of the month. You can check my website for the details on the new books, training courses, and projects - www.heritageinterp.com. jv