More than Marshes & Mardi Gras: Finding Interpretive Pearls

2009 NAI Region VI Conference
Thursday, February 26 - Sunday, March 1, 2009
Shreveport, LA

Schedule at a Glance
Thursday, February 26…Registration, Opening Reception
Friday, February 27…….Welcome, Keynote, Concurrent Sessions, LA Cuisine/Auction
Saturday, February 28….Field Sessions: all day, half day, and evening
Sunday, March 1..............Inspirational entertainment, Concurrent Sessions, Business Lunch,
Interpreter's Quiz, Awards Banquet

Click on any links below for more detailed information and forms

Do You Have the Green Suitcase?

At the Region 6 student scholarship auction, we have a longstanding tradition of selling a secret suitcase full of…well, you only know what it's full of if you ever bought it! It is olive green, vinyl, and covered in travel stickers. We believe someone purchased it at the 2006 workshop in Houston, and it hasn't returned since. If you have it, please bring it to the Shreveport workshop or contact regional director Kelly Farrell to make arrangements to get it there.

Region VI Award Categories - nomination deadline extended to Jan. 25, 2009
Ten bonus points will be awarded for early submissions postmarked or
emailed by 10 January 2009. Five bonus points will be awarded for
submissions postmarked or emailed between 11 January 2009 & 25 January 2009.

Click here for more information and nomination forms. For questions contact Awards Chair.

Distinguished Professional Interpreter
Richard Baldauf Award/Outstanding New Interpreter
Bob Jennings Meritorious Service
Fellow/Life Time Achievement Award
Outstanding Interpretive Site Publication Award
Outstanding Interpretive Program
Outstanding Special Event Award
Outstanding Written Article Award
Outstanding Multi-Media Award

Outstanding Interpretive Volunteer

Opening Reception-Thursday, February 26, 7:00 - 9:00 pm

Laissez les Bon Temps Roulez!

"Y'all Come Passe Bon Temps" is a common invitation in Louisiana and that is exactly what we invite you to do at the Opening Reception. Pass a good time with old and new NAI friends while enjoying some great Louisiana cuisine and so much more. In keeping with our theme, More than Marshes and Mardi Grass…Finding Interpretive Pearls, you are invited to experience Louisiana at its best through demonstrations, exhibits and activities representing three stands of pearls:
Antique Pearls, a jewel box full of many historic sites and their multi-talented interpreters;
Cultured Pearls, lively interpreters sharing the 'sand in yer craw' that produced the unique music, art and social cultures of our state;
Natural Pearls, our beautiful natural resource sites and their interpreters.

Y'all come let Louisiana interpreters share sights, sounds, and fun that exemplify the "Bayou State". Let the good times roll!

*There will be a cash bar available*

Service Project
The Hospitality Committee invites you to participate in our BackPack Food Drive!

The BackPack Program is sponsored by the Food Bank of Northwest Louisiana which is part of the America's Second Harvest Network. This program provides children a backpack with 8-10 pounds of child friendly, shelf-stable foods to eat on the weekends and during holidays when school lunch and after-school programming is not available. School staff members have been trained to recognize children who show the symptoms of chronic hunger. These children are then referred to the BackPack Program. Each Friday during the school year, the children receive a bag of food for their backpack. Included with the food is an educational fun sheet about nutrition. Community resource pamphlets are included for the parents.

The Food Bank of Northwest Louisiana, through grants and donations, began a pilot BackPack Program in 2007. Parents and teachers noted significant improvements in both academic and behavioral performance by those students participating in the program. Because of this success, the BackPack program is expanding to include over 250 students during the 2008-2009 school year. For more information: www.foodbanknla.org

Top Ten Food Items Needed:
Peanut Butter, Fruit Cups/Pudding Cups, Cereal (1 oz. bowl/box), Pop Top Canned Food, Raisins (snack size boxes), Boxes of 100% Juice, Beef Jerky, Cereal, Granola Bars and Milk (shelf-stable aseptic boxes).

Please bring items to Hospitality Room.

Scholarship Auction

This year's Region 6 scholarship auction promises to be really special. Friday's prime-time event will be held at the Louisiana State Oil and Gas Museum in Oil City. This premier facility highlights the history and culture of the area from the time of the Caddo Indians, through its flamboyant boom-town era, to the present. Featured is the story of Louisiana's part in the development of the oil industry and its unique technologies. You will have time, before dinner, to explore this great museum.

Prior to the auction we will enjoy some typical southern cuisine. Prominent on the menu will be crawfish gumbo, fried shrimp, and catfish. All the trimmin's will be included. Selections for the seafood intolerant and vegetarians will also be available.

After dinner will be our featured attraction - the scholarship auction. Scope high and low and far and wide for cool items for the scholarship auction. Turn in items to the registration desk and remember to bring your checkbook, credit cards and cash is always welcome. No dollars will be turned away.
Our scholarships help young interpreters to attend conferences and to sample the real-world situations of established interpreters. Be generous. This is the way we can give back to NAI, a group that helps us in so many ways.

Hotel Information

Holiday Inn Shreveport-Airport (Financial Plaza)
5555 Financial Plaza
Shreveport, LA 71129
(318) 688-3000

The Holiday Inn Financial Plaza is a beautiful hotel nestled on eight acres of mature pines. All rooms and suites include a microwave, refrigerator, coffee maker, hair dryer, complimentary high speed internet access and iron & ironing board. Executive suites are available.

Onsite, Market Restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, and La Carousel Lounge, located in the atrium, serves cocktails 4:30 till…
The hotel sports a heated indoor/outdoor swimming pool, a hot tub, a fitness center, and picnic grounds that can accommodate the whole group. Check-in time is 4:00 p.m. Check-out time is noon.

Accessibility
Service animals are allowed. Twelve rooms are equipped for accessibility.

Rates
$86 standard rooms (single or double up to 4 occupants). Must book reservation by phone to take advantage of group rate. The cut-off date for this group rate is February 12, 2009.

Getting There
On-demand shuttle from Shreveport Regional Airport is available.
From all routes into Shreveport, take Interstate 20 to Exit 10. Go south 0.2 miles, turn left on Financial Plaza (street name), and go 1.2 miles.

Overflow hotel
Courtyard- Shreveport
6001 Financial Plaza
Shreveport, LA 71129
(318) 686-0880

Should the Holiday Inn Financial Plaza fill up, Region Sixers can find lodging at the Courtyard-Shreveport, located .07 miles down the road. Courtyard-Shreveport's amenities are comparable to the Holiday Inn's. No group rate is available. Check-in time is 3:00 p.m. Check-out time is noon.

Accessibility
Service animals are allowed. Auxiliary aids and services are available.

Rates
$109 standard rooms (single or double).

Getting There
On-demand shuttle from Shreveport Regional Airport is available.
From all routes into Shreveport, take Interstate 20 to Exit 10. Go south 0.2 miles, turn left on Financial Plaza (street name), and go 0.5 miles.

Registration

(1) Registration Form -- click on the words to the left for a downloadable form.
Early Registration (by January 15) Regular Registration (after January 15). If you have questions regarding registration please contact registration chair.

NAI Member $155 or $175
Non-member* $195 or $215
Student Member $125 or $145
Student Non-member* $140 or $160
One Day Member** $60 or $75
One Day Non-member ** $100 or $115

* includes 6-month professional/student NAI membership
** does not include meals (must purchase meal tickets)

(2) Six month NAI membership form application -- click to the left to download this form.

(3) Special accomodations form -- click on the words on the left if you have special needs and would like to request accomodations. Please return this form with your registration.

Financial Assistance
Thanks to generous donors and funding from the members of NAI Region 6, limited financial assistance for the workshop registration fee is available. Click here for a financial assistance form. Applications must be received no later than

Student Scholarships-deadline November 1st
The goal of the Freeman Tilden Scholarship Program is to recognize students studying in the field of interpretation (i.e. biology, parks and recreation, wildlife management, outdoor education, history, museum studies, etc) who have demonstrated academic and professional success and have the potential to make an outstanding contribution to the field of interpretation.

Scholarships include:

--$700 scholarship for two undergraduate students
-- $700 scholarship for one graduate student
--free registration to the annual Region VI workshop in Shreveport, LA, Feb. 26-March 1, 2009.
--and $150 for travel expenses.

Scholarship Application--click on the words to the left to download the application.

Interpreters Exchange
Are you an "interpretive pearl" pack rat? Do you have books, posters, skulls, skins, rocks, bugs, craft kits, prop, or any nature items or artifacts (reproductions) that are collecting dust on you shelves or in your storeroom because you are not using them?

Pack them up and bring them to the Interpreter's Exchange table in the hospitality room. Your dusty pearls might be just what some other interpreter needs and you might just find a treasure from someone else's shelves.

Everyone is invited to go treasure hunting at the Interpreter's Exchange in the hospitality room.

Conference Committee

Committee Chair: Gay Brantley
Workshop Consultant: Laura Motley
Logistics: Rachel Demascal
Registration: Sharon Fuller
Programs: Rhonda Clay
Field Sessions: Judy Sneed
Hospitality: Marilyn Christian
Volunteers: Vacant
Scholarships: Amy Stephens
Awards: Laura Motley
Great American Interpreters Quiz: Larry Raymond and Fred Christian
Auction: John Witherington and Fred Christian