TOUR GUIDE 101 & CERTIFICATION
Chicago for Chicagoans invites you to join us for a public trainings covering all the things you need to know to be an effective and engaging neighborhood historian and tour leader. Our organization believes in a multiplicity of histories and empowering Chicago residents to actively share the stories of their city with others. These mini-seminars will give you the tools to dive deeper into the history of your neighborhood and confidently share what you learn with others. Like all of our programming, sessions are offered on a pay-what-you-can basis!
During this course, you will learn about tour planning, research & business strategies, marketing fundamentals, and project management skills that will enhance your credibility and broaden your job prospects in tourism citywide. In addition, distinguished completion of course curriculum qualifies you to lead tours and give lectures for Chicago for Chicagoans. We'll even give you a fancy certificate!
During this course, you will learn about tour planning, research & business strategies, marketing fundamentals, and project management skills that will enhance your credibility and broaden your job prospects in tourism citywide. In addition, distinguished completion of course curriculum qualifies you to lead tours and give lectures for Chicago for Chicagoans. We'll even give you a fancy certificate!
NEXT AVAILABLE DATES
More about the event:
To earn a certificate (optional), participants must:
Two certificates are possible, and will be issued based on performance in items 2 & 3:
- Perfect for... history lovers, research enthusiasts, community activists, aspiring tour guides, and anyone wanting to become a better public speaker. No prior experience required.
- Content covered:
- Best practices for historical research
- Accessing free and publicly accessible archives
- Public speaking 101 — and an opportunity to practice with other attendees!
- Strategies for planning & giving great tours
- Collaborating and working with others
- Marketing tours for maximum impact
- Ethical and legal considerations for tours
- Entrepreneurial advice for aspiring tour operators
- Basic event details:
- Trainings led by Patti Swanson and Leyla Royale, plus other experts as available
- Registration is required, and is capped at 10 attendees.
- Events will take place in a meeting room setting.
- Bring with you: a pen + paper for taking notes (laptops + other digital methods are welcome too!), some of your favorite books about history, and some business cards
To earn a certificate (optional), participants must:
- Attend our Tour Guide 101 course
- Pass our post-course evaluation (brief quiz ensuring comprehension of course material)
- Plan, research, practice, and lead a event attended and assessed by one of our current guides
Two certificates are possible, and will be issued based on performance in items 2 & 3:
- "Certificate of Completion" acknowledges the participant completed the above requirements;
- "Certificate of Distinguished Completion" acknowledges the participant completed the above requirements and showed satisfactory to excellent personal capacity for leading tours and giving history lectures.
TESTIMONIALS & ALUMNI
"I took Chicago for Chicagoans' tour guide training at the same time that I was launching my own new project, Read & Run Chicago, which provides running experiences with routes based on books set in Chicago. I learned SO MUCH about how to give ethical tours, provide good customer service, structure a tour, and was provided information, research, and tips for being a confident and well-prepared tour guide. I can't imagine NOT having taken this training — it made me feel so much more able to provide the type of experiences I'm aiming for. The rest of the students in the training were amazing people, so it was a great networking experience as well. I really can't say enough how grateful I am for this!"
ALLISON YATES | Check out Allison's tour organization below!
ALLISON YATES | Check out Allison's tour organization below!
"Tour training from Chicago for Chicagoans has been instrumental in my work and success as a tour developer and tour guide. I learned everything from the small details (how to plan a route, how far you can expect guest to walk, and so on) to the big potatoes (developing a narrative, how to tell the full story of a place in an hour, etc). Above all, Chicago for Chicagoans got me off my butt and gave me the tangible skills and enthusiasm to do what I wanted to do but didn't know how!"
WILL QUAM | Check out Will's tour organization below!
WILL QUAM | Check out Will's tour organization below!
"Chicago for Chicagoans Tour Guide Certification program was a phenomenal (and very fun) experience! Through robust resources, discussion, and practice sessions I left this program feeling much more confident in my ability to lead a successful and engaging tour. Our cohort had a range of people with different interests and backgrounds which made for a fantastic experience where we could all directly apply what we were learning to people's own interests."
ELSA HAARSTAD | Check out Elsa's lecture below!
ELSA HAARSTAD | Check out Elsa's lecture below!
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Watch Elsa's lecture on public housing history from our 2022 lecture series. (2021 cohort)
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Watch Olivia's lecture on Chicago's Francophone history from our 2022 lecture series. (2021 cohort)
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Watch Emily's lecture on Margaret Anderson & The Little Review from our 2022 lecture series. (2021 cohort)
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All of our events are offered on a pay-what-you-can basis. We suggest a tax-deductible donation of $10-20 per attendee for those who are able. Your donations help us cover the costs of hiring speakers, pay for our website, cover our annual tax & paperwork filings, buy supplies, and otherwise compensate for the myriad of expenses that small nonprofits accrue. Our staff is entirely volunteer. You can learn more about our mission here!