Challenge
The New Superintendent Academy at the National Park Service (NPS) is an intensive year-long training for superintendents to complete while navigating their first year in the role. Each Fall in-person meeting was a week-long introduction to over 14 directorates with policies and practices they must engage with. The training function of the Park Planning Facilities and Lands (PPFL) directorate needed to impart an informative and engaging overview of a lot of information in under 2 hours.
My Role
As a detailed Training Administrator (on temporary promotion), I was asked to help present the work of PPFL for the Facilities Workforce Career Academy and Historic Preservation Training Center for the Fall New Superintendents Academy.
Action(s)
I worked with stakeholders to update presentation materials and prepare them for distribution and printing for hands-on scenario-based games, using PowerPoint, Adobe PDF/InDesign/PhotoShop, and SnagIt. I revised and sought approval for the agenda with the PPFL Associate Director and leadership and attended initial days of the Superintendent workshop to observe and report to leadership on key issues being discussed to better orient discussions. On presentation day, I facilitated project-based games, photographed participants, adjusted timelines and kept the presentation on track, and managed interactions with the Superintendent team.
Result(s)
The PPFL presentation was widely cited as the most fun and engaging presentation in a long week of “information dumping”, using group-based discussions and a live Jeopardy game to engage Superintendents to understand the work that PPFL does and the resources it offers them.
