Scholarships
NAI Certification Scholarships - first-come, first-served
NAI is offering eight $250 scholarships for professional-level certification training courses to be held this year. Download the "Certification Scholarship Application" at www.interpnet.com/certification/administrative.shtml. Scholarships will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis and must be used in one year.
Region 9 Scholarships
Hello Region 9ers! We are proud to offer two $500 scholarships for the Region 9 spring workshop in Yosemite AND two $500 scholarships toward the International conference in Hawaii in May! Registration deadlines are coming up soon, so the scholarship application deadlines are set for January 15th.
Scholarships are NOT just for students, any region 9 member with the financial need can apply. Don't let the opportunity pass you by, these are going to be great workshops.
Spread the word and get your applications in SOON!
Regional Workshop, Yosemite - application
International Conference, Hawaii - application
Sara Howlett- Region 9 scholarship chair showlett@parks.ca.gov
2011 Region 9 Scholarship Winner talks about the Regional Workshop
To my fellow Region Niners:
First and foremost, I would like to thank the entire 2011 regional conference committee, organizers,
presenters, and participants who made this years’ meeting such a fun-filled, inspiring, and memorable
event. I also want to thank all of the individuals who donated and bid on items in past regional
scholarship auctions. Without this kind of support, folks like me may find it hard to attend these
incredible opportunities to network, learn, and grow as professional interpreters.
In the hours that began with paddling across Lake Natoma early Friday morning and ended with
roasting marsh mellows over fire pits on a drizzly Sunday afternoon, I grew both as a professional and
as an individual. Often wishing to be in several places at once, I selected sessions and workshops that
either catered to my interests or exposed me to something I had never heard of before. Many of these
sessions were inspiring, some of them revealing, but all of them pertinent to my development as a
resource interpreter and environmental educator. I began looking inwardly at my personal strengths,
fears, and accomplishments, and how these traits apply to my vocational efforts. By the end of the
conference, I felt bigger and stronger than I had before. But much like it was in fifth grade, I did not
experience these growth spurts alone.
I find myself so fortunate to be connected to such incredible individuals through NAI. Sitting side by side
with some of our region’s most notable veterans and freshest newbies, I am proud to have networked
with such great innovators, risk-takers, and interested learners like you. I am forever grateful for your
recommendations, support, and of course, all of the great services you provide in our ever-growing field
of interpretation.
Until next time: cheers and best wishes to all of you.
Sincerely,
Allison Meador
2010 Region 9 Scholarship Winner talks about the National Workshop
Hi Region 9! I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and have recouped from a crazy week in Las Vegas.
I am so thankful to have received the student scholarship; otherwise I might not have had the opportunity to attend. As a brand new interpreter, I feel so welcomed into your community and am very thankful for the opportunity to attend this experience of a lifetime! I knew I loved interpretation before, but-thanks to you all-I am officially convinced that this is what I want to do with my life! It is genuinely awesome to see so many people loving what they do and actively striving to be the best they can be in their jobs.
I learned so much and got to meet so many interesting people at the conference! Some of my highlights included meeting the lovely people from Pu'ukohola Heiau National Historic Site and learning about the native Hawaiian culture (including live dancers and cultural arts and crafts projects); enjoying Scott Mair sing, dance and chat all about spunky dinosaurs; embarking on a spooky storytelling journey with first-person 'ghost' storyteller Virginia Hirsch and discovering how to put on crafty, exciting programs on a tiny budget which included attracting a mate and making scat from play dough!
In addition to the workshops themselves, I feel that my most valued experience was networking. I loved meeting people from my region, people from across the country and especially meeting the "Humboldt Mafia", alumni we students look up to as mentors. NAI provides us with so many innovative ideas, networking with people who warmly welcome students and newcomers into the field and opens doors in the wide spectrum of interp. I feel rejuvenated and refreshed to see so many happy people enjoying their jobs so dearly and I cannot wait to see you all at the next conference. Thank you so much for helping me attend by granting me the Region 9 scholarship!
Lindsey Elliott