Director's Order 6

DIRECTOR’S ORDER #6: INTERPRETATION AND EDUCATION

Approved:
Effective Date:
Sunset Date:
NPS-6, “Interpretation and Visitor Services Guideline,” (Release No. 3, December 1986), and
any other conflicting instructions are superseded and replaced by this Director’s Order and
Reference Manual 6 (RM-6).
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Background and Purpose
Authority
Roles and Responsibilities
Interpretive and Educational Programs
Interpretive Planning
Personal and Non-personal Services

7.
8.

Interpretive Competencies and Skills
Requirements for All Interpretive and Educational
Services
9. Interpretive and Educational Partnerships
10. Reporting Requirements
11. For Further Reference

1. BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
The goal of National Park Service (NPS) interpretive and educational programs is to provide
memorable and meaningful learning and recreational experiences, foster development of a
personal stewardship ethic, and broaden public support for preserving park resources. Such
programs will be successful when they forge emotional and intellectual connections among park
resources, visitors, the community, and park management. The NPS will provide visitors1 with
an experience that is enjoyable and meaningful within the context of the park’s resources and the
values they represent. NPS interpretive and educational programs will strengthen public
understanding of the full meaning and relevance of heritage resources, both cultural and natural,
by creating public dialogue and fostering civic engagement. 2 In addition, visitors should be
For purposes of this Director’s Order, the term “visitor” is defined as anyone who uses a park’s interpretive and
educational services, regardless of where such use occurs.
2
See Director’s Order #75A: Civic Engagement and Public Involvement. As stated in the National Park System
Advisory Board’s August 2001 report, Rethinking the National Parks for the 21st Century (p. 14):
The study of our nation’s history, formal and informal, is an essential part of our civic education. In a
democratic society such as ours, it is important to understand the journey of liberty and justice, together with the
1

2
made aware of the purposes and scope of the national park system. Interpretation and education
is the key to preserving both the idea of national parks and the park resources themselves. In a
world of rapidly changing demographics, it is essential that interpretive and educational
programs reach beyond park boundaries to schools and the wider general public.
The purpose of this Director’s Order is to supplement Management Policies with operational
policies and procedures necessary to maintain effective, high-quality interpretive and educational
programs. This Director’s Order supports goal categories I and II of the NPS Strategic Plan,
which calls for “Preserving Park Resources” and “Providing for the Public Enjoyment and
Visitor Experience of Parks.” For further guidance, see the June 2003 report, Renewing Our
Education Mission, 3 and RM-6.
2. AUTHORITY
Authority to issue this Director’s Order is contained in the 1916 National Park Service Organic
Act (16 USC 1 – 4) and delegations of authority contained in Part 245 of the Department of the
Interior Manual.
Authority for NPS interpretive and educational programs is contained in the Organic Act; the
1935 Historic Sites, Buildings, and Antiquities Act (16 USC 462(j)); the National Environmental
Policy Act of 1969 (42 USC 4332(G)); and the National Parks Omnibus Management Act of
1998 (16 USC 5911).
A number of parks have specific mandates or direction from Congress to provide interpretive and
educational experiences to the public in their enabling legislation.
This Director’s Order is intended only to improve the internal management of the NPS, and is
not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable
at law or equity by a party against the United States, its departments, agencies, instrumentalities
or entities, its officers or employees, or any other person.
3. ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
3.1

General

See Management Policies, chapter 7, introduction.

economic, social, religious, and other forces that barred or opened the ways for our ancestors, and the distances
yet to be covered. Visits to historic places, whether managed by the Park Service or by others, allow us to take
the measure of our history in immediate ways. Parks should be not just recreational destinations but springboards
for personal journeys of intellectual and cultural enrichment. The Park Service must ensure that the American
story is told faithfully, completely, and accurately.
3
Available at
.

3
3.2

Associate Director for Partnerships, Interpretation and Education, Volunteers, and
Outdoor Recreation

The Associate Director for Partnerships, Interpretation and Education, Volunteers, and Outdoor
Recreation, acting through the Washington Office, Division of Interpretation and Education, will
oversee the NPS Interpretation and Education Program, and develop necessary standards and
procedures. The Associate Director will issue, review, and revise as appropriate, RM-6, which
will provide more detailed procedural guidance on administering the program.
3.3

Interpretation and Education Program Manager will:

•

Oversee the NPS Interpretation and Education Program, and is responsible for day-to-day
administration;

•

Formulate Service-wide policies for planning and implementing interpretive and educational
programs, and establish standards, evaluation criteria, and performance measures for
individual park interpretive and educational programs;

•

Identify and support Service-wide priorities and interpretive and educational initiatives;

•

Serve as an advocate for interpretive and educational programs, media development, and
comprehensive interpretive planning throughout the Service;

•

Provide interdisciplinary coordination with other Service-wide programs relative to
interpretation and education;

•

Direct and support a national interpretive and educational training and development program
to ensure a competent and motivated work force; and

•

Manage the Cooperating Associations, Volunteers-in-Parks, Parks as Classrooms, Historic
Weapons Demonstration Safety, and such other Service-wide programs that support the work
of interpretation and education throughout the Service.

3.4

Regional Offices will:

•

Serve as a resource to the parks in the region for all matters relating to interpretation and
education;

•

Serve as an advocate for interpretive and educational programs in the region;

•

Manage interpretive and educational training and developmental opportunities;

•

Manage comprehensive interpretive planning;

•

Manage the regional Cooperating Associations, Volunteers-in-Parks, and Parks as
Classrooms programs, and select the annual Freeman Tilden Award nominee;

4
•

Provide guidance to Harpers Ferry Center in setting interpretive planning and media
production priorities;

•

Seek interdisciplinary coordination with other regional programs relative to interpretation
and education in parks;

•

Assist parks in using on-going civic engagement strategies, consultation, and collaboration to
enhance interpretative and educational programs;

•

Assist parks in compliance with Service-wide interpretive and educational policies and
standards;

•

Identify regional interpretive and educational priorities and initiatives; and

•

Work with regional historic weapons points-of-contact to ensure regular safety inspections of
park historic weapons programs and compliance with Service-wide guidelines and standards.

(See RM-6)

3.5

Harpers Ferry Center (HFC) will:

•

Provide assistance with the development of interpretive media in the following areas:
interpretive planning, museum and visitor center exhibits, historic furnishings, artifact
conservation, wayside exhibits, audiovisual productions, publications, graphic identity, and
directional signs.

•

Provide a full spectrum of interpretive media developmental services for the use and benefit
of national parks. This may include full in-house services for planning, design, and
production oversight of interpretive media with maximum involvement of HFC. Or, it may
include HFC’s oversight of national contracts for interpretive planning, design, and
production of interpretive media projects that are managed by park and/or regional staff with
minimal direct HFC involvement. HFC will advise parks on the level of assistance necessary
for a successful project based on park staff expertise, regional support, and HFC availability.

•

Provide interpretive and visitor experience planning for General Management Plans, LongRange Interpretive Plans and other National Park Service plans with visitor or interpretive
components.

•

Establish and maintain standards, evaluation criteria, and accountability for interpretive
planning and interpretive media planning, design and production in consultation with field
units across the Service. Plans or proposals to be accomplished by parks and regions,
including privately funded projects, must comply with these standards and may be reviewed
by HFC for appropriateness and quality of design and execution.

•

Develop and update education design standards that provide guidance on learning styles and
the production of teaching aids and interpretive media and serve as a clearinghouse for
research in the field.

5
•

Prepare all official park brochures in accordance with the established graphic system and
priorities established by regions.

•

Collaborate with Denver Service Center, architectural and engineering firms, and park chiefs
to coordinate the planning, design, and installation of interpretive media in park facilities.

•

Provide media consultation and evaluation, and support services to the Director and
Washington Office as requested.

•

Support the development of skills for park interpreters and managers to successfully manage
interpretive media projects using standards, training, mentoring, and coaching of HFC staff
consistent with the Interpretive Development Program.

•

Develop and maintain comprehensive graphic identity standards for the National Park
Service, and provide appropriate tools to agency personnel to facilitate the application of the
standards to all visual communication materials.

•

Develop and implement a Service-wide program for the planning, design, fabrication, and
delivery of all park signs intended for identification, information, way finding and
interpretation. AND

•

On an annual basis, solicit and give careful consideration to field comments on HFC’s
services and priorities.

(For more information on HFC, see RM-6. Also see section 10.3 below)

3.6

Superintendents will:

•

Manage and provide oversight of the interpretive and educational program through the
development of the park strategic plan and the comprehensive interpretive plan, and use civic
engagement to initiate and maintain a vibrant and meaningful program;

•

Require NPS personnel, as well as non-NPS individuals who provide interpretive and
educational services in units of the national park system on behalf of the NPS, to develop the
knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary for effective delivery of interpretive and
educational programs;

•

Approve, implement, and maintain a current park comprehensive interpretive plan (CIP);

•

Ensure park participation in the annual survey of park users, and incorporate the results into
the NPS Performance Management Data System; and

•

Ensure that annual reporting requirements are met.

(See section 5.2, Comprehensive Interpretive Plan, and section 7.1, Interpretive Development Program)

6
3.7

Park Chiefs of Interpretation will:

•

Create, plan, and manage an interpretation and education program that fosters an on-going
dialogue with the public to accomplish park objectives, supports regional and national goals,
and relates directly to the primary themes and management strategies of the park as
established in legislation and park plans;

•

Make effective decisions about delivery of messages including the use and balance of
personal and non-personal services and appropriate media;

•

Create and prioritize an annual implementation plan to accomplish goals outlined in the parks
comprehensive interpretive plan;

•

Be responsible for day-to-day management of the park interpretive and educational program
in accordance with the park strategic plan and comprehensive interpretive plan;

•

Serve as a member of the park management team;

•

Ensure that all NPS interpreters strive to achieve certification standards for their essential
competencies identified in the Interpretive Development Program;

•

Maximize efficiencies and make effective use of all the park’s potential personnel resources,
including partners, concessioners, cooperating associations, and volunteers, for the delivery
of interpretive and educational programs;

•

Provide an active outreach program; and

•

Provide an on-going evaluation of all interpretive and educational services for the purpose of
ascertaining effectiveness.

(See Director’s Order #75A: Civic Engagement and Public Involvement)

4. INTERPRETIVE AND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS
In accordance with Section 7.1 of Management Policies, effective interpretive and educational
programs will include a variety of services such as informational and orientation programs,
interpretive programs, educational programs, and interpretive media. NPS educational programs
are designed to enrich lives and enhance learning, nurturing people’s appreciation for parks and
other special places, therefore helping to preserve America’s heritage. To accomplish this, the
NPS will develop interpretive and educational programs according to the following principles:
•

NPS programs are place-based. Programs use national parks and other places as dynamic
classrooms where people interact with real places, landscapes, historic structures, and other
tangible resources that help them understand meaning, concepts, stories, and relationships.

7
•

NPS programs are learner-centered. Programs honor personal freedom and interests through
a menu of life-long learning opportunities that serve a wide variety of learning styles,
encourage personal inquiry, and provoke thought.

•

NPS programs are widely accessible. Programs provide learning opportunities, reflect and
embrace different cultural backgrounds, ages, languages, abilities, and needs. Programs are
delivered through a variety of means, including distance learning, to increase opportunities to
connect with and learn from the resources.

•

NPS programs are based on sound scholarship, content methods and audience analysis.
Programs are informed by the latest research related to natural and cultural heritage and
incorporate contemporary education research and scholarship on effective interpretive and
educational methods.

•

NPS programs help people understand and participate in our civil democratic society.
Programs highlight the experiences, lessons, knowledge, and ideas embodied in America’s
national parks and other special places and provide life-long opportunities to engage in civic
dialogue.

•

NPS programs incorporate ongoing evaluation for continual program improvement and
effectiveness. Programs are regularly evaluated and improved to ensure that they meet
program goals and audience needs.

•

NPS programs are collaborative. Where it furthers the NPS mission and is otherwise
appropriate, programs are created in partnership with other agencies and institutions to
achieve common goals.

(See Renewing Our Education Mission, and RM-6. Also see Director’s Order #21: Donations and
Fundraising)

5. INTERPRETIVE PLANNING
5.1

General

Sound interpretive planning provides an organized method for making informed choices about a
park’s interpretive and educational program. It can provide solutions to management problems,
with the goals of encouraging preservation of park resources, and fostering increased visitor
understanding, appreciation, enjoyment, and stewardship. The comprehensive interpretive
planning process provides an organized method to define the park story, and will be a
collaborative effort, with on-going public involvement that includes subject-matter experts to
incorporate new scholarship, and partners and other stakeholders as vital participants in its
development.
(See Director’s Order #75A: Civic Engagement and Public Involvement)

8
5.2

Comprehensive Interpretive Plan (CIP)

All parks will have a current CIP as required by Management Policies, chapter 7. The CIP will
be initiated and approved by the superintendent and may be completed by field staff with
guidance from the regional office, HFC, and/or a private sector planner. Superintendents must
assure that the CIP receives a thorough review approximately every five years.
The CIP will include:
•

The long-range interpretive plan defining a 5- to 10-year vision for the park’s program that
addresses all media and personal services;

•

The annual implementation plan, charting the short-range actions which will achieve the
long-range vision; and

•

An interpretive database supporting the pursuit of that vision.

Other interpretive plans, such as education plans, exhibit plans, wayside exhibit plans,
publications plans, historic furnishings plans, and scope of sales will be based on the LongRange Interpretive Plan and become part of the interpretive database. The interpretive database
contains resource material for the park’s interpretive program, including bibliographies and
studies as varied as General Management Plans and Historic Resource Studies.
For detailed information on the content, process, and responsible parties involved in the
comprehensive interpretive planning process, please refer to the publication entitled,
Comprehensive Interpretive Planning (NPS, Fall 2000). 4
(See RM-6 for details on the CIP process and components)

6. PERSONAL AND NON-PERSONAL SERVICES
6.1

Personal Services

Personal services are those in which staffs (paid employees, VIPs, cooperating association
employees and concession employees) facilitate opportunities for emotional and intellectual
connections between resources and visitors. Each park will offer a variety of personal services,
which could be in collaboration with partners, to inform and orient visitors, to increase
understanding and appreciation of park values, to protect park resources, and to improve visitor
safety. Personal services must take into consideration audience characteristics, multiple points of
view, and the available time of the audience. They must be well research, pre-planned, and have
a theme, goal, and objective with desired measurable outcomes.
Examples of personal services include:

4

This document is available online via HFC’s webpage, at .

9
6.1.1 Staffing of Visitor Centers and Contact Stations. Public use facilities will operate during
times that serve most visitors during the day. Staff will be thoroughly familiar with the site and
provide high-quality information and orientation services.
6.1.2 Informal Interpretation. An informal visitor contact is an encounter between a visitor
and an interpreter in which the objectives are defined by the visitor’s needs, rather than prepared
by the interpreter in advance. Spontaneous interpretive contacts can also be initiated to provide
opportunities to facilitate a connection between the interests of the visitors and the significance
of parks. These encounters can take place at a variety of locations and can take a variety of
forms, such as stationary and roving interpretation.
6.1.3 Formal Interpretation. Formal interpretive programs facilitate a connection between the
interests of the visitors and the significance of the park. They must reflect current scholarship,
cohesively develop a relevant idea, and provide the audience with opportunities to make their
own intellectual and emotional connections to the meaning and significance of the resources
relevant to the program. Programs must provide a desired visitor experience with measurable
outcomes. Included in this category are conducted activities, talks, campfire programs, hikes,
horseback tours, boat tours, cave tours, lectures, power point presentations and seminars.
6.1.4 Performing Arts and Demonstrations. Performing arts may include activities such as
storytelling, poetry reading, dance, drama, music, concerts, art shows, or artists in parks.
Demonstrations are pre-planned presentations designed to showcase a skilled process and
include historical demonstrations, living history, scientific demonstrations, or recreation safety
and skill demonstrations. Living history demonstrations use period reproduction clothing and
objects to present impressions of the people, events, and practices of the past. Living history will
not attempt literally to recreate the past, but will provide interpretive and educational impressions
in as authentic a manner as possible.
(See sections 8.6, Cultural Demonstrators and 8.7, Historic Weapons below, and RM-6)

6.1.5 Junior Ranger Program. This program generally engages young people in ageappropriate activities that (1) allow them to discover the significance of a specific site, and (2)
introduce them to the national park system and the mission of the National Park Service in order
to cultivate a new generation of park stewards. Junior Ranger programs invite interactive
participation by young people and provide a tangible memento of the young person’s
participation.
6.2

Curriculum-based Educational Programs

A formal, curriculum-based educational program matches a group’s educational objectives with
park resources. The Service will provide programs based on national, state, and local content
standards. The content of curriculum-based programs will be relevant to the resources of the
park and the impacts endangering those resources, and conservation or preservation issues
relevant to the park. Pursuant to 16 USC 17j-2(j), parks may provide transportation of children
to and from interpretive and educational programs. Park curriculum-based programs will:
•

Be relevant to park resources and interpretive themes;

10
•

Enhance school curricula;

•

Involve school teachers in planning and development of unit content and activities;

•

Include pre- and post-visit materials or activities; and

•

Have methods and criteria for evaluating the effectiveness of the program.

6.3

Parks as Classrooms Program

The Parks as Classrooms® grant program supports programs, activities, and products that allow
students and the public to become involved in resource-based learning in such a way that they
become better informed about scientific, historical, and cultural processes and research, and can
apply this knowledge toward the formulation of their personal decision-making and stewardship
ethic. Parks as Classrooms supports programs for youth groups, clubs, home school groups and
others. The emphasis is not on designing individual projects, but rather aiding the development
of a life-long stewardship and democratic ethic in the general public through participatory
educational resource programs. The Washington Office, Division of Interpretation and
Education administers the program. Parks choosing to compete for Parks as Classrooms grants
must submit a proposal each year and follow the required application procedures. Parks as
Classrooms funding from the Washington Office is not required for use of the Parks as
Classrooms trademark or logo. Parks as Classrooms is a registered trademark designed to
provide professional recognition for National Park Service education programs.
(For more information on education programs, see RM-6)

6.4

Special Events

6.4.1 In General. Special events are allowed in accordance with 36 CFR 2.50 and 7.96(g), and
section 8.6.2 of Management Policies. Special events such as pageants, anniversaries,
dedications, festivals, and other observances are permitted when there is a meaningful
connection between the park and the event; the observance contributes to public understanding
of the park’s significance or the significance of the national park system; and the event can be
staged without unacceptable impact on the park’s resources. Special events meeting these
criteria generally enhance the relationship between the park and the community.
6.4.2 Food and Beverage at Special Events. Special events and presentations involving food or
beverage preparation will meet all applicable State and Federal public health service standards.
All parks must contact the regional public health office when considering special events or
presentations that will involve food or beverage preparation and delivery.
(See Director’s Order #53: Special Park Uses, for further information on special events)

6.5

Non-Personal Services

6.5.1 In General. Non-personal services are those that do not require the presence of staff.
Non-personal services can address certain interpretive and educational opportunities more
effectively than personal services. Media such as park brochures and other publications,
museum and visitor center exhibits, wayside exhibits, and historic furnishings, web pages,

11
audiovisual presentations, and radio information systems are all examples of non-personal
services.
6.5.2 Electronic Interpretation and Education. The National Park Service has embraced the
World Wide Web as a valuable and effective interactive tool for interpretation, education
outreach, and worldwide distribution of National Park Service information. Each park will
develop and maintain a park website to reach audiences outside the park. Park websites will
comply with Director’s Order #70: Internet and Intranet Publishing.
6.6

User Fees for Interpretive and Educational Services

The National Park Service has the authority to charge expanded activity fees, formerly known as
use fees, for the use of facilities, equipment, or services that provide a direct benefit to the visitor
beyond the benefit derived from the basic entrance fee.
Authority for the Service to charge these fees is contained in: (1) 16 USC 1a-2(g); (2) the
Department of the Interior and Related Agencies Appropriation Act, 1996, 16 USC 460l-6a note
(PL 104-134, title III, section 315) (Fee Demonstration); and (3) 16 USC 3a (for Special Park
Uses). Each authority has different parameters associated with it concerning types of appropriate
fee activities, retention of funds, expenditure of funds, year-end and no year-end requirements.
Before implementing interpretive fees, superintendents must:
•

Review the total interpretive program to ensure that a fee for service is appropriate;

•

Consider all other options and sources for the service such as existing concessioners,
commercial operators, or cooperating associations;

•

Develop clear guidelines and standards against which quality of performance will be
measured; and

•

Consult all applicable NPS guidance documents, and review all applicable fee authorities
before choosing the appropriate one.

(See RM-6; Director’s Order #22: Fee Program, and Reference Manual 22; and Director’s Order #53:
Special Park Uses, for further information)

7. INTERPRETIVE COMPETENCIES AND SKILLS
7.1

The Interpretive Development Program

The goal of the Interpretive Development Program (IDP) is employee development and
understanding of the elements of interpretive and educational work. The quality of interpretive
and educational programs presented to the public, and by extension the image and reputation of
the National Park Service, are directly related to the skills, training, and professionalism of those
who provide the service. The IDP identifies key skills for interpreters, standards for measuring

12
interpretive programs, and employee developmental opportunities. A competent, well-trained
work force is essential to the delivery of high-quality interpretation and education.
Accordingly, all managers and supervisors have a responsibility to ensure that their employees
develop the skills required to meet the established interpretive standards. All NPS interpreters
will strive to achieve the certification standards for the interpretive certification benchmarks
identified in the IDP. The same standards that apply to the NPS work force will also apply to
cooperators, concessioners, contractors, and other partners who deliver interpretive and
educational services in collaboration with or on behalf of the National Park Service.
Field employees developed the IDP as a comprehensive definition of the broad scope of duties,
responsibilities, and services provided to serve the public and protect park resources. The
knowledge, skills, and abilities contained within the program provide a philosophical and
practical grounding for all who provide interpretation in NPS areas. The benchmark interpretive
competencies described in the program support Ranger Careers positions, but as a development
opportunity anyone is encourage to participate. Above all, the program provides guidance for
individuals to achieve interpretive excellence.
(For more information on the IDP, see RM-6)

7.2

Professional Organizations

The National Park Service encourages membership and participation in professional
organizations that support NPS goals, such as the American Association for State and Local
History, the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, the George Wright
Society, the National Association for Interpretation, the National Council for the Social Studies,
the National Council on Public History, the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, the
National Science Teachers Association, the Organization of American Historians, and others.
Employees who choose to belong to professional organizations must bear the cost of those
memberships. NPS units may choose to pay for institutional memberships.

8. REQUIREMENTS FOR ALL INTERPRETIVE AND EDUCATIONAL SERVICES
8.1

Access to Interpretive and Educational Opportunities

The NPS will ensure, to the greatest extent possible, that persons with disabilities receive the
same interpretive opportunities as non-disabled persons, in the most integrated setting possible.
(See section 7.5.1 of Management Policies. Also see Director’s Order #42: Accessibility for Visitors
with Disabilities in National Park Service Programs and Services)

8.2

Interpretive and Educational Services Beyond Park Boundaries

NPS and non-NPS sites are encouraged to identify potential common interests and develop and
share resources and opportunities for appropriate interpretive and educational services.
Opportunities could be on-site, off-site, or virtual.

13
(See Section 7.5.2 of Management Policies)

8.3

Resource Issue Interpretation and Education

Interpretive and educational programs can build public understanding of, and support for,
resource management decisions, and for the NPS mission in general. Therefore, parks should
thoroughly integrate resource issues and initiatives of local and Service-wide importance into
their interpretive and educational programs.
(See section 7.5.3 of Management Policies. Also see Director’s Order #13A: Environmental
Management Systems)

8.4

Research

8.4.1 In General. Quality interpretive programs and media require sound research. The content
of interpretive and educational services must be accurate, inclusive, respect multiple points of
view and be free of cultural, ethnic, and personal biases. However, in accordance with section
7.5.5 of Management Policies, “[a]cknowledging multiple points of view does not require
interpretive and educational programs to provide equal time, or to disregard the weight of
scientific or historical evidence.” Programs presented by cultural demonstrators should be
introduced as clearly representing the particular culture being presented.
(See section 8.5, Consultation below)

8.4.2 Historical and Scientific Research. Superintendents, historians, scientists, and
interpretive staff are responsible for ensuring that park interpretive and educational programs and
media are accurate and reflect current scholarship. To accomplish this, an on-going dialogue
must be established. Questions often arise round the presentation of geological, biological, and
evolutionary processes. The interpretive and educational treatment used to explain the natural
processes and history of the Earth must be based on the best scientific evidence available, as
found in scholarly sources that have stood the test of scientific peer review and criticism. The
facts, theories, and interpretations to be used will reflect the thinking of the scientific community
in such fields as biology, geology, physics, astronomy, chemistry, and paleontology. Interpretive
and educational programs must refrain from appearing to endorse religious beliefs explaining
natural processes. Programs, however, may acknowledge or explain other explanations of
natural processes and events.
(See section 7.5.4 of Management Policies. Also see Director’s Order #11B: Ensuring Quality of
Information Disseminated by the National Park Service)

8.5

Consultation

The NPS will present factual and balanced presentations of the many American cultures,
heritages, and histories. Through civic engagement, consultation, and collaboration with diverse
constituencies, the NPS fosters the development of effective and meaningful interpretive and
educational programs. Broad civic engagement ensures appropriate content and accuracy, and
identifies multiple points of view and potentially sensitive issues. The Service will actively

14
consult traditionally associated peoples and other cultural and community groups in the planning,
development, presentation, and operation of park interpretive and educational programs.
(See sections 5.2.1 and 7.5.5 of Management Policies. Also see Director’s Order #75A: Civic
Engagement and Public Involvement)

8.6

Cultural Demonstrators

Cultural demonstrators can provide unique insights into different cultures. In order to facilitate
successful interaction with the public, parks must provide cultural demonstrators with training
and direction. It is essential that cultural demonstrators possess interpretive and educational
skills in addition to expertise in demonstrating a craft or activity. The superintendent may
authorize the use of cultural demonstrators through a cooperative agreement, special use permit,
concession permit, or other appropriate instrument.
(See section 7.5.6 of Management Policies)

8.7

Historic Weapons

Historic weapons demonstrations are interpretive demonstrations and should meet the standards
for interpretive programs found in this Director’s Order and in RM-6. All uses of historic
weapons in parks will strictly comply with the Standards for Historic Weapons Firing in Areas
Administered by the NPS.
(See section 7.5.7 of Management Policies)

8.8

Re-enactments

Battle re-enactments and demonstrations of battle tactics that involve exchanges of fire between
opposing lines, the taking of casualties, hand-to-hand combat, or any other form of simulated
warfare, are prohibited in all parks. Battle re-enactments create an atmosphere inconsistent with
the memorial qualities of the battlefields and other military sites placed in the Service’s trust.
8.9

Museum Objects

Accessioned original museum objects will not be used in interpretive and educational programs
or in other activities that could lead to loss or deterioration. Exemptions may be granted in
accordance with the Museum Handbook. Reproductions used in place of original museum
objects must be marked as such. These reproductions will be controlled and accounted for as
required by the Museum Handbook.
(See Director’s Order #24: NPS Museum Collections Management)

15
9. INTERPRETIVE AND EDUCATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS
9.1

General

In some cases, connections to the resource can be enhanced, and the visitor experience enriched,
through the use of partnerships. Interpretive services provided to the NPS by partners will be in
addition to, and not take the place of, a park’s basic interpretive and educational services. To
ensure quality control and appropriateness, NPS interpretive staff will be involved in the
planning, approval, training, monitoring and evaluation of all interpretive services provided by
others. Partners providing interpretive services will be given opportunities to participate in the
Interpretive Development Program.
(See section 7.6 of Management Policies. Also see Director’s Order #7: Volunteers in Parks, Director’s
Order #20: Agreements, Director’s Order #21: Donations and Fundraising, and Director’s Order #32:
Cooperating Associations)

9.2

Cooperating Associations

Enabled by a standard, non-negotiable agreement, a cooperating association may, consistent with
a park’s scope-of-sales statement, purchase for re-sale or produce for sale, interpretive and
educational items that are directly related to the understanding and interpretation of the park or
the national park system. The cooperating association may also (1) support research efforts, (2)
accept donations on behalf of the Service, when appropriate and when conducted through
approved fund-raising efforts, and (3) offer appropriate and approved interpretive and
educational services or programs that support but do not supplant those offered by the NPS.
Cooperating association interpretive and educational services may be offered for a fee. Revenue
from such fees is returned to the NPS through the cooperating association’s regular donation
process.
(See section 7.6.2 of Management Policies. Also see Director’s Order #32: Cooperating Associations
and Reference Manual 32)

9.3

Volunteers in Parks

Volunteers offering interpretive and educational services will be provided opportunities to
demonstrate interpretive and educational skills, and will strive to meet the certification standards
for the effective delivery of programs found in the IDP. They also will be provided necessary
equipment and safety training. Volunteers will not displace NPS employees, and will be
provided NPS housing only if available and not needed for NPS employees.
(See section 7.1, Interpretive Development Program above. Also see section 7.6.1 of Management
Policies; Director’s Order #7: Volunteers in Parks, and Reference Manual 7; and Director’s Order #36:
Housing Management)

9.4

Concessioners

The appropriate role of commercial operations in helping a park achieve the desired visitor
experience will be identified in a commercial services plan. The plan may call on a park

16
concessioner to provide interpretive and educational services. Concessions employees providing
such services will be trained, either by the concessioner or through participation in NPS training.
Any fees for these services are collected by concessioners and are part of their revenue. The
NPS will review concessions programs and written materials to ensure that the information they
contain is accurate, appropriate, and related to park themes, applying the same standards used to
evaluate NPS interpretive and educational services.
(See sections 10.2.2 and 10.2.4.4 of Management Policies, Director’s Order #48A: Concession
Management, and Reference Manual #48A)

9.5

Interpretive Services Provided for Fee by Other Individuals or Organizations

See Director’s Order #48B: Commercial Use Authorizations.

10. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS
10.1 Service-wide Interpretive Report (10-769)
The Service-wide Interpretive Report (10-769) provides a Service-wide interpretive overview
and describes how ONPS funds and certain other funding sources are used to provide a national
program of interpretation and education. It is a useful tool for analyzing park interpretive and
educational programs, but it is primarily a national report used to meet requirements of the
Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 (GPRA) 5, the NPS Annual Report, and NPS
budget requirements. Each park must submit its individual report, via the National Park Service
website to the Washington Office, Division of Interpretation and Education, by October 31 each
year.
10.2 Parks as Classrooms Report
Each park that receives a Parks as Classrooms grant will prepare an annual report on the project.
The report will include: (1) a short narrative that describes the program; (2) an accounting of all
funds used to support the project, including grant funds, matching funds, and in-kind donations;
and (3) statistical information including the number of students and teachers served. Park reports
are due in the Washington Office, Division of Interpretation and Education, by January 31.
10.3 Free Informational Publications – Semiannual Inventory Report (10-80)
The Free Informational Publications – Semiannual Inventory Report Form (10-80) is used to
inventory the Harpers Ferry Center Department of Publications-produced “official map and
guide” brochures only. The report must be submitted to Harpers Ferry Center twice a year, by
March 30 and September 30.

5

31 USC 1115 et seq.; PL 103-62

17
10.4 VIP Program Activity and Expense Report (Form 10-150)
Each park that has a volunteer program must submit a VIP Program Activity and Expense Report
(Form 10-150) for the fiscal year. The report will be submitted via the National Park Service
website to the Washington Office, Division of Interpretation and Education, by October 31 each
year.
(See section 12.2 of Director’s Order #7: Volunteers in Parks)

10.5 Media Inventory Database System
The web-based Media Inventory Database System (MIDS) provides an inventory and quality
assessment of the interpretive media in a park. Because MIDS information is useful in
identifying the content and physical condition of interpretive media, each park should review its
MIDS entries at least once a year, adding new media and revising the quality of existing entries
as necessary.

11. FOR FURTHER REFERENCE
Greater detail and direction on many of the topics in this Director’s Order can be found in RM-6,
which will be issued by the Associate Director for Partnerships, Interpretation and Education,
Volunteers, and Outdoor Recreation.
The following Director’s Orders will be helpful in providing further guidance for developing and
managing interpretive and educational programs.
Director’s Order #2:
Park Planning
Director’s Order #7:
Volunteers in Parks
Director’s Order #11B: Ensuring Quality of Information Disseminated by the National Park
Service
Director’s Order #13A: Environmental Management Systems
Director’s Order #20: Agreements
Director’s Order #21: Donations and Fundraising
Director’s Order #22: Recreation Fee Program
Director’s Order #24: NPS Museum Collections Management
Director’s Order #26: Youth Programs
Director’s Order #32: Cooperating Associations
Director’s Order #42: Accessibility for Visitors with Disabilities in National Park Service
Programs and Services
Director’s Order #48A: Concession Management
Director’s Order #48B: Commercial Use Authorizations
Director’s Order #50B: Occupational Safety and Health Program
Director’s Order #50C: Public Risk Management Program
Director’s Order #52A: Communicating the National Park Service Mission
Director’s Order #53: Special Park Uses
Director’s Order #70: Internet and Intranet Publishing
Director’s Order #75A: Civic Engagement and Public Involvement
[End of Document]