Professional Staff Development

Provides job specific training for District technical, managerial and education personnel.

Components

• Technical (rural and urban)
• Administrative/Managerial
• Manager/Executive Director
• Assistant/clerical
• Educator
  • Research and Teaching Preserve (Indiana University)
  • Go FishIN – Sport Fishing Aquatic Education
  • Hoosier Riverwatch – Volunteer Stream Monitoring
  • Project Learning Tree – Forestry Education
  • Project WET – Water Education for Teachers
  • Project WILD – Wildlife Education
  • Environmental Education Association of Indiana – Volunteer base of citizens focused on environmental education in Indiana
• Grant / Contract Administration (319, LARE, Farm Bill, contribution agreements)
  • IDEM’s 319 grant program
  • Lake and River Enhancement Program (LARE)
  • Clean Water Indiana program (CWI)

  Job Description Samples

  • Conservation Education Coordinator
  • District Technician
  • District Manager
  • Office Administrator/Coordinator
  • Program Administrator/Information Specialist
  • Resource Specialist/Technician

• AgLearn – online courses available  for Soil and Water Conservation District Staff. Staff have the ability to set up a learning plan and add courses to their plan.

Examples of classes available online:

Technical  – NRCS Conservation Planning, Part I; Agricultural Waste Management Systems – A Primer; Hydrology Training Series Module (hydrology, runoff concepts, runoff computations, drainage hydrology, streamflow, etc.); Introduction to Conservation Forestry Planning; Introduction to the Field Office Technical Guide; Introduction to Water Quality; Nutrient Management Track 1, Part 1; Pest Management Track 2, Part 1

Managers/Executive Directors – Managing Yourself and Those Around You; Resolving Conflict with Communication Skills; The Mechanics of Communicating Effectively; Workplace Communication Skills; Managing Organizational Conflict; Difficult People in the Workplace Environment; Interviewing Effectively; Conducting Effective Interviews; Dynamics of Leadership; Cross-Generational Workers in the 21st Century

Administrative – The Fundamentals of Exceptional Customer Service; Fundamental Finance for Non-Finance Professionals (financial statements, basics of budgeting, etc.); Managing Time

Software – Outlook, Word, Excel, InDesign, PowerPoint, Publisher, Access, etc.

Additional Training Opportunities:

Indiana District Employee Association (IDEA)– hosts an annual fall conference for Indiana District Staff.

Indiana Watershed Leadership Academy – Educates watershed coordinators, teachers, volunteers, engineers, district staff, non-profit organizations, and others to lead watershed efforts that improve water quality in Indiana.

Leadership Institute – The Indiana Conservation Partnership Leadership Institute is a statewide leadership development program established for Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisors. Key District staff are invited to participate along with their supervisors. The program intends to improve District capacity to increase the quality of Indiana’s soil, water and related natural resources.

GIS Training Opportunities

Tips for working with local media

Grant writing training & resources:

• Candid
• Research Associates