Update -- Changes to the Peer Review Submission Policy
Beginning January 1, 2011, the following changes became effective regarding who may submit to the IDP Peer Review Certification Program:

1) Permanent, term and SCEP employees may continue to submit new submissions or resubmissions for any benchmark competency in which they have not yet certified through peer review.

2) NPS seasonals, volunteers, partners and other temporary employees may submit for peer review certification with the following prerequisites for the following benchmark competencies: (this policy replaces the August 1, 2010 policy.)

• Interpretive Talk -- submission prerequisite is an advanced certificate from the IDP on-line course in this competency
• Informal Visitor Contacts -- submission prerequisite is an advanced certificate from the IDP on-line course in this competency
• Conducted Activities -- submission prerequisite is an advanced certificate from the IDP on-line course in this competency
• Interpretive Writing -- submission prerequsite is an advanced certificate from the IDP on-line course in this competency
• Demonstrations/Illustrated Programs -- an on-line course is not yet available for this competency -- you may substitute an advanced certificate in the Interpretive Talk as a prerequisite
• Curriculum-based Programs -- an on-line course is not yet available for this competency -- you may substitute an advanced certificate in the Interpretive Talk as a prerequisite
• Resubmissions -- seasonals, volunteers, temporary employees may also resubmit for any competency they previously attempted but have not yet met the peer review certification standards ("approaching certification") -- no other prerequisite is required for resubmissions
• Peer review in the remaining benchmark competencies (Interpretive Planning, Interpretive Media, Training and Coaching, and Interpretive Research/Resource Liaison) is only open to permanent employees at this time.
  

For information on obtaining an advanced certificate in an on-line course, go to IDP Certificates.

For information about the IDP on-line courses, go to www.interptraining.org (see "News" item below).

Please contact Becky Lacome at Mather Training Center if you have questions about who may participate in the Peer Review Program.(This submission policy replaces the August 1, 2010 policy.)

Update -- Important guidelines for DVD submissions to the Peer Review Certification Program: We have experienced many problems with submissions on DVD -- there are many different software applications used for saving or copying video from digital camcorders -- however, the only media playback software that is standard on all government computers is Windows Media Player -- henceforth all DVD submissions must be able to play in Windows Media Player in order to ensure that the certifiers can view the DVD. Please convert your program to play in Windows Media Player as the default. Please check all three copies of your DVD submission to make sure the audio and video play all the way through in Windows Media Player. Failure to follow these guidelines may result in your submission being returned to you without being reviewed. Also, before submitting, please review the entire submissions guidelines for each competency under the "How to Submit" tab.

Update -- The submission format, guidelines and rubric for InformalVisitor Contacts has been revised effective August 30, 2007. The revised format supports the updated curriculum in the now on-line course. All new submissions for certification review in this competency should be submitted in the revised log format -- see http://www.nps.gov/idp/interp/102/submit.htm

News -- The Interpretive Development Program curriculum revision project is well underway! The goals of the project are to provide more comprehensive, updated curriculum for all of the benchmark competencies for NPS interpreters, along with on-line training courses. These new learning tools are developed by NPS subject matter expert teams, in partnership with the Eppley Institute for Parks and Public Lands at Indiana University. For more info about the on-line courses, visit http://www.interptraining.org/

News -- Interpretive Courses and Training Opportunities