I have attended trainings at the local community college and at child care centers.
The benefits of the College are that the seating is for adults, the bathrooms are accessible and fitting for adults, there is enough parking available and there is room to get up and move around if required during the training. The drawbacks of having a training at the college is the time may not accommodate people who have to close the daycare. There are times reserving space could be a challenge.
The benefits of the child care facility is that staff do not have to travel to get there. You could have examples right there if training on preschool environments, materials, etc. It would not be hard to reserve the space. The staff may feel more comfortable at their daycare. The drawbacks of having a training at the daycare would be child sized seating, space would be geared towards children, the bathrooms would be child sized. Parking may be an issue, depending on the number attending.
Thank you Glenna for thinking through the pros and cons of different facilities. There certainly are many variables to consider. Given that I work at UK, parking is always a big consideration for me.
Over the years, my favorite spot to attend trainings is the Lexington Civic Center. The pros of this facility is the rooms are large, comfort chairs, nice tables. Also, the training is in the same building as a food court and some shops. There is also plenty of bathrooms.
The Cons for this is facility is you have to bring in your own visual aide equipment. The climate is not regular because the rooms have sliding dividers so some rooms are cold and the others warm. Parking is also a headache. We had to park very far away and walk.
The agency I work for has a training room. The Pros are that there is a computer, mic system, and screen. There plenty of tables on wheels so you can move around to divide into groups. The restroom is close by.
The lighting is perfect.
The Cons of this room is that it has flooded a couple of times and it has a moldy smell. The computer does not have a DVD drive on it. There is a motel next door and there is a lot of noise coming from that area which can distract the trainer and the adult learners.
Training at childcare centers and conference centers have various benefits and challenges. Trainings given at childcare centers can provide benefits to the trainees because this is a very familiar atmosphere in which they would be more apt to respond to what is being trained upon and prompted to think about how it may apply to their center. Challenges may ensue due to lack of adult seating for comfortability, parking, and the lack of space needed to properly fit the adults needed for the training.
Conference centers are beneficial due to the size of the facility to comfortably fit the amount of adults needed, as well as provide adequate parking and bathrooms for adults. Conference centers may be challenging due to the cost efficiently of renting the facility, location/events happening during the training, and/or how the audience perceives a large group training over a small group training.
A pro of having a training at a center is people already know the location and the set up so they can seat correctly a con is if you have other people from other places coming not knowing the area and not feeling so confortable.
The two training spaces I have chosen are Child Care Centers and Community Centers. While both may have adult accessible equipment for training, there may not be enough space for all participants to attend comfortably. Also, the availability to technology and resources for presentation equipment may also not be available. At a Center, there is easy access to pull examples from classrooms that staff attending may share for the content, but at a community center this is limited more to the presenter to give examples of materials for discussion.
Glenna, I believe those are great thoughts and ideas! I was inclined to think that training in child care facilities would be the best option until you brought to light that the space would be geared toward children (seating/bathrooms etc.) . Then, there is always the issue of parking. Your comments were very helpful!
I have attended trainings at both facilities and hotel/convention centers. These tend to be set up either like a class room or like you are attending a large concert. I have found in conference style seating in large convention rooms it feels harder for me to engage with the speaker and feel I am genuinely learning. However, often times you are hearing from profoundly brilliant individuals and that is where there are so many people. I enjoy interacting with the trainer in a q and a type discussion to feel I have learned the most.
I have never thought about doing trainings in an actual day care setting. I think this would be awesome for displaying types of styles of teaching, consequences, redirections, praises, or whatnot. However, as is listed, with COVID not as many people would be able to attend.
I have hosted training at child care centers and conference centers dedicated to hosting training events.
Child care centers offer convenience for staff due to lack of travel, familiarity, and close proximity to their homes/workplace and they also have materials or environments that might enhance the training topics. However, they also oftentimes lack the technology and adult-sized furniture needed to accommodate adult learners, and provide opportunities for many distractions and interruptions, especially if training occur during regular childcare hours.
Conference centers have had excellent technology, parking, facilities prepared for adult learners, and an environment conducive for teaching and learning.
Community Colleges: I have attended trainings the most at these locations. The benefits are most definitely space, resources available, parking, and seating. This is a must if you have large crowds to accommodate. The setbacks were that the equipment had trouble connecting (WiFi, powerpoints, etc.) and that there are usually large fees to access the building.
Childcare Setting: This is a great location for anyone doing specific trainings due to the resources on hand, visual guides to specific info., and materials to use. The setbacks are always parking and interruptions. These are also considered to be the biggest setbacks to have for a training. The space is never enough either.
When thinking about locations for future trainings, the two that stood out in the communities that I serve are Libraries and Child Care Centers.
Libraries are a great place because everyone usually knows where they are located. The rooms are usually large and offer adult sized seating. It can also be a neutral area if you were offering to multiple child care centers in one area, and there is plenty of parking. The cons to libraries are they may have limited scheduling because of other community events reserving them (depending on the size). It can also be a distracting environment depending on the setup. Workers would have to travel.
Child Care Centers would also be a place to hold a future training. One of the benefits being that the workers wouldn’t have to travel any further than where they work. The trainer would come to them rather than them travel to the trainer/training. Another benefit would be that it is an environment that the workers should be comfortable in. Hopefully allowing them to seem more at ease and would be willing to participate in. There are some cons to child care centers of course. There may be limited room and also limited adult sized seating. And another may be limited or no access to technology if you were to be using a PowerPoint or show videos/pictures during your training.
pro of a library would be that you may have all the extra set up already there as far as visual aids go and books to go along with it , parking may be a good one and enough space to move around and get into small groups. A con could be the library may close early and it could also be small.
I have been to training at a hotel meeting room. The benefits was that there was plenty of parking, it was in town so there was plenty of places to eat for lunch and be able to return to the hotel on time, seating was comfortable and adult sized and technology was available. I didn’t really see a down side to this training venue.
I , along with some other teachers, hosted a Kindergarten Parent Information session in the Rowan County Board Room. The benefit was that it was on campus and I didn’t have to drive anywhere, there was plenty of parking, the seating was adult sized, technology was available if needed. The downside was that child care wasn’t provided for parents attending with children as the session was in the evening as people were getting off work and picking up kids from daycare.
I agree with you Glenna. I have been to both a child care center and a College/Community Center. It is easier for the staff to have it at the the child care center because they don’t have to travel and they do feel more comfortable. However, seating is uncomfortable. At a College/Community center, not all staff are able to attend due to some staff having to stay behind to attend to the children.
I have attended trainings at colleges/universities, local K-12 school buildings, and at local community centers.
College: Pros = Large seating, adequate space, needed technology
Cons = hard to locate training room if not familiar with campus buildings
K-12 Buildings: Pros = break out spaces, tech needed, some large meeting space in cafeteria/auditorium
Cons = sometimes not a large meeting space for entire group, can have small chairs and tables
Community Centers: Pros = community of stakeholders, easy to access, relational environment
Cons = tech and space difficulties
The place I think of for a training is right at the Head Start center. Pros to this would be meeting the teachers where they at. It also would be a pro to be able to show them stuff in real time. However a con would be, depending on the center, where the training would take place. Another con could be that the teachers are here everyday and may need a change of scenery.
Two facilities I have attended training’s include Child Care Centers and Libraries.
One benefit of having a training for families at the child care center is that children have a space to play if parents must bring their families. Most of the teacher’s materials will be on hand if they need them. Also staff will not have to travel to a different location. A few cons to consider is everything is child size (seating, tables, and bathrooms), the space may not be large enough for many adults, and parking is usually an issue.
At a library some benefits include large spacing, adult size seating, available media use, WiFi, and good parking. Drawbacks to consider include the space is usually open to the public, you must consider your volume of sound, sometimes seating can be an issue if it is a large event. Also when families come that can get distracted by the materials in the library.
I was gonna ask if you rented a room for the training or if it was out in the open? Our library is wonderful but the extra rooms for training are small and open to the public.
I considered trainings at childcare centers and libraries.
One benefit of training at a childcare center is access to the resources providers use in the day-to-day. The trainer can also get a sense of these resources and the possibilities/limits inherent within. Childcare centers are further convenient for staff, as they’re familiar with the space and they are already there: no travel time! By that same token, though, they made need a breath of fresh air – a different environment can be refreshing. As was pointed out in the previous lesson/photo, most furniture is child-sized and, as such, can be quite uncomfortable and cramped.
Libraries can be really great because they often have meeting spaces that can be reserved with room set-ups and furniture conducive to both large groups listening to one speaker and also breaking up into smaller groups. Great tech (and tech support!) is available as well. Some downsides are that the meeting rooms are generally limited in the amount of time they can be reserved. Additional travel time is necessary for staff to travel to the library and, depending upon the location/branch, accessibility and parking can be problematic and may even require payment.
Benefits to holding trainings in centers is the opportunity to see the inside and outside environments, peruse the documentation panels, talk with staff and administration who are on site but may not be part of the actual training session, observe protocols while you’re there. A con of this type of training site is that there are not often centers with enough meeting spaces for participants to spread out, move around, use additional small group space. Parking is often limited at centers as well.
Benefits to hold trainings in hotels is the ample parking, large meeting spaces as well as abundance of small group meeting spaces that can be utilized, they are often more comfortable as well. A con is that when training is held off-site, participants do not get to see the environments or interactions that they would in a child care setting. Sometime hotels can feel more formal, which may make participants feel less comfortable socially.
I have trained primarily in Childcare Centers/Schools and Community Centers.
I enjoy training childcare staff and teachers at their normal location because it cuts down on any travel time and allows us maximum training time. If the center closes at 6, we can offer food and get the training started at 6:15/6:30. When we train at an off-site location, it delays when we can start, and I feel often people find a reason to not be able to make it.
What I enjoy about going offsite, say to a community center, is that it typically allows people to network and get to know new people, or network with teachers/staff from other locations. For some individuals, I think it is also easier to ‘leave work at work’ and really be present when they are able to step away from their typical work space.
I agree, it is easier when you are on site and can begin as soon as the work day is over. However, the little chairs are not comfortable to sit in for an extended period of time.
I agree Childcare centers are unacceptable for trainings unless there is space set aside for adults to meet together with adult size tables and chairs, but even if that is provided, you may still have the disadvantage of no technical equipment. I have found that community colleges offer great advantages. The rooms are large with adult size tables and chairs already set in place and the technology equipment is there and ready for use. You also have the advantage of restroom services being provided.
You may have the disadvantage of not having connections to receive permission to use the facilities and you may have to pay for the use of the facility. You will need to make preparations ahead of time to set up the appointment to use the community college facilities.
I have attended trainings in multiple facilities. For this exercise, I will focus on hotels and community centers.
Hotels provide plenty of space, accommodations for food, bathrooms, business centers and technology connections for trainers/attendees. Sound and controlling distractions are not usually an issue in hotels. The first challenge with using hotels relates to costs. They are typically more expensive and technology accommodations can be pricey as well. Hotels can provide opportunities for attendees to meet multiple needs which can also contribute to attendees not coming back for sessions on time or leaving in and out of sessions to do things.
Community centers offer donated or inexpensive spaces for trainings. Typically, they have large conference rooms that can accommodate groups up to 20-40. Parking is usually reasonable. Technology can be a hit or miss when it comes to community centers and vary by the age of the facility or capacity of the organization. Community centers present challenges because your training will more than likely be held during the hours of operation. Neighborhood participants may be in or out receiving services and interruptions may occur.
I have trained in most of these situations-
Community Meeting Halls can be very good places to train, however there is often a fee for renting or cleaning.
Schools are limited because of school hours and cleaning services. It is possible if your janitors are aware of you plans beforehand and can work around you.
I have trained in several churches and that works well, especially if you are partnering with that religious organization in a project.
If libraries have private room, especially with a private entrance, they can be great places to train.
I have attended training at Hotels and Child Care Centers. When attending a training at a hotel the meeting room was large and spacious, the seats were comfortable , food and drinks were provided. It was a multi day conference so it was nice to be able to stay at the hotel. The cons were I had to travel over an hour for the training at this location. The expense of traveling and getting a room for the night added up. When attending a training at the child care center it was a setting and place I was familiar with, it wasn’t far from where I lived. The bad part was it was in a small cramped room, the seats were crammed in it and they were very uncomfortable. Some participates had to sit in child sized seats and there wasn’t room to move around.
The two types of facilities that I considered are the childcare center and hotels.
The child care centers are more convenient for staff, especially if the training is in the evening and staff are working to close the center. Staff do not have to travel and may be comfortable in familiar surroundings. Some drawbacks to consider are that there are often not enough adult sized tables and chairs for all staff. There may not be a big enough space in the center to comfortably fit all staff that need training. It can also be a challenge to make sure you have what you need to be sure your technology will work properly (wifi, projector, etc.)
Having training at a hotel meeting room will provide a big enough space and plenty of adult size table and chairs. There is usually multimedia equipment available for use and the freedom to set up rooms how the trainer wants. You can have larger groups for training as well. The drawbacks for this would definitely be the cost of renting space at a hotel and parking can be an issue at some hotels that may only have paid parking. It would not be as convenient for staff to have trainings off site.
I have attended trainings at several types of facilities. I think it does make a difference the type of training as to what is suitable.
I attended a conference at a hotel. This was a great set up for this conference as there were several hundred people in attendence. The conference also consisted of several workshops.
I attended another training, which was one workshop, at a school. This was an appropriate set up as the participants numbered less than 50.
I have been to trainings in a variety of places, however many took place in a childcare center or hotel.
Childcare centers are nice because of the ease of access for participants. Participants are also likely to be comfortable if it’s their location of work. Unfortunately, childcare centers have small capacities and are usually have limited adult seating and tables.
Hotels, on the other hand, are large and can be easily accessed by others within the public. A trainer would need to weigh those positives with the expense of hotels. Likewise, hotels require more planning required to schedule your training.
I have had training at most of these sites also. My 2 I pick is Childcare center and College sites. The centers are a good place to hold training that involve a classroom setting for interaction and teachers are more comfortable in their own setting not having to pay to rent the place out. The downfall of it is kid sized tables and chairs that are not good for adult learning.
The Colleges are perfect for parking, adult tables and chairs, adult bathrooms, wifi and large spaces, and allows more than just one center to get trained at a time. I don’t really see a challenge with having it at a College
Hotel: Benefits are having a room if your staying overnight to be able to go to once the training is over, and no driving back and forth, large meeting rooms, and more than one bathroom.
Challenges: one will usually have to travel from home to attend and spend nights away from home and work.
Child Care Center: Benefits- you could be allowed to tour their facility to get ideas, it could be possibly close to your work/home, smaller setting
Challenges: could be to small of setting for what is needed for the training, not enough space, could be disturbing to the child care children.
Several issues come to mind regarding venues for training. In past positions when we looked for training space, of course we tried to find the most cost effective space. Sometimes those aren’t the best locations. It’s important for participants to be comfortable in the space, especially if it’s a long training. Having good access to the building and parking are also big considerations.
Training at the local college has the benefit of having multiple rooms to space out or have small group discussions without having to whisper. The other benefit is that often times when a local college is being utlized it is because there are multiple classes offered throughout the day (think Super Saturday) and it allows one to expore various topics. However, parking can be a problem depending on when the training is offered and the cost could also be a draw back to having it there.
Utlizing community libraries has it advtanges such as large meeting rooms, and many times they are centrally located and convenient to all who attend the training. The cost is minimal, keeping the training expenses down. Often times between training sessions or breaks, the volume level needs to remain at a whisper and making it difficult to connect with others while on break. The other drawback ir that often times the library only has one room available, limiting the nymber of participants.
The two types of facilities I reviewed were Community Colleges/Schools and Child Care Centers.
Colleges and schools are good for large training. There is plenty of parking, they are generally easy to find and there are plenty of bathrooms. When there are multiple bathrooms, breaks are not as long and everyone gets back on time. Although I want to say there is usually access to technology, I have ran into a time when I was not able to access the technology and I was not able to use mine. Arranging the room in a college is not always a possibility. Many of the rooms are set up in a way you cant move the tables around and they are not ideal for group activities.
Child Care Centers allow learners to review their environment and use materials they use every day. One of the main draw backs is the furniture. Most centers have youth chairs and tables, which makes it difficult to sit for any length of time. The bathrooms are generally geared toward children and there may only be one staff bathroom, which makes for difficult breaks.
I have attended training in few different places but I would say the most common would be in daycares or a library. There are pros and cons with each space. I like having training classes in daycare centers because I feel like I’m in the environment of which I’m learning. It make it easy to imagine doing what I’m learning. Cons to daycare centers of course is the furniture size. It can become very uncomfortable to be seated in those small chairs during training.
Libraries are also commonly used for training. Libraries are great because their equipped with a lot of technical resources like T.V’s and projectors that can be used during training. Libraries offer a lot of parking and are usually spacious so everyone is comfortable. The down side to using a library is the noise level. Sometimes training classes call for participation and this might limit what activities can be done.
I agree I love having the trainings within the childcare facility. One you are comfortable in your own setting and you can visualize what you might need to change or want to do within that training. AS far as the furniture size I am with you. I can’t be sitting on a toddler size seat for an hour or a floor so that is a major con. I love when the facility has a break room or a conference type room we can start off in and move around. Sitting it just to much. In training I love to move around.
I have attended trainings in community colleges/schools and child care centers.
The community colleges/schools would have large space and enough parking to have a large training group. The challenges would be reserving the location and closing down your daycare to ensure all staff could attend.
The child care centers would have the age appropriate materials to train on and all staff at that location would be in attendance. The challenges would be not having enough space and having small un-appropriate furniture.
I have attended trainings in hotels and in meeting hall/community centers.
Trainings/workshops held in hotels are logistically great when lodging is at the same hotel. The rooms are large and more bathrooms are available during breaks. The challenges sometimes are regulating the temps of the room that are comfortable for everyone and also parking.
Meeting Hall/Community Centers are usually free to use and the areas are large enough to accommodate more participants. Challenges include the space, if its too large, presents issues with engaging everyone. Another challenge is with technology.
Yes, I agree with Glenna and our other friends on here. I was thinking about accessibility for adults. Usually, a library or college might have reasonably sized adult items for sitting and using the restroom.
A few other area to consider would be extension offices for counties. They also fall into the “adult” world and they are usually facilities that are accessible to trainers.
I really like being on site. I like the ideas that people we are training need to have access to materials. When I as a trainer go into a facility, I could do a quick inventory of items that might relate to our training. I see this as a big advantage when training people. MAking training relevant and timely is more possible on site due to this fact.
If I am at a community center or library, I might ask teachers to do a quick inventory before they come to an “adult space” so that they can know what materials they have that they can use at their center. It would also be a great and important tool to help the training be more transformational. This will also be an important part where the staff can “think pair share” even better than without already having information if they are going to have to share at their tables.
Child Care centers—Benefits —1) an ECE learning environment maybe used for hands on experience. Challenges—1) May only accommodate a small number of participants.
Hotel/Meeting rooms—Benefits—1) facilitation equipment is usually provide. Challenges—1) expense and limited to the physical room layout.
Child Care centers—Benefits —1) an ECE learning environment maybe used for hands on experience. Challenges—1) May only accommodate a small number of participants.
Hotel/Meeting rooms—Benefits—1) facilitation equipment is usually provide. Challenges—1) expense and limited to the physical room layout.
Trainings in a early childhood center may be great for exploring the material and getting a view of the environment but more than likely its not set up for adults. Bathrooms and seating.
Collage classrooms would be great such as parking, bathrooms and seating. If needed a computer lab would be near if its a training that is on a computer.
Hotels are wonderful food usually is provided maybe even an overnight stay but could be very expensive to a program that may not have something like that in the budget.
I have attended training’s at the Community College and at child care centers.
Having it at the Community College there is more room for everyone, and there is better parking, and everything is adult size.
Having it at the child care centers, a lot of the time the centers I go to are small, and there is no parking. The child care staff will be more comfortable there, and so will the families, because they are used to the setting, and if something comes up and they have to bring their children, there will be toys/activities.
I prefer community colleges childcare centers for trainings.
Community college campuses offer pleasant educational environments; there are greater amenities available such as multiple bathrooms, food, private/quiet space, nature. College classrooms are also equipped with more learning devices such as white boards or smart boards. Community colleges classrooms are usually available on the weekend. The greatest downside I have encountered is that the participants may be unfamiliar with the layout of a college campus. This may cause confusion about parking and finding the building where the training is located.
Holding trainings at childcare centers is very convenient for the participants, especially if the training is for the teachers of the center. Teachers are all ready there and they do not need to return. Their comfort level with each other may make participants more open to sharing. Trainings can be held after work or on the weekend. Material for hands on learning are also readily available. The drawback to childcare centers is, in fact, the familiarity of the center to the participants. Staying in one’s comfort zone may not stretch the learning of the participants, especially if it is their own center.
Two places I have attended training at is a day care facility and at a college.
Benefit of College is : plenty of seating and equipment
Benefit of day care is: Staff is already there, unless training on weekend and familiar surroundings for the participants.
Challenges of college: parking and sterile enthronement.
Challenges of day care: Limited adult seating, and small space
Two benefits of having the training at a child care center would be that staff are familiar with the location so it is easy to find, and there would be no travel involved. Items from the classroom could be utilized if needed. However, some challenges to this location may be a lack of space and not a lot of parking available.
Two benefits of having a training at a community college or school is more meeting space available and ample amount of restrooms. The downside to this location could be possibly parking issues (parking pass needed or validation required) or technical difficulties (college username/password required to utilize equipment, etc.).
There are pros and cons to every type of location. The benefits of a community college/school would be: ample amount of space, use of projectors/microphones and screen and that everyone within the agency is in the same area for training. The downside to that would be drive time (for some), technology issues that arise with everything that is available as well as larger groups create more opportunities for side talk.
Two benefits of having a training in a child care center would be that all the materials are there and smaller, more one-on-one group size. The downside to this type of environment would be the small child-size seating/restrooms as well as limited amount of space for breaks or lunch depending on the length of the training.
Training at a child care facility, while a convenient location, is not comfortable for adults. Most centers do not have adult seating and tables. Meeting at the library is an ideal location because it is free and most people know where it is located. A drawback to this location could be if the library does not allow eating or has restricted meeting hours (ie only open on weekdays during the day).
Places of worship seems to not have been discussed and posted yet, so here are the pros: adult-sized furnishings, most have meeting room space, most likely to allow food/eating, parking availability, and space to have small group work. The cons include: availability schedule conflicts, some training participants comfort level inside a place of worship, the trainer may need to be a member of the place of worship in order to secure the use, and there may be a suggested donation fee to utilize the facility.
Most of the trainings I have delivered in the past were sponsored by an agency which took care of the arrangements, including booking, setting up and cleaning the space. If I were going to conduct a training as an independent trainer I would inquire of the person who requested the training if they had a preference for location. I would assume most would want to use free space such as their center, or a local agency. I agree with the folks who have already responded that there are clearly both pros and cons of training on-site. The issue of appropriate seating could possibly be addressed by having folks bring their own lawn chairs (if no writing or table work is required), or seeking the loan of adult seating from a church or other entity. I also agree with other folks that college campuses are good places for adult training, however most of them are now charging a fee even to other state agencies.
My two facilities that I chose was a place of worship and the child care center:
The pros in the place of worship was the adult seating, tables were available, rooms were utilized for small groups. The cons were not enough bathrooms, during a break you had to wait in a long line to get in the restroom. We also had to pay a fee to use the facility and bring in our supplies we needed, material for the training, our computers and projected screens, plus we had to clean before we left.
The pros for the child care facility was a big huge space that fit over a 100 people with adult seating plus we had access to the kitchen so everyone could bring in food. The cons are for people who didn’t live in the area they had to travel to get there, and there was not enough bathrooms.
I looked at community/colleges and child care centers.
Community colleges’ benefits include technology tools that I as a trainer can use (i.e proper wifi, projector, and computer). There is also adult size sitting and plenty of bathrooms for adults including those with disabilities. These areas are usually set up for learning in mind so it is a great place for participants to get into that frame of mind that is it is time to learn.
Challenges/problems could include scheduling this can be because classes that take place at the college have priority over my training. So it could end up being at an odd time. There could also be a cost to rent the training location depending on the size of the classroom.
Child care center benefits include if you are training child care providers they are already in the location. So they would not have to travel to the training. You can also use examples based on the classroom you are in. For example, you want to use a job chart for an example of an effective circle time this may already be present in the classroom.
Child care center challenges included scheduling, resources, and adult-sized chairs and bathrooms. Most child care centers are open from 6 a.m to 6 p.m meaning you would have to schedule your training after hours or on the weekend which may not accommodate many participant’s schedules. There may not be a lot of technology resources available (i.e good wifi or projector or computer) which could hinder effective instruction. Adult sized chairs and bathrooms most chairs in child care centers are very small and bathrooms tend to be the same.
Benefits of community colleges/schools as training sites include ample space available to hold participants and there is typically technology available to assist in the training. Challenges would include potential difficulties with parking and finding the location of the training within the building, especially if it were a large campus.
Benefits of child care centers include that the location is familiar to staff participating in the training as is the materials within the center that can be used during demonstrations. Challenges include that many child care centers do not have much adult size furniture, so it may be uncomfortable and there is limited space that can be utilized for the training.
True, I think the most are the chairs so uncomfortable to small for adults. I totally agree with you in regards to childcare centers are very adequate/appropriate for the learning experience.
Two facilities I have attended training’s include Child Care Centers/Classroom and Hotels.
One benefit of having a training at the Child Care center/Classroom is that you have the opportunity to look at someone else classroom/center. The training was focused on learning environments and this gave us the opportunity to look at a classroom and how the classroom set up was. We was able to look at each station and see what the teacher had added to maximize learning for all students. The cons of having this training at the center/classroom is that the seating was child size chairs and tables and parking was a bit challenging.
The next one is I have attended training at a hotel. This allows for no travel on the day of training. This allows for you not to run into issues with traffic and looking for the location of the hotel. This also allows time after the training to speak with trainer and others about the training or any concerns that you might be having. Rooms are always big and plenty of seating, restaurants are close by when you are having your lunch break. There is many advantages of having trainings at a hotel. The cons of having the training at a hotel is that some of the break-out sections are in smaller conference rooms and there is limited seating and you sometimes have to stand or sit on the floor.
Two places that I have attended trainings the most seem to be child care centers and meeting halls/community centers.
Child care centers are always a good place to have a training because they fully immerse you in what the current topic is. You can use examples that are readily available and have hands on experience. I find that being in an early childhood training in an early childhood classroom also make information feel more relevant. It’s also nice to see others classrooms and how they set them up at well. However, not having adult sized furnishings make for very uncomfortable trainings especially if for an extended amount of time. Being uncomfortable can really hinder somebody’s ability to pay attention and gain information during trainings.
I have also attended meeting halls/community centers. I find these to be much more comfortable in terms of have adult sized furnishing. They also tend to be roomy if you are breaking into small groups or needing to move around the room. I also hate arriving to a training and not being able to find a place to park and typically these locations provide better and easier parking/traveling options. However, sometimes these spaces can be awkwardly laid out. I’ve been to trainings that you need to work in groups and the room is laid out in an auditorium style where everybody is facing forward. Meeting halls are also very generic and don’t immerse you in the what you are truly learning about.
Benefits of having a training at a childcare center- participants will not have to travel to another location if all participants work at the childcare center
-they will feel comfortable and knowledgeable of the environment
Drawbacks of having a training at a childcare center- participants who work at the childcare center may still be in the “work mindset” and have a hard time engaging in the training
Benefits of having a training at a community center or meeting room- furniture and other means necessary for the training may be provided at the location
-participants will be in a new environment which may cultivate new ideas and opinions to bring to the training
Drawbacks- traffic, travel, participants finding the location
-feeling uncomfortable in a new environment
I think you are so right about the “work mindset” balanced with the convenience of not having to travel to an alternate location – not to mention the NOT adult-sized furniture like Hillary Vincent mentioned.
I have been to trainings in hotel ballrooms. Pros, the ballroom provided a very professional atmosphere, with adult size seating. A continental breakfast was served and a hot lunch was catered complimentary of the hotel. Strong WIFI, accessible to different amenities offered by the hotel.
The cons, a rental fee might be needed to secure the location, because of the large tables it was a little harder to maneuver around and mingle with other during breakout session. Tonsure that information is covered, it may be harder to during the day, so to avoid a two part session, a weekend training might be necessary. However, if a weekend training becomes necessary, their might be issues with payroll and possible overtime for employees. However, not a huge issue because you want your staff to be compensated for their time spent, but you could run into unexpected cost.
I have done my training in conference rooms. There is plenty of space and most people that are local find it easily. It has ample space to move around the room and be hands on.
Child care facilities I feel while staff are familiar with the center , most of them don’t have adequate chairs for adults . It could also not have the space to move around or do some activities. Times would also be of concern because most facilities are open until 530 or 6. This makes for a long day for participants and they are less focused because they are tired. Also , they have to make arrangements with family if they need their own childcare which would mean that they would be getting home even later.
Weekend trainings are also a bonus that I have done in the past. People are willing to give up a few hours to participate to get in their hours.
I have also attended trainings that are in conference centers. They put up temporary walls. So you can hear more that the own training that you are attending. This could be distracting to participants as well. a Positive is that multiple training options can happen in one place.
The benefits of doing trainings in a Child Care Center is that it doesn’t cost anything to have the training, you will have funds to spend on materials, snacks, etc. Another benefit is the convenience of not having to travel somewhere, and the hands on training option. You can provide hands on training and demonstrations in the classrooms. The challenges of having trainings in the center is the size, the number of participants would be limited, parking could also be an issue depending on the size and location.
The benefits of trainings in a meeting hall is the larger room size, you can have more participants. Another benefit is most meeting halls have a technology set up ready to go for you. The challenges would be the cost of holding the meeting there as well as participants having to travel to the location, for some it could be an hour or more away.
I considered the benefits and challenges of trainings at hotels and child care centers. Hosting trainings at hotels offers the option for many sizes rooms for large groups to smaller break out sessions. With larger groups you have the opportunity to interact with more participants and hear new ideas and viewpoints. Food options are more varied and teaching teams have the opportunity to step away from their classrooms. The challenges presented by trainings at hotels include cost, travel time, a less personal atmosphere, and the reluctance by some to stretch out of their comfort zone.
Trainings at our center offer us the benefit of no travel time, no additional cost, familiarity for staff members, the ability to have materials available, and the opportunity to share/show ideas from different classes right there. The challenges with having training at your center include longer hours for the staff members without the ability for a break between teaching and training, not enough space, food has to be brought in, rearrangement of space in order to use adult chairs and tables, and no tech support.
I’ve attended training in both hotel and daycare centers. The hotel settings are large and spacious. They have plenty of room for nice set-up. The daycares sometimes depending on the size of the facility and how many participants may be small.
I like the daycare settings it give your participants a better opportunity to see and observe their surrounding when you are speaking on certain subject areas.
Hotels and daycares they are all nice based on the number of participants that are attending.
If you have to travel and everything is in the hotel it can be nice . But there again you have the extra added expense. Then you also have the travel time to and from to take into consideration.
I like to know how many sessions are being held and the number of participants in attendance. Ive attended sessions and the settings were not the best, but the trainer was so good , I was most happy with my experience and learned a lot from the trainer because she had a well prepared activity.
The two physical environments that I chose to reflect on are community colleges/schools and child care centers.
Two benefits of trainings at community colleges/schools are:
1. They often have adequate seating space for the trainees since their locations are always used for large groups.
2. They have easy accessibility for the trainer to set up multimedia equipment, utilize Smart Boards, projectors and such.
Two challenges of trainings at community colleges/schools are:
1. Trainees may not easily find adequate parking or may have to walk a distance to get to the entrance of the training site, then more distance to find the training room.
2. Things that can’t be controlled by the trainer like the temperature, building maintenance during the session, or other activities taking place in the building may be distracting to the training session.
Two benefits of trainings at child care centers are:
1. The environment is inviting and may welcome children, as well.
2. Childcare centers are most familiar to those in training, so they may be able to explore the site/classrooms and get ideas that they can utilize in their home centers.
Two challenges of trainings at child care centers are:
1. Adult seating may be inadequate.
2. Rooms are smaller.
Community Centers seem to be great in my area (Louisville) because of the chairs already there and the ability to spread out if necessary. Most of my trainings have not included needing to accommodate for children, so that is a whole other issue. Many will let you utilize the space, particularly with the sensitive topics like trauma, and likely if there is a fee I am able to ask an organization to sponsor it. Of course this depends on how big these training sessions are. These areas are typically big enough to spread out for break out sessions.
Conferences of course work at hotels and hopefully have big budgets to accommodate for break out rooms.
Considering parking is always an issue and is partially responsible for stragglers, so I try and get somewhere that is easy to park.
There are pop up community work spaces all over Louisville that offer changes of scenery and may spark more intentional dialogue, in my opinion.
The two places that I have chosen to post a discussion are: community colleges/schools: Benefits: In my experience when going to trainings at community colleges and schools the trainings are often free. The seats are adult sized, tables are adult sized, bathrooms are nearby for when needed. Smart board available for usage. The challenges are: not knowing where the training may be especially when you are attending a larger campus and departments are spread out. The other challenge is travel, making sure that you allow yourself enough time to get to the training and to find the location and another problem maybe parking.
Place of worship: I used to worked for a religious agency and when trainings were hosted at a place of worship, it wasn’t unusual to have the trainings there because the place of worship was a central location near offices. At the places of worship there are adult size seat as well, and bathroom are available. Food have been provided on days of training. Challenges for the ones that may find a place of worship offensive, inform the trainer days before the training (as soon as you are informed of the location of training). With having a training at a place of worship that may also mean traveling time for ones that place of worship is not the central location to offices and depending on how big the place of worship is, parking may be an issue.
I have had training in a childcare facility and a bed and breakfast.
The benefits of the childcare facility are the people that are closing the facility can make the training due to already being there. The facility has familiarity, with co-workers during training, you can discuss relations to training within your facility.
The cons of a childcare facility are the seating is small and uncomfortable, restrooms are child size, training would have to be after facility closes or when it isn’t open, which may not work for some employees.
The pros of the bed and breakfast are- very comfortable seating, food can be prepared, plenty of room to move .
The cons of a bed and breakfast are- interruptions, people coming and going, phone ringing, may not be adequate parking.
Community colleges
Pros: Plenty of room for lunch/stretch breaks; may have food available onsite
Cons: May be difficult to locate the correct building; may be difficult to locate restrooms
Places of worship:
Pro: Likely to have adequate parking
Con: May not have needed technology
Pro/con: depending on size, all participants may or may not fit comfortably in meeting area
Libraries and local colleges are both great locations to hold trainings but can both have downfalls. A library as well as the local college will both have plenty space for large and small group work and typically have great multimedia equipment and ample internet connectivity. The local library should have ample but because it is open to public just like the college so that could lead to distractions and extra noise. The local colleges’ parking lot may be far away from the desired building causing some accessibility problems.
Hotel: One benefit to having a training at a hotel would be the large conference rooms available. There is typically rooms that are large enough to move around in and have adult size seating. A possible challenge could be parking or it being too crowded. With using a hotel it would be best to make sure that there are no big events happening around town that would make the hotel too busy.
Child care center: For those that work in the center it would be convenient and less travel time but also could make for a really long day. I think that it feels good to be out of the environment that you have spent your whole day in. If this had to be your choice of locations, then possibly using a room that is separate from daily usage. Sometimes finding adult seating could be an issue as well.
I have attended trainings at conferences centers and I have attended trainings in small office spaces.
The two main advantages of attending a training at a conference center is adult seating and more than one adult sized restrooms and plenty of parking. Two of the disadvantages to such a large arena is its often less personal and if the tables are round you sit at an awkward angle so that your back is not to the trainer.
Two advantages to attending in an office space is small group size which allows for more in-depth discussions and interactions. Drawbacks are limited room for moving around, limited parking, and restroom access.
I have attended trainings at a child care center and have found that not having adult-size tables/chairs is uncomfortable and can hinder learning. Also, when this training is held after a long day of work, participants may not show up super excited to give up their evenings. I do like the idea of training in a classroom, especially if there are materials and examples in the classroom being used.
Whenever I attend trainings in large conference rooms/hotels I find that I am always cold, and now that Im getting older, it can be hard to hear if no audio equipment is used.
I think regardless of the type of room being used it’s important to let participants know ahead of time. For example, if it is in a child’s classroom, then I can plan ahead and not wear a skirt. If it’s in hotel or confrence space then I can bring a jacket or dress in layers.
Places of worship can be beneficial by having plenty of rooms, chairs and adequate bathrooms, but for some individuals the symbols, messages, and images can be uncomfortable. There may not always be flexibility to change room setup or move furniture. Typically parking is not a major issue and accessibility is appropriate.
Community centers can vary (in reality, all locations vary) but in one training I attended the space was too large and the sound echoed quite a bit. Technology can be a friend or enemy when support is not readily available. These places usually have plenty of tables and chairs, as well as parking.
Whatever the location, a trainer should ask as many questions as possible about the space and if possible, visit prior to training day to properly plan for execution. I acknowledge this is not always possible, so one must make one’s best attempt to think of everything that might be needed and simply be flexible and prepared for most anything by having contingencies ready.
Child Care Centers:
Pros- Able to use hands on examples from the child care center. When I have had trainings in a child care setting in the past, it was nice to be able to walk around and use the classrooms for break out sessions or search and find activities. This setting is familiar to child care workers and may make them feel more comfortable to participate.
Cons- If you are not fortunate enough to have training on a Professional Development day, or your center is not apart of the school district, you have to worry about finding adequate space that does not disrupt nap time or other normal instruction for children. Holding training at a center will also disrupt child-staff ratios making it difficult for directors.
Hotels:
Pros- Various room sizes to utilize for different training scenarios which allow for trainers to choose a location. Hotels also allow for child care workers to take a step out of their work environment which may help to allow them to focus on training exclusively.
Cons- Requires travel and hotel stay expenses that some child care facilities may not be able to afford. Requires large public gatherings which will not be safe for quite some time.
Places of worship- This can be a benefit because it can be welcoming in a smaller area and may have a more laid back feel, which makes participation easier. It is also a benefit because the building may frequently not be used during the week, which makes it easier to have times to use. One drawback is that it may make people feel uncomfortable depending on the religious beliefs of the institution and the local community. A second drawback may be that being at a church or religious building may send an implicit message that encourages cross talk or side rails about religious beliefs/ideas.
Community colleges- One benefit is that the college will have classroom areas, technology, and may even have people to assist and supplies. Another benefit is that this may allow for networking with the early childhood program to allow for even more training to be offered to the community. The drawbacks are that being in a college may make some feel self-conscious depending on their history. Additionally, working with the schedule of a community college can be difficult as there are a wide variety of times that include traditional hours, nights, and weekends, as well as college events that may require the whole building.
I have attended training at community colleges/schools, hotels, libraries, and meeting halls/ community centers. They most beneficial location of training I have attended training at is at meeting halls/community centers and hotels. This is because it is easy access to bathrooms and easy access to technology needed to technology needed for the training or presentation. Also, there is accessible seating for participants and easy parking.
When training child care workers at their center or another center it can beneficial to the staff but some issues may arise like parking and adequate seating.
I’ve used a number of Facilities for group education or training, from church halls to state of the art high tech auditoriums. While latest technology can be amazing if you are familiar with it and able to use it well, there is something to be said for the intimacy of a small round table meeting or discussion. I’m thinking right now of the several meeting areas that are and have been available to use through the organization for which I work. When I first started, we had trainings and meetings in a small room with tables in a circle. Everyone had a table before them for writing or using a computer, and everyone had visibility of a large screen hooked up to a computer for running programs videos or power points. There was a VERY small kitchen just off the room and a bathroom nearby. Pros were that we could all make eye contact with one another and speaker could see us all FTF. Cons were that the meeting was right next to someone’s office, as well as a door to the parking lot, so there were some distractions and interruptions. And the bathroom was TOO CLOSE 🙂 to the meeting spot. Another distraction. Currently we are in a much larger facility and there are “modular” meeting spots available, depending on group size. What I love about the space is that it is well lit and private, with few distractions. The computer set up is very easy to use and there are multiple screens so everyone can see well. The kitchen access and bathroom location are convenient but not in a place so as to be distracting to the group. A con for me is that the tables are elongated (rectangular) and all facing forward in the room MOST of the time. The speaker can see faces, but the participants can’t see each other as well. Sometimes we move a table or two aside in order to create a “circle within a square “. This can work as long as the group is not too large. The way the rooms are parceled out sometimes makes you feel very closed in when you are in the middle meeting area.
I favor doing trainings at Child Care centers, especially if they have adult chairs available because during the trainings I have used the center classrooms to refer to points in our training. Also, if training is done at the participant’s center, there is no travel time especially if the training is happening right after the center closes for the day.
I have had trainings in our local library and county library and people seem to not enjoy the extra travel time from their centers. It is not as cozy as a center environment as well.
I have attended trainings at all of the listed training locations. There can be pros and cons to all of them and maybe not the same from one day to the next. Pros and cons alike can be space, lighting, internet, seating, parking, bathrooms, snacks and food, climate, etc.
I have attended trainings mostly at community colleges and child care centers. There can be many pros and cons to both sites.
For community colleges, I feel that the adult space for learning is what helps with a successful learning environment, but can lack the child care aspect that might be helpful to reinforce topics.
For child care centers, I feel like it’s a great reflection area to look around to see what might be helpful to the topic of the training, but it isn’t a space for adult learners.
I think child care centers are ideal for trainings when it is about specific topics such as learning environment, curriculum, material, or anything related to what occurs in this type of facility. Plus, staff do not have to worry about transportation or adding time to their work day, if the training is held before the day closes. Now, child care center might not have an adult learning space (like an auditory or a lounge big enough for all personnel to attend a training) so it would have to take place in a classroom, which can be disrupting and uncomfortable because of the size of the room and furniture.
Libraries are also a nice place for training because it is an academic environment which invites to learn and it is quiet and free of major disruptions. Location can be inconvenient for some participants, and I have noticed that the rooms in libraries, or schools, tends to be colder than desired for most people, which is uncomfortable and may cause distraction.
Child care centers have pros such as staff does not have to travel to another location, material is available for examples, no cost to reserve a location to train in, staff should feel comfortable in their environment. Cons would be parking space depending on size of group, child size chairs and restrooms..
Pros of a motel plenty of room to park, plenty of space for group, restrooms available, adults tables and chairs. Cons would be cost- traveling to location, renting the facility, renting the technology to use, and maybe interruptions.
I have attended trainings in many environments. The two environments I have attended the most are child care settings and libraries. I have found that there are numerous pros and cons to both.
Child care settings offer a familiar environment to those attending the training. Often the training is worked around the schedule of a child care worker. Depending upon the training, the facility itself can be used as a learning tool. There are several issues with using a child care facility for training. Unless you are in a very large facility, having tables and chairs that are adult size for all the trainees can be an issue. Space for a large number of trainees can also be a problem as most centers use every space for classroom use.
Libraries are offer spacious meeting rooms with plenty of adult sized chairs and tables. The space is generally quiet and free from distractions. The issues with using a library are driving to the location and parking. Because trainings at a library can happen at any time, schedules are not always taken into consideration.
I have taken trainings multiple places but the two places I chose to talk about today were community colleges and child care centers. When it came to the community college it had some great benefits of being close to home and multiples people and the space for the actual trainings to take place was amazing. The challenges were that the parking was horrible and finding the location of the class or the trainings was difficult for some. When talking about the child care center I would say that the benefits of that space was little to no travel and we knew the space and most of the people in the class/training. The challenges I felt could also be knowing the people because sometimes that leads to distraction from the trainings.
I’ve attended training at Training Centers. The benefits: parking, on the bus line, spacious, great technology, and great arrangement. The challenges: cost of training and location.
Trainings at Places of Worship benefits: like the environment and setup. Challenges were: location, not on bus line, not enough bathrooms and access into the facility.
I have also attended training in many environments.
I personally like a small, educational settings such inside the regular classroom or childcare center. Trainings in the classroom are excellent because you can access/reference the educational resources already on hand, gain a deeper understanding of the technology already available within that particular classroom and ask questions about how to best use those resources in the classroom. Child size seating and small bathrooms are not a concern for me personally, however, this could become a concern quickly with more than 2-3 teachers attending.
Trainings in larger settings such as hotels and community centers often require travel. Materials are not readily available either. However, these locations are great for networking, mobility, and parking.
I have enjoyed many trainings in our school Library. You still have a warm, comfortable, educational environment, but also plenty of space to move around. Wifi is readily available and the tech is usually on hand to help resolve any issues that may arise. Teachers can easily leave the library and break into small groups within the classrooms throughout the school. After a certain amount of time, teachers can come back together in the library to share ideas.
Regardless, I think it’s fun for teachers to attend trainings in a variety of small and large settings!
Yes! I agree with you! I like the smaller settings for trainings as opposed to the bigger, even though both hold pros and cons. Smaller settings are more personal and intimidate, which could encourage discussion amongst participants. However, our libraries or smaller community centers here have limited parking, and hours of operation, which could be a challenge for booking and reserving space when trying to accommodate others.
I have attended trainings at colleges. Pros include: a lot of parking, good exercise (big campuses), multiple restroom facilities, Tech savvy (good connections for presentations and up to date equipment) and meals can be catered by the college.
Cons include: finding the correct building of the training can be difficult with large campuses and you may have to pay to park if there is no on campus parking.
Hotel- they are great for the space and the possible accommodations that come with this location. A downfall could be due to the hotels location, other events that may be occurring in town, etc.
Library- great meeting rooms and usually in a centralized location that is easily located (experience). A downfall to this location can be the foot traffic that occurs. Since it’s public anyone can come and go and depending on the location of the library, the space may not be as large as preferred.
Childcare center
Benefits: Familiar Setting for participants. Classroom can be used as real-life example for the training.
Challenges: Child size seating can be uncomfortable. May not have the technology on hand to present the training, or have the facilities necessary for a larger group of adults (restrooms etc.)
Community College
Benefits: Already set up for adult learners, have facilities for larger groups. Usually have the correct equipment for training as well.
Challenges: Location and parking can be an issue for participants. There can be a lot of other foot traffic as well.
I have attended trainings in banquet halls and hotels. The pros of each of these are they are spacious and have great parking! There is usually comfortable seating and accommodations to care for personal needs are often convenient.
Some deltas for these locations can also be size. Visually, some may not be able to see presentations due to the large crowd and lack of surrounding technology. With these large audiences, activities such as small groups and think-pair-shares, are limited. The temperature of these settings can also be uncomfortable.
I have attended trainings in both community centers and child care centers.
The benefits for a community center include ample parking, seating for adults, usually a large space for presenting, onsite technology (laptop, projector, sound system, etc.), and it is normally somewhere accessible to everyone. The cons are that there may be multiple events happening as the same time as the training, and that people have to attend.
The benefits of a child care center are that there are usually plenty of table/chairs, the group usually works in the center so there is no travel time, and the group sizes are normally smaller.
The cons are that the seating is usually child sized, and that there is not normally onsite technology so the room may not be set up in a way that is conducive to learning.
I have mainly attended training in Hotels and childcare centers.
The pros of hotels – plenty of space, access to bathrooms, vending, etc., good parking.
Con’s – other people coming in and out looking for their conference/conference room. Also, noise is a major variable.
In childcare facilities, there are access to materials to reference, access to centers for reference, and usually a good amount of space.
Downside: Child-sized equipment, making extra sure to not disrupt anything/leave anything behind.
I have attended trainings at child care centers and community centers.
The benefits of training at a childcare center are that employees feel comfortable there and it is free to use. A challenge of this environment is that it is usually meant to accommodate children (small tables and chairs). This can be uncomfortable. Another challenge is that the center may only be available for trainings at strange hours when there are not children present.
The benefit of having a training at a community center is that there is often a lot of seating and tables available. There may also be technology available to the trainer. One challenge with community centers is that it may be costly to rent for a training. Another challenge is that it may be difficult to find an open availability to rent the center.
I have attended trainings at hotels and childcare centers,
Benefits of hotels: No additional travel necessary, often other amenities offered, room can be configured as needed.
Cons for hotels: additional expense incurred, scheduling may not be as flexible due to other groups needing the space.
Benefits of Childcare centers: Staff present are familiar with surroundings and real-time changes can be made to environment.
Cons for Childcare centers: often only child size furniture available and few adult size restroom facilities.
I have attended trainings at Colleges, hotels and libraries. Pros are parking, snacks, audio and visual and all the technology availably with Wi-Fi onsite and seating options.
Deltas for the colleges and hotels are the size. It is hard to always see their visuals. I feel that when I am always looking at a screen it isn’t the same effect as being right in front feeling like I am part of the training.
I’ve attended trainings at a Child Care facility and at a College.
Pros for the Child Care setting: You are in the environment where you can use items in the room to help train. If the participants are employees at that program, they do not have to commute and they may feel more comfortable in their everyday environment.
Cons for the Child Care setting: If it’s during the day, you may have some participants distracted with the noise of children or parents. Depending on when you are doing the trainings, some participants may be burned out for the day.
I’ve attended trainings at hotels and places of worship.
Pros:
Hotels – usually have a conference room or other space large enough to accomodate all attendees, and furniture/amenities are appropriate, convenient and adult sized.
Places of worship – usually located in a convenient place within the community, and often have a large meeting space to accommodate size of group.
Cons:
Hotels – trainers have to bring all activities/materials with them, and sometimes can’t control the environment (too hot/cold, lights too bright, etc.).
Places of worship – facility might not be able to meet technology needs, and meeting in a place of worship can be off-putting to those of varying beliefs.
The majority of the training I have provided and received has been located in hotels. Some of the disadvantages include, travel distance, expense, inclement weather, and sometimes parking can be a problem due to additional expense. For the most part, the rooms tend to be spacious with large presentation screens and and audio-visual support from hotel staff. Other advantages of a hotel or conference center next to a hotel include the ease of having your own hotel room close by, onsite food or nearby food choices, things to do and see, as well a networking with other colleagues.
I’ve attended at both childcare centers and libraries.
Childcare Center:
Pros- items are usually easily available for easy hands-on and role-playing. They also have the benefit of putting you in the mindset of how you can apply what your learning and also helps you to see how things can potentially play out in the child’s daily environment.
Cons- The area usually isn’t large enough for many participants and then you deal with the fact that there usually isn’t enough adult-sized chairs and tables to properly facilitate the training.
Libraries:
Pros- usually enough seating for the participants to increase verus a childcare center, and also they have large rooms.
Cons-You can’t have high volume levels and unless you’re targeting a specific demographic, some feel out of place attending
I have trained primarily in child care centers and churches. The benefit to the child care center location is that it’s convenient, teachers already are familiar with parking and how to get to the training, and teachers tend to be more comfortable in the familiar setting. The centers that I have trained in also had conference rooms with adult seating and appropriate technology, so there was very little downside there. Another plus there is that because the management there is already familiar with how to use the technology, they can help the trainer if they run into difficulty. The one downside in this situation is that teachers may feel tired of being in the same surroundings they have already been in so much.
The other location, churches, have its upsides and downsides. The churches I’ve trained in often have more comfortable seating, but sometimes it is less flexible (pews that can’t be moved, for instance). I also feel like some people might be uncomfortable learning in a religious environment, and that could be distracting. The churches I have trained at also had less access to technology. In addition, because churches are public spaces, they might not be as secure. In one training I did, we had an incident where a mentally ill person came in and refused to leave; they were used to coming in to the church and didn’t understand that the church facility was being used for a different purpose that day.
I have chosen childcare centers and meeting halls/community centers as the top places I plan on presenting trainings at.
The great things about having it at the childcare center is that there’s no travel required and it’s a “safe” space for a positive learning environment. The drawbacks are that training times would most likely need to be outside of business hours, which could be difficult to schedule, and many centers do not have a room large enough to fit all staff (comfortably) to train.
The great things about training at a meeting hall or community center is that they are large enough to host groups of many sizes and also have materials to aid in training (whiteboard, microphone/speaker system, etc.). The drawbacks are that they can be costly and transportation and/or parking may be an issue.
The two places that I have attended the most trainings are at a community college and a childcare center. When thinking about these two places, they both have their advantages and disadvantages.
One advantage of having a training at your child care center is that it is convenient. Many times you are already there and the training can be done at the end of the day. Staff do not have to make other arrangements so that they can attend. Also, most childcare centers are full of materials. This is beneficial if the training has anything to do with learning environments, activities, or ECKERS trainings. The disadvantage of having it at your center is that the rooms are often very small. Furniture is child sized and not comfortable to adults for long periods of time.
One advantage to having a training at the community college is the space. There is plenty of room for tables and adult sized chairs. It can easily accommodate your entire group.. These spaces can often be reserved for hours or days depending on how long your training will take place. The disadvantage to this is that depending on your area, it may not be close to you. In my area, I have to drive over an hour to get to the trainings at the local college. Your centers may also have to close so that staff can be present.
I had always preferred trying at my center when I had group training.It was familiar to the staff and negated any drama over attending. The only training I attended otherwise was for myself at different places other than daycare but I switched to online training over the last few years before I retired
I have taken trainings in hotels and schools. Both have the pros of cafeterias/spaces reserved for serving food to a lot of people. Another pro of having them in hotels would be that you’re ready to get into training right after breakfast. The other pro to having them in a school is that there are already classrooms there for people to do break out rooms and maybe even have different trainings going on in different rooms. A con of both is that there may be other people in those locations throughout the day, so there may be limited space sometimes. Additionally, staying in a hotel that you’re also taking a training in means there’s basically no going outside. A second con of having trainings at a school could be a lack of resources for your training based on what the school is able to offer.
Most of my trainings have been done either at the center I work at or sometimes at a rented meeting room at a hotel.
Actually using the center as the location can be beneficial because you have so many resources right at your finger tips to use as props/ examples/ reference to etc. and can use real life situations from the physical environment being used. That being said I have always been most uncomfortable at those trainings because the furnishings tend to be child size and become a hassle after a short amount of time. I find my focus drifting because I can’t stay in a position for very long with out adjusting. I am bent over trying to write notes etc.
Meeting rooms are great for parking, using technology if needed with projectors etc and having adequate space as well as adult size furnishings but for me a major draw back has always been that then you are removed from the child care environment and the training can feel stale and will not have access to toys, examples, and the rest of the physical environment the center could provide.
The two places where I have attended the most trainings to reflect upon are hotels and libraries. A benefit of hotels is the comfort. They have been built with the idea of catering to large groups of adults. The meeting rooms are spacious, have ample and comfortable adult seating and tables, can be arranged prior to meeting however you request, have toilet facilities, AV equipment usually, often food and beverage offerings and staff to assist. The major downside is the cost. Another downside is the meeting room space often needs to be reserved far in advance. Libraries are similar to hotels in regards to having space devoted and created for adult meetings but on a smaller scale. The benefits are comfort, AV equipment often, adult seating and tables, specific meeting rooms that can be arranged prior, and low if any cost. Downsides are size is much smaller than a hotel in terms of capacity, there may be staff but limited in terms of providing assistance, the rooms need to be booked far in advance, food may be able to be brought in but rarely available directly through the library.
The places I have attended for trainings are my physical center and a church dining hall. A pro of having it in the physical center is that it is somewhere we felt comfortable in the surroundings and we knew where materials were when we needed them. A con was you couldn’t get everyone in the center an adult sized chair, so some had to sit in kid chairs or on the floor. A pro of the church dining hall is that there were plenty of tables and chairs and plenty of space to spread out. But a con was that the few of us who didn’t go to that church were uncomfortable with the area since we didn’t know where most things were and were unfamiliar with the space.
I have experienced training at many locations, including child care centers and conference rooms in other locations. Benefits of training in a child care center is everyone who is typically slated to attend knows the center/staff and feels comfortable there, and that they do not have to travel out of their way to attend. Cons can include comfortable seating, and the often long days when having to train after work or outside of work hours. Benefits of a conference/training room in another location is having a fresh location, with adequately sized tables/chairs. Cons could be the potential additional cost, and the fact that it may be more out of the participants’ way to travel.
Libraries and community centers have both been great training places I have attended. They are normally easy to locate and the parking is easily accessible . Each of these places are in a central area to most of the people in attendance. Community centers have ample space with adult size table and chairs. Some libraries I have been to offer smaller settings but still a good option for a more intimate training group. In my experience both community centers and libraries have the technology to show presentations and have internet access.
I have attended trainings in many different types of locations. Two locations that stand out the most are a community college and a hotel. I prefer training at a community college because there is always media and technology hook ups that make utilizing digital training platforms easier. Community colleges are also usually set up for learning and have table arrangements that support group work. The biggest issue I have experienced at these types of locations is that parking can be a nightmare and sometimes people are ticketed for parking infractions.
I have also experienced some very large trainings in hotels. It was very convenient for guests who travel from out of town to be able to leave their car in the structure and simply come downstairs for training. Hotels usually have large conference rooms that support larger groups of people. It can be challenging to keep people engaged in those large settings but it is also a great way to have many professionals together at one time.
One good place for training would be a community college or school. The benefit of this facility is that you would have applicable space for people to be able to spread out and could even host more than one training. This is also a place that could a good learning environment with little distraction and somewhere that you could provide accommodations easily. A Challenge that you could possibly face would be that the times you could reserve a college classroom or school would have to be after school hours or perhaps on the weekends which could provide problems for some who need the training to be during weekday hours. Another challenge you may face is that Community colleges are often spread out, meaning that it may be too far for participants to travel.
Another options for a training could be at a hotel. A hotel once again provide applicable space and often they have large conference rooms that can be partitioned off for smaller groups if needed. This could also provide useful for those that have to travel for trainings that are farther than they would like to drive in a day. This also would once again allow you to do multiple trainings.. The challenges that one might face could be that hotels are usually busy, which means lots of distractions. Hotels also may not be the best place to host due to the fact that you may not have the materials handy to do accessible accommodations.
Because I have just started my training journey during the pandemic, I have not attended or facilitated any in person trainings. However, I used to work in the public library system and public libraries would likely meet the needs for most trainings.
Pros: Most libraries have public meeting spaces available for reserve that can accommodate either adults or children (a variety of furniture is usually available). These spaces often have various supplies needed for trainings as well.
Cons: Not a private space. Meeting rooms are subject to availability.
One place I have trained is the Administrative Office of the Courts building in Frankfort. The facility has all of the technology you could need, and the rooms are easy to rearrange. The downsides to the facility are that you must pay for the space if you are an outside agency, and you can only have access to the space during regular business hours.
Another facility where I’ve hosted a training is a hotel ballroom. These rooms are spacious which is great for spreading out and typically have nice acoustics. The downsides are outside noise, if the room is close to a kitchen or other conference space, and the fact that you are required to make all decisions with hotel staff, which can limit your spur of the moment creative solutions to problems that may arise.
My experiences have been at child care centers & at meeting halls/community centers.
Child care centers~
Pros ~ easy to get to/familiar space for workers/no travel/comfortable location for those that work there, aka “home base” feeling.
Cons ~ space is limited/ child size seating is often all that is available/crowded depending on the number of participants/center must be closed for the day(s) of training.
Meeting halls/Community centers~
Pros ~ abundance of space/ more bathrooms available/ adult sized chairs, tables & toilets/ able to social distance/able to do stretching exercises/easier to break up in groups with more space to move.
Cons ~ could feel too big or overwhelming depending on the number of participants, travel time and or distance/ tech support needs to be brought by trainer in most cases (visuals, smartboards, screens, projectors, microphone, etc…)
Using libraries would provide a well known community location for attendees. The low noise level would be an asset to the trainer, and multi-media products (such as TV, smartboard, etc.) would be readily available.
Cons would be the noise level for the library patrons. Size of the community rooms tend to be small and usually only accomodate 8-10 people. It’s unlikely snacks and drinks would be permitted.
I love training out of town and where there are overnight accommodations. I find the participants are excited to be away from the day to day, it provides them with some experiences they may not otherwise get and they are then excited about learning. I also feel that provides the best environment all the way around. Aside from out of town I like libraries where you can give them opportunities to do projects and get up and move about the library looking for resources. The adult accommodations are usually better.
Places I am not thrilled to train are in the center itself. Participant seem to get distracted easier, they have typically already been there all day and want to go home. Often the furniture is not adult friendly. I also dislike college classrooms as they often are too big for the group size.
I have attended trainings at hotels and college classrooms. Both locations are usually handicap accessible, have technology set ups, adult restrooms and seating. The hotel training was easy to find and had available parking. The training on a college campus was a little confusing to where it was held and difficult to find parking. I would be concerned that both would charge for use of the space.
Local libraries often have a good training space that can accommodate smaller (25 or less) numbers of people. These are great training spaces in that they are community based and if doing a local training they would likely be a convenient drive for participants. A drawback to using a local library would be that child care staff would have to leave their centers in order to attend. This would limit the time trainings could be offered.
Child care centers/ preschools are another option for a place to hold trainings. This can have benefits, such as familiarity with the environment for the trainees. It would be convenient in that they would not have to drive anywhere else to receive the training. Also, when trainings are specific to one center or preschool, trainings can be individualized to the smaller number of participants. Drawbacks to these locations often include lack of a training space large enough to accommodate adults. Adults are often stuck sitting in child size seating or at a cafeteria table. There are also distractions in this space. Center managers are often not able to stay fully present in these settings because they are pulled away by other business needs and priorities.
Most trainings I have attended have been in hotels. One benefit of training in a hotel is that there is usually sufficient space for different trainings, and for people to be comfortably spread out. Another benefit of trainings in a hotel is the accommodations. It is nice not to have the stress of travel and parking just before training. Challenges I have experienced in this kind of training are in hearing. Sometimes in large rooms and poor quality microphones, it is hard to hear the speaker. Another is in temperature control in large areas. Sometimes large training rooms can be too hot or too cold, which detracts attention from learning.
I can see where training at a meeting hall or community center would be beneficial for the right sized group. It may provide space more conducive to group discussions. Challenges could be not having needed equipment already at the facility or not having as many options for room set up, depending on the size of the facility.
Benefits to using space at community college or a school, would be it may be free or at low cost for the training space, and another benefit could be the size of the space, these types of environments usually have spaces that are a variety of sizes. Challenges could be the noise level, for example colleges and or school can have a lot of people moving about, coming in and out which could cause so disruption. Also finding parking could be a challenge depending on the location, and if it’s a smaller college or school.
Benefits to using space at a hotel, could be the same as school and community colleges as far as having a variety of size spaces, and another benefit is if its a longer training were you would need to provide food, hotels usually will give you a food package option. Some challenges are the cost typical tends to be on the pricey side, Also if it’s a bigger hotel it could be a challenge for people attending to find the meeting space, lots of walking.
Some benefits of a childcare center could be that since most likely the training would be for the staff , it would be convent because they would already be at the center. Another benefit would be that if it is for the staff it would not cost to use the space. Noise level, You could hear crying ,educators teaching, and children playing. Another possible challenge is the time frame in which the training could take place.
Benefits of using the library for training space, the space is usually already setup with table and chairs. And since it is a public space you should not have to pay to use the space. Challenges, limited space and space not being allow for much privacy. Also Libraries tend to be no food or drinks, so that space would not work if you were going to provide food.
Hotels often work as great training locations because they often have large open meeting rooms that can be arranged to meet your needs. They also typically have Wi-Fi, large projector screens and tables/chairs available for use. With that comes potential challenges. Fees for renting out a Hotel are often times a barrier, as well as the lack of ability to control the temperature of the room.
I have attended trainings at hotels and child care centers. Pros of hotel is convenience and space. For most trainings, I had to travel so it was very convenient to stay at the hotel where the training was as well as restaurants/shopping within walking distance. The space accommodated a large group and provided needed technology. Cons of meeting at hotel is sometimes acoustics are not the best, parking, and temperature in training room.
Training at child care centers were after work. Pros are no travel involved and convenient for staff.
Cons are child size furniture and small rooms/limited space.
Child Care Centers:
Benefits: Participants already on location & Space does not cost any money.
Challenges: Small furniture & not enough space for all participants
Libraries:
Benefits: Neutral ground & Quiet environment
Challenges: Transportation fr participants & not large enough space for all participants
With adequate notice, trainings held in hotels, with amenities provided, are often exciting and conducive to learning. It allows the participants to separate from their jobs and homelife, to focus on their own passions, in a room with others who are likeminded. Some challenges can be transportation and childcare.
Trainings that take place in the center are definitely convenient and rule out any surprises about the facility and accommodations. However, since staff spend so much of their time in centers, it can make it feel like they have not gotten a break from that space, which makes it harder to engage in learning.
As I was reading everyone comments I have to agree that a Child Care Center and a Community Center are the two places that i find the most difficult about having a training. For the comfort and focus in a child care center and the lack of privacy and time limits and possibly poor acoustics of the Community Center.
Libraries can be a good place to host trainings. Found in most all communities and typically centrally located, libraries are accessible and generally easy to find. However, room availability dates can be challenging to navigate and sometimes there are food/beverage restrictions permitting no more than bottle water in the room.
Hotels are a good for hosting larger meetings, conferences, etc. Sessions taking place over multiple days are easily accessible for lodging participants. Also, meeting rooms in hotels can be modified to the needs of the trainings and presentations, from small classroom sizes to larger settings in the ballroom for keynotes. One major downside to hotels is the cost. It is very expensive to reserve meeting rooms and inclusion of meals for events is even more costly. Also hotel meeting rooms aren’t always the most comfortable. The seats are pretty standard and often small, and though they may be cushioned, it can still become uncomfortable after a period of time.
Holding trainings at a childcare center is beneficial to the staff because they are familiar with the setting and they will be comfortable to open up. Plus, the center is local and easy for them to access it. Holding trainings at the center is usually done free of charge, so you won’t have that fee to deal with. One drawback of this setting is the staff have been at work all day and they may be ready for a change of scenery. You may not be able to rearrange the room setting to make it more accommodating for your training. Another drawback is the table and chairs in the room is not appropriate for adults. They may be uncomfortable and likely to have some distractions.
Libraries can be a very beneficial place to hold trainings because you will have access to wi-fi, media content, overhead projectors and etc. Another benefit of holding a training at a library there won’t be a charge for using the facility either. The furniture will be more suitable and comfortable for your participants. One drawback that I see with using a library is there will possibly be others there and may make it hard for the participants to concentrate. Using this setting, you may not be able to offer childcare for the participants. In order for some to attend after hour trainings, they would need some form of childcare.
I have been to several trainings that have been held at child care centers. One benefit of having a training for educators in a child care center is the availability of materials and allowing specific knowledge on how to incorporate training information in their actual work environment. Another benefit would be the convenience of location for the attendees. A challenge would be comfortable seating and environment. Another challenge that may arise would be distracted attendees. If the training was held in their room, they may feel anxious about all the visitors.
I have attended many trainings at a convention center. The benefits of these were large rooms that could accommodate many participants and many facilities such as restrooms, snack options, etc. The downfalls of the convention center were that the rooms sometimes allowed too many participants and the acoustics of the room were not always conducive to learning.
Most trainings I have attended have been at libraries and child care centers.
Libraries
Pros: Typically easy to find within a community, ample and free parking, handicap accessible, accessible and adequate restrooms, free wifi, access to a variety of tools to use for workshop, often have differing spaces (small or large) depending on training group
Cons: Travel and time away from work to attend, often need to book far in advance
Child Care Centers
Pros: easily accessible to participants, familiar with environment, can easily plan into work day
Cons: Child size tables and seating is not suitable for all, distractions to those who are employees of particular center, does not provide a space for trainees to regroup after work prior to training
Any training location will have its benefits and its challenges. For example, providing a training course in a childcare center may be just as beneficial, as it can be problematic. It may serve as a familiar environment with great opportunity for specific examples. However, depending on the center, they may not have access to adult seating or the space available to accommodate staff in a training setting. In addition, training in the center may require providers to close the center to accommodate trainings.
Choosing a training location at the local library, may be easiest, but can still possess some potential challenges. A library can provide ample space for large groups to disperse and move about freely. Technology is usually paramount in these settings, as well. On the flip side, if your training group is smaller, it may be too large of a setting. Depending on what part of town the library is located in, parking can be a problem in some downtown areas. In other areas, parking is plentiful.
Benefits:
College/School: Classrooms are set up as a professional learning environment and seating is typically comfortable with ample work space. Parking available.
Hotels: Offer large meeting spaces arranged per your instructions. Food and lodging are available if the training requires travel and/or all day participation.
Challenges:
College/School: Depending on the time of year, availability might be limited. Parking might not be close the building.
Hotels: Cost could be high; temperature of the room is not always easily managed.
The benefits of a library (public or school one) are that they can have enclosed conference-type rooms that can accommodate ideal sizes of training participants (15-20 people). Also, if participants are coming from different neighbors, the library can make it as a nice centralized place to meet. The quietness of a library may be a of benefit but that can also be a con because if the training needs to have a certain amount of noise and verbal engagement, then that could disrupt others frequenting the library. A child care center has the benefit of being a convenient place for participants because they don’t have to travel somewhere else and can stay on site after their work day (should their training be in the evening). The downside is that the furniture size, and perhaps also the physical space size, may be too small and not comfortable for a training.
I selected hotels and meeting halls. Both of these settings for me pose both the same pros and cons.
The hotel pros would be the location. When we have to travel out of town it is the convenience of having the training located in the same place as housing. The space and comfortable seating is a plus. The cons are usually the temperature in the rooms. The presenter doesn’t always have control over the temperature and oftentimes I’m freezing and lose focus on what is being presented.
Meeting Halls are similar. They are usually easy to locate and not far from home. The rooms are spacious and comfortable as well. The multiple bathrooms are a big positive as well.
Cons are at times moving the tables around in a more conducive way for a particle training isn’t always possible along with the temperature of the room.
The two facilities that I chose were child care centers and community college spaces. Two benefits of child care centers are 1) The location for childcare workers to be able to stay in the place they are employed and 2) Some of the materials that I may use to train would be readily available. Two cons of this space are that the child-size furniture available is uncomfortable to use and there isn’t much space to move around. For the community college space, I think it provides adult furniture and classroom settings that would be accomodating for small and large groups. But, it does not provide for hands-on experience in a child’s classroom and it makes participants have to travel to the location.
I chose childcare centers and libraries.
Two benefits of training in your center are
1-pretty much everyone can get there on time, as trainings are typically held after work.
2-If the center is well stocked, then I can use the classrooms as examples and allow teachers to split into small groups throughout the building.
Two benefits of training in a library are
1-Comfortable seating (most childcare centers have child sized seats)
2- It’s quiet.
Two cons of a childcare center are
1-It gives the feeling of “being stuck at work” longer than you usually are and participants aren’t as engaged
2- seating can be uncomfortable and the bright decor can be distracting to learning.
Two cons of a library are
1-Participants must travel for training
2-There are often community events going on .
Libraries are always a great option because they are often a centralized location. While it is great to meet at the childcare center that you may be training I also believe that it gives the feeling of being stuck at work!
I believe that 2 great options are community centers and local libraries.
Community centers
Pros- Amply space and adult sized amenities.
Cons- May have to travel to and from. Community centers are more prevalent in urban settings. Also my require a fee to use space. Often a lack of Technology.
Local Libraries
Pros- Amply space and adult sized amenities. Rooms with doors. Technology usually available.
Cons- May have to travel a ways to and from.
I chose Hotels as one of the options for a training location.
Hotel
Pros: Nice, large rooms. Comfortable seating. Flexibility of room size/arrangement. Sometimes, light meals and/or snacks can be provided by the hotel as well, limiting participant travel. If it is a large training, or conference, lodging available at the hotel for participants may offer additional convenience.
Cons: Cost, potential travel for participants.
I also chose Child Care Centers as an option.
Child Care Centers
Pros: Convenient location. No fees.
Cons: Scheduling conflicts, time when staff would have availability to attend.
Collège the classroom can be changed to how you want to present training tables for group work. Trainer should have access to internet and have visual needs such as projectors.
Con: If on a Saturday must work with M&O to get doors unlocked / If during week parking could be an issue
Libraries: Pro if training a particular area can use branch closest for participants/ Typically have meeting areas
If after hours cannot get access
The two that I have chosen are Childcare centers and Hotels.
1. One benefit of using a childcare center is that it is usually local and people are familiar of where it is at. Therefore, the building is more accessible for people with transportation issues or cannot drive far distances.
Another benefit is that the childcare rooms can be divided up for small groups. I recently attended a training that was at a childcare center and each room had activities in them. People were able to rotate and participate in each of the activities. Then we all met in the common area to reflect on what we had done.
2. One con of using a childcare center is that there isn’t much availability. Since there are children in the centers during the day. Participants typically have to use their evening times to attend the trainings. Additionally, not a lot of availability to practice and set up for trainings when children are in the building.
1.Hotels provide lots of space for bigger trainings. They usually have lots of seating and tables that can be arranged to fit the needs of the event. Additionally, they tend to have a large staff that is able to move items for the space.
Another pro to using a hotel is the use of lodging. If a training is multiple days the participants can stay at the hotel and conveniently attend at the designated times.
A con to using a hotel is that it usually at a high cost. There may be stay costs, renting conference room costs, food costs and more.
Another con to using a hotel is that the trainers have to be aware of the hotel policies and make sure all participants are following them as well. If a hotel is not happy with how participants used their property it can lead to a bad reputation for trainers.
I have completed trainings in a Community College training room and in a Theater. Two benefits and two challenges for each of the facility types that you chose to reflect upon.
One benefit of the Community College trainings: there was retractable walls that help having multiple trainings in the same area. Another benefit, the smaller rooms felt inviting.
One challenge was the trainer from another room was loud and it made it hard to focus. Another challenge, in one of the trainings, the trainer didn’t take the size of the room in account, we didn’t have a lot of space which made it uncomfortable.
The other training I done in the Theater.
One benefit was having a lot of room to feel comfortable. Another benefit was the dim lighting of the room was calming.
One challenge, the space was too large for the amount of participates. They was spread out to far, which made it difficult to hear for whole room conversation. Another challenge, was the echo of the room. It was hard to focus, when it came time to small group conversations because there was too maybe people talking and the room echoed.
I chose Child Care Centers and Libraries:
Pros for child care Centers: 1. It’s a space people already feel comfortable in 2. It’s a convenient place for people to get to.
Cons: 1. Finding enough adult seating can be an issue. 2. having adequate technology hook up is often a challenge in a child care center.
Pros for Library: 1. It’s free to schedule space there. 2. it’s a quiet calming atmosphere
Cons: 1. it may be a space people aren’t as familiar with. 2. It may be hard to schedule a time because it’s a space shared by the community.
I chose to reflect upon two facility types: childcare centers and hotels. Both of these facilities have benefits and challenges and I think that it’s important to note that one size does not fit all when it comes to training.
Training in a childcare center can be quite beneficial, especially when the trainees are educators at that facility. Being in their own space allows educators to examine and reflect upon their physical environment during a training session. This can be incredibly valuable, depending on the content of the training. However, this can be a hindrance for other participants who are not employed at that center. Those participants may feel out-of-place. Additionally, child care centers usually do not have enough adult-sized seating and tables to comfortably accommodate a full staff training.
Another training setting is a hotel. Hotels are excellent choices for large scale trainings such as national and regional conferences because there are usually several large meeting spaces that can accommodate large numbers of people as well as a variety of different training sessions and topics. Training at a hotel can also contribute to educators’ enthusiasm about the content because they are in a new and exciting space- especially if there are restaurants or other amenities nearby! The challenges that face hotel-based trainings include logistical complications due to large-scale planning and the high cost of hosting a training at a hotel.
I have attended many great venues for Professional Development Trainings. The most recent one I attended was in a very large convention room. The pros of these particular venue was that there was plenty of space for people to sit comfortable at their own tables. Another pro of the venue was that it was able to accommodate a large number of people therefore making content more available to others.
Two cons of this venue was that since it was large it was often times hard to hear because of side conversations and temperature control was very difficult.
The two training locations I have chosen are Hotels and Schools
I have completed trainings in hotels/Arena and loved every bit of it. The hotel was in my hometown, and was downtown with other places in walking distance. It was a great place to be during the summer while on break. The hotel had spacious training rooms, a few large conference rooms for us all to fit in and some smaller rooms for different training classes for when the large group broke up into smaller groups. Having the trainings at a hotel allowed the teachers to feel like they were getting a break from work, able to get away from the centers and explore a new place and sights. There were restrooms near by, restaurants near by for breaks.
Parking for the hotel/arena might have caused some challenges or problems for some due to them having to walk a little further than normal. I didn’t think it was too bad unless it was raining.
My agency recently had training for a week in a high school. The benefits of having training at a school is the many classrooms for smaller session trainings. There’s plenty of bathrooms to access, a cafeteria to have morning meetings, breakfast and lunch.
The challenges or problems having it in a school, there’s no place near to walk to during breaks for sight seeing. Some might feel it is child like being back in a high school for trainings, it’s not as fun or exciting.
Childcare center – participants don’t have to travel anywhere and the other benefit is they are familiar with their environment.
Down side: adult seating and familiar can be too familiar and thus boring. Makes for a long day in one place if you do an evening training.
If there is a lounge and some adult seating, that would be ideal. I even thought perhaps teachers could bring in their own folding chair (and I could bring in a few). I also think that if participants are up and moving, the familiar setting is more easily tolerated.
County extension offices:
This has been a great place to host trainings. They are spacious and have great restroom spaces. They also usually will let me pick up a key on Friday and there’s a drop box I can leave the the key in when I’m done on a Saturday. We have even used the facility while they are present during a normal work week. The downside to that, though, is I have to remind participants to be quite when in the lobby or leaving the building. Also, they don’t always have a great deal of parking spots.
Hotels may provide flexibility of the space or have larger meeting spaces, working internet and adequate parking and food would be allowed within the space. However, hotels may come with a higher cost for the training and the furnishings within the space may be limited (round or banquet tables only).
Libraries often have time slots that you must register for which could limit times of trainings and I have found that food and drinks cannot be provided within the space. I have also found that unless explicitly asked for, technology for projection may not be available. However, there are multiple sizes and configurations of space as well as available internet.
There are pros and cons that come with each training location, so the trainers must consider these before choosing a location. For example, a trainer may select to use a child care center which may be easy to access/get to for the trainees and usually provides free parking, but may also not have enough adult-sized seating or bathrooms or may not have access to technology required for the training. Another example is when considering a place of worship as a training site, the pros may be that there is amble comfortable seating and free parking, but it should also be considered that trainees might not be comfortable in a sanctuary of a church if they have had bad experiences or the available rooms may not be laid out in a way contusive to optimal learning.
Although I have always enjoyed trainings that have taken place in childcare centers or small board rooms, it is often not large enough to seat the number of people registered for the training. They have adequate facilities, however, they may not provide technology that is dependable to use. Additionally, their hours may not be conducive for the training offered. These suggestions may offer a nice price tag, but they will not always meet the needs for the training.
Although I have always enjoyed trainings that have taken place in childcare centers or small board rooms, it is often not large enough to seat the number of people registered for the training. They have adequate facilities, however, they may not provide technology that is dependable to use. Additionally, their hours may not be conducive for the training offered. These suggestions may offer a nice price tag, but they will not always meet the needs for the trainer.
I have been to trainings in all kinds of facilities. I think having adequate space and tables to work on were two factors that made a big difference in how well the trainings went. Churches and places of worship as well as local libraries are places I have attended trainings that had definite pros and cons.
Libraries:
Pros
1. Cheaper to utilize
2. There is normally space for things like smaller trainings
Cons
1. May have curious patrons not affiliated with the training
2. Sometimes the spaces are too small.
Churches
Pros:
1. Space
2. May be cheaper to utilize
Cons:
1. Sometimes don’t have enough or any tables
2. Some people may be uncomfortable with being in a church depending on their affiliation and religion.
I have had trainings in colleges and universities. The pros are the physical layout and technology available are designed for longer lectures and presentations. Cons are times could vary and may not be best for certain individuals schedules.
Also, I have attended trainings at daycares. Pros are you know that the individuals present have recent childcare related experiences which can result in good discussions. Cons are related to the physical environment of the facility because many childcare facilities are not set up for presentations or trainings.
I have attended trainings at both meeting halls and child care centers,
Meeting Halls are beneficial because they hold a large amount of people. There are be many rooms as well for multiple trainings to occur at once. One drawback from meeting halls, at least in my case, would be that staff may have to travel farther to the location.
Child care centers are beneficial for short trainings. They are convenient for the staff. They will have all of their supplies handy. However, it is not ideal for long trainings because the seating is usually small and limited.
Trainings at universities have both benefits and challenges. Their facilities are often very comfortable (adult seating) and have current technology. As far as challenges, participants are usually required to get parking permits and training facilities may not be located near designated parking areas.
Trainings at child care centers have both benefits and challenges. Resources and materials are easily accessible for visual aids and hands on activities. Participants feel at home and comfortable in their surroundings. As far as challenges, even though participants are “comfortable” in a familiar environment, they may not have access to adult size seating for long periods of time. They may also prefer to get away from their day to day routine and be inspired by a new and fresh atmosphere.
I have held trainings in church fellowship halls. They have the space and the adult seating needed. They are handicap assessable and parking is not a problem. Some times the technology is not the best. I have done training is a college class room and in a college cafeteria that had side rooms. The side rooms were not the best because you could hear other presenters in the other rooms. The class room worked well do to plenty of space and the technology was good. Some times going to the head start is good due to convenience for the group. Other times they want/ need a break from the class room and want to attend elsewhere.
I have attended trainings only at hotels, conference centers, and at a church. I have listed pros and cons for hotels and churches below.
Hotels:
Pro – Usually offer various size rooms to meet various needs.
Con – Can be a little noisy depending upon what other events are occurring at the time of your training.
Churches:
Pro – Usually provides a quiet environment.
Con- May not have adequate space for your training.
Trainings at Universities/schools have the benefit of having spacious & multiple rooms and resources/materials that could be used readily (smartboard/technology, office materials, printers, etc.) Some challenges of having trainings at universities would be having to reserve a room, due to availability as well as making sure protocol is conducted correctly (e.g. signing in & out of office, placing items used in appropriate classrooms, etc.)
Trainings at Hotels would have the benefit of having more choices of rooms to conduct the training as well as giving the trainer and attendees a more spacious place to move around, especially if the trainer has planned activities for them to do. Two challenges would be if you had some attendee’s leave, the trainer may not notice and another would be Hotels are busy. There’s a lot of traffic happening inside and that could be a disruption to the trainer & attendees.
Trainings at a Childcare Center would have the benefit of (depending on the topic being presented) showcasing current things that are happening in childcare classrooms and another would be easy access to materials (curriculum, office supplies, etc.) Two challenges would be smaller space and could be busy with parent/child pickups, if training is occurring during the day.
Trainings at Libraries have the benefit of being in a community based site and having readable resources for attendees to check out, if they are wanting more information on the topic being presented. Two challenges would be having to reserve a room and making sure the training is quiet enough for others that are visiting the library.
Trainings at a Meeting Hall would have the benefit of an open concept area for all that are attending and being in the community. Two challenges would be possibly paying to use the space and not as much technology or access to materials.
Trainings at Places to Worship would have the benefit of use of multiple rooms and allowing training to happen in a atypical place. Two challenges would be some attendees may be hesitant to attend, as not everyone is religious and another would be making them uncomfortable and not feeling present during the training.
I have attended trainings at hotels and libraries. Pros and cons are stated below.
Hotel Pros:
-Nice big conference room with comfortable tables and chairs
-Sound system so you can hear the presenter well
-Technology readily available and free wifi
-Meal is usually provided or you are close to food options
Hotel Cons:
-It is usually cold. Not sure why, but I always bring a sweater!
-Sometimes the room feels too big and a bit sterile
Library Pros:
-Free wifi and readily available technology
-large conference rooms
-Clean bathrooms
-Usually a comfortable temperature
-You can browse the books during breaks!
Library Cons:
-Food options depend on the location (some have cafes/vending machines and others do not)
-Some libraries have rules against food and beverages in their conference rooms
-Could be loud/chaotic next to a children’s department
I have attended trainings in small conference rooms and hotel conference halls.
Small conference rooms allow for collaboration, open ended questions and a better understanding of the topic due to the intimate setting and possible hands on learning demonstrations. The training would feel more like a conversation. Unfortunately, small conference rooms can be intimidating if you are completely new to the topic and asked to contribute to the conversation.
Large hotel conference halls are less intimidating, and you can feel more relaxed to just listen. On the negative side, hotel conference rooms don’t allow for open dialogues, and it is harder to gain clarification on a topic if you misunderstand a concept.
The benefits of having a training at a local community hall located inside a bank is the availability of visual aids and private/safe wifi. The room is spacious with adult tables and chairs. It has plenty of parking space and bathrooms that are located close to the room. Some cons to this room are once again the size. Although it can hold a big group there are limitations to how many people can comfortably fit at the tables. Also, you have to schedule the event so there is a risk that the place could be full and in use.
The benefits of holding a training at a childcare facility is that it is a comfortable atmosphere for the adults attending, materials are available there if you want to give teaching examples and there is no need to travel and worry about parking. The cons are child size tables, chairs and bathrooms.
Community Colleges/Schools:
Benefits- there’s a lot of space for people to feel comfortable and it’s a good learning setting
Cons- it can be noisy outside of the room and it may make people feel like they’re in school
Libraries:
Benefits- there is also a lot of room and can facilitate a learning environment
Cons- we tend to associate a library with quietness and others may come in and out of a library
I have only completed a training at a child care center. The benefits of this was being able to see the inside of the center and learning more about the center. The cons of this was it having to be in the evening after the center has closed because we weren’t able to do it during business hours due to children being there. It was a great learning experience.
As an educator, many of the trainings I attend are held in schools. These are great training sites for several reason – they are centrally located, equipped with the things you need for a training and well-maintained. Most are at low-or-no costs. One drawback may be the availability of getting the school reserved due to other activities going on there. I have also attended trainings at churches and those seem to work well. Again – many will let you use for free or at low cost. Churches are well maintained and comfortable. They have a more comfortable feel than the school.
I have attended trainings in several different places such as churches, school auditoriums, classrooms and meeting rooms in a Library. When attending a meeting at my local library it is nice because of the location. Also, it’s nice because you can hear the instructor well and the training size is usually small. A negative is there isn’t much up to date technology, which is nice to have when presenting. Another training location is a school auditorium, and I don’t really see any positives with this location. Some negatives are its hard to hear if the microphone is not working correctly, cannot see what is being presented and large number of participants.
The two most common places I have taken training is at a college campus or at my own centre.
The pros of the college is the space and ability to gather a lot of people from different areas together. This I always find helps me bring new ideas back, not just from the presenters but also from those I have met.
The cons can be the travel to get there and if popular trainings are over booked I sometimes do not get the most out of the time spent there.
The pros of doing training at my own home centre is that it is a comfortable place and my guard is down which helps me be more open to sharing during training. Another pro is that I tend to work close to home so travel is much easier for me.
Cons of this is lack of adult space, including a room big enough to accommodate all staff as well as adult furniture. Another con is that this type of location is usually just with your core staff and you are not getting the outside ideas from professionals you do not know.
The two most common places I have taken training is at a college campus or at my own centre.
The pros of the college is the space and ability to gather a lot of people from different areas together. This I always find helps me bring new ideas back, not just from the presenters but also from those I have met.
The cons can be the travel to get there and if popular trainings are over booked I sometimes do not get the most out of the time spent there.
The pros of doing training at my own home centre is that it is a comfortable place and my guard is down which helps me be more open to sharing during training. Another pro is that I tend to work close to home so travel is much easier for me.
Cons of this is lack of adult space, including a room big enough to accommodate all staff as well as adult furniture. Another con is that this type of location is usually just with your core staff and you are not getting the outside ideas from professionals you do not know.
I have attended trainings at the child care council, child care centers, churches, high schools, and conference rooms in hotels. I prefer to attend trainings in larger spaces like the conference room at a hotel because it allows the participants to have more space and not feel as crowded together. It almost meant that there were adequate facilities and parking, and the space was well maintained. It also helped that it was well prepared for the A/V needs because they host these events often and were used to providing microphones and a projector.
The downside to doing it there is that many more people attend so it can feel less personalized and can be more difficult to ask questions of the presenter. They are also typically held on weekends rather than in the evenings after work, so it starts to eat away at an employees personal time.
When I attended a training at a local church it was close to the childcare center at which I worked, which meant that it was fairly convenient to everyone attending. It was also held in an auditorium style room, so the seats were comfortable and the facility was nice. The difficult part was that the seats folded down like a movie theater, which meant that if we wanted to write anything down or take notes we had to hold a notebook on our lap and that made it more difficult. It also made it harder to speak with those around us because it meant leaning across someone. One of the reasons I go to these trainings is to network and meet other professionals, and sitting in an auditorium seat made that really difficult.
I have mostly attended trainings at universities and conference centers for NAEYC and DEC conferences. The cost of parking at big city conference centers is prohibitive. Trainings at universities usually means free parking for attendees, but the trainer/facilitator needs to work with the university parking office to get free parking for attendees. Both venues usually offer technology help and appropriate adult sized seating.
The two I chose to discuss are libraries and childcare centers.
Libraries have free parking and most of the time some of them have a large room that is free of charge to have meetings or trainings. The library I live close to has personalized rooms, so it doesn’t disturb others in the library. On the downside, you would definitely have to do your research on the libraries in order to find one that would fit your needs. Also booking in advance would need to happen in order to make sure you grab the space needed.
I have attended a few trainings at childcare centers. I honestly believe these are the best settings to be in. You are able to utilize hands on materials without having to pack up and tote many things. Another benefit is being able to use the facility as a model or etc. throughout the training! On the downfall, some childcare centers don’t have the space to hold a large group of people. Sometimes parking may be an issue. Lastly, when trainings are done at childcare centers, they usually only offer the training to coworkers who are employed at that location.
The two training places I chose were the public library and the local board of education.
Both are comfortable as far as climate control, furniture for adults and size of training room. The cons for both can be parking is difficult during the day. However the board parking is better after 4:00. If we did the training after 4:00 pm, the daycares would not have to close early.
Both facilities are up to date on technology and it is easy to use.
I currently am training on a more individual level. When training on a group level I am going to start by training in their childcare centers. The pros to that are ease of access and the ability to practice skills in the environment that the skills will be utilized. A con may be finding time to provide training that is convenient for everyone. IN the future I would like to offer a community training for several childcare centers at a central location. Pros would be an opportunity to network with other providers, being able to train multiple locations at the same time, and facilities would be geared to adults. A con would be practicing the skills outside of the natural environment doesn’t always generalize as well.
One pro of holding training at a daycare the location of the training can fit the educational topic that aids in visuals, and hands-on learning and can allow for an assessment to be done like assessing the playground safety equipment. The second pro of holding training at daycare is time management for staff right, having the training to start right after the closing of a daycare.
One con of holding training at a daycare center is a lack of focus due to being in a participant’s classroom thinking about things that need to get done. The second con of holding training in a daycare setting is the lack of adequate spacing for adults to space out and do activities.
One pro of holding training at a business conference room is the area is set up to provide food (if needed for late evening training right after work), drinks, enough bathrooms, and the capability to use electronics. The second benefit is adequate parking to accommodate the participants.
One con of holding training outside of daycare is the possible time the room is available.
The second con of holding a training outside of daycare is the lack of hands having a setting tailored to daycare for examples and hands-on activities related to a classroom o, diaper changing station.
The two places I enjoy the most for trainings are hotels and city centers.
Both are very large comfortable spaces. Hotels also have smaller rooms incase you want to break out into breakout rooms. I also personally enjoy when I am staying in the hotel that the training is held at, that way I can go to my room on breaks. City centers are very spacious. They most of the time have comfortable seating. They also normally have several food options for breaks as well.
Cons for both places is always parking.
Every location has attributes that impact the quality of any training. One thing that has always been tough for me is when I cannot hear a presenter well, so I really look for locations that provide for the basics of being able to hear and see the presentation clearly. Additionally, I think all learners attend better when they are comfortable.
I compared hotels vs. childcare centers/classrooms:
Hotels have the benefit of typically have features that are comfortable (good parking, plenty of restrooms, easily accessible, etc.) and they are typically set up for effective meetings. However, not every area has adequate hotels to serve this purpose and at times the cost of using a hotel is prohibitive to the trainers.
Daycare rooms have the benefit of being on-site of the staff to be trained and if an opportunity to utilize the classroom to extend training arises, it can easily be done. But a daycare or classroom is typically not comfortable for adults and there are often interruptions to training since staff remains in the building.
I have presented only at child care facilities and at resource and referral agencies’ training rooms. There are many disadvantages to presenting at a child care facility (as people have already said, insufficient adult seating which necessitated participants’ sitting on the floor, my needing to bring my own equipment). There were two advantages — which of which turned out to be a disadvantage — is that participants feel “at home” (In my experience, they felt so “at home,” it was a challenge to elicit their focus and engagement. The second advantage was that I was able to see what their classroom environments looked like.
There are many advantages to using a resource and referrals meeting room — they often even already had a “comfort kit.” They are set up for training. The only disadvantage was that I sometimes had an hour commute when I did training for small, county-based resource and referrals.
I was discouraged to read that some people in our field are still using the term “day care” — this does not reflect the professionalism of the field! Ugh!
Childcare Centers – Pros: convenient location if training teachers at that specific facility, familiarity, environment/materials for hands-on learning; Cons: child-sized tables/chairs, only use evenings or weekends, lack of technology for presenting, small, no child-care
Community Center – Pros: technology for presenting, lots of space, someone sets up tables and chairs for you, bathrooms, daytime use available; Cons: Cost, more formal setting may cause people to be intimidated, busy/difficulty getting day/time you need
I have chosen to discuss trainings at places of worship and libraries.
Places of worship usually do have rooms available for both large and small groups. They also have adult restrooms and seating in the training rooms. One con about holding a training at a place of worship is just that, it’s a place of worship. Not everyone may feel comfortable in a place of worship. An additional con is parking, not all places of worship have a lot of parking, so depending on the number of people attending, a place of worship may not be the place for your training.
Libraries are nice in that they do have adult seating/tables and restrooms. They also have access to wi-fi if needed. The libraries I have been to have screens and projectors available, so you may not need to haul your own. Libraries, can be busy and sometimes noisy. Parking can also be an issue and libraries usually don’t have a room for a very large number or participants.
I believe if a training is at a childcare center, there needs to be adult chairs and tables brought in. It is a con that adults would have to sit at small tables and chairs for a prolonged amount of time. A Pro would be that many would be comfortable in that environment and have access to materials, but the cons outweigh the pros in this instance. There could be issues with timing of training, bathrooms, parking, etc.
Another place for a training that I have often encountered is an adult education building or a room at a high school of the same community. These places will usually have wifi, adult-sized chairs and tables, multiple restrooms and parking. However, there can be difficulties if food is provided and timing of the training if regular classes are going on.
I chose hotels and community colleges/schools. I think hotels usually have really good spaces and access to areas for snacks and/or food if you are having some type of conference. However, hotels can be pretty pricey and people can get lost if you do not provide clear signage as to how to get to the specific training room.
I also like community colleges/schools. The facilities usually have lots so classroom space to chose from and they will have classroom equipment you may need like monitors for a powerpoint, or flip charts. However community colleges/schools can be hard to access. Parking is usually a nightmare and participants typically have a long walk before reaching the specific classroom.
I see the benefit of using a Meeting Halls/Community Centers: because of the rooms and having many tables. That would be true of Hotels and Libraries and Community Colleges Schools. Having everything at your Disposal is easier for us the Trainer.
In our Head Start we have rooms for training and many resources for trainers to use, and its easier for our own staff to be here instead travelling out of our area.
But I am all for having trainings in Hotels away from work.
I have had trainings at a local college and Library’s.
The pro’s for local college-It was normally a good location for all the child development cneters.
Parking, bathrooms and seating arrangmetns was very accomdating.
Con-The availablity of the rooms, with other programs and agency’s using the same location.
-Scheudling around their events or programs.
Library-Same as college-Location and availability
Con-Parking and bathrooms aren’t normally good for a larger training.
-Size of room and location of room at the library being easily accessible to the public.
I have found that I most enjoyed trainings that were housed in either child care centers or places of worship.
In child care centers I felt very comfortable due to being in one daily. I also liked that it gave me an opportunity to visit other centers within my community and make some professional relationships. That being said on more than one occasion I have been to a training at a center where there was a very off-putting smell. That made it very hard to concentrate. Also sometimes centers do not have enough adult sized chairs available for all the participants,
Places of worship always seem to have their schedules very well organized and are set up for the training. They also are usually extremely clean and have plenty of adult sized chairs and big people bathrooms. On the down side I can image that they may be an uncomfortable place for people not of that denomination. Churches also often have more than one event going on at a time and can sometimes be very busy and loud.
Child care centers: Pros are that staff do not have to travel elsewhere to attend a training, they are familiar with the facility (restrooms, exits, etc.), and avoiding travel may also save time for participants. Cons include possibly lacking adequate adult-sized furniture, crowded space, and lack of separation between work/training which can exacerbate fatigue.
Hotel/conference centers: Pros include likely adequate space for participants to move freely, adult-sized furniture, and separation from the daily work environment. Cons are that such facilities likely have monetary costs, participants must travel to the training location which may be further than their workplace, and that there are no child-friendly materials, which I often rely on when conducting a training.
Conducting trainings at a local library had not occurred to me prior to reading these posts. The library I frequent does have a nice conference-type room; I assumed it was only used for library functions. The benefit of training at a library is it are quiet, has plenty of parking (usually), and is not typically very busy, which eliminates some distractions.
Hotel
Positive: Nice and spacious and was equipped with technology for us to use. It was near restaurants which made it convenient to grab lunch during a break.
Negative: The trainings were in different rooms on three different levels. Finding the correct training and with hotel guests to manuever around made it frustrating using escalators/elevators.
Community Center (Convention Center)
Positive: Nice and spacious and was equipped with technology for us to use. All is one level and can be rented for just our workplace to attend. Food can be catered eliminating people having to go out for lunch.
Negative: Most meeting rooms were partition walls meaning that sound traveled easily causing disruptions. The convention center was expensive to use in our hometown so we had to find other convention centers to use which requires travel time for employees.
I have had meetings at libraries and community centers. These are located in the middle of the county so people will not have to travel far. the library does not hold as many as the community centers, but it depends on the number I expect to attend. The challenges of these two would be the technology and the transportation. These places are in the center of the county, but several families in this area has no transportation. There are times we can supply transportation, but not all times. Technology in these two buildings is a challenge also. If we need to get on a computer, we ask for them to bring laptops, and then, in some cases, the internet doesnt connect.
My suggestions were also libraries and community centers. My challenge was not having a projector in the meeting rooms in the library but I never thought about having folks bring their own devices and using the library wifi. Also, I didn’t put on my comment that meeting at the library would be a way to encourage all participants to get a library card!
Potential Training Location:
Child Care Center
Positives:
*Convenient for most staff. The staff are knowledgeable about the location and how long travel time would be for
them and possibly have the option of staying after work to attend which would eliminate additional travel
*As a business, it should have appropriate parking and restroom facilities.
*Free of charge
Negatives
*Adult size furniture including tables and chairs
*Enough room to house everyone in one training area, classrooms are generally crowded.
*To ensure child safety, trainings would need to be presented while no children were present
Meeting Hall/Community Center
Positives:
*usually no cost or low cost
*Adult size furniture
*Parking and restroom facilities
*Multimedia assessable
Negatives
*The designated Location may not be convenient for all, participants may have to travel
*Available dates may be limited
I believe the best facilities for trainings to be at daycare centers and churches. Of course the benefits of daycare centers are endless. It’s very helpful to get into the rooms to see how they are arranged, boards displayed and the learning centers . The worst thing is the seating for adults. I have attended trainings that suggest bringing in a camping chair to sit in.
Churches are also good facilities because they have a lot of rooms. The parking is usually good.
Hotels:
(benefits) The space is typically adequate and staff helpful and accommodating- providing water and answering questions as needed
(challenges) When there are multiple trainings or events going on at the same time and the rooms are only separated by a divider it can get noisy. Sometimes there are also issues with internet connection
Centers:
(benefits) The environment is representative of what we do as early educators and is generally convenient. There are materials nearby if needed
(challenges) If you meet in a classroom most of the chairs are small, which can be uncomfortable. The overall space may be small for an adult meeting space
I have used a conference center and child care centers.
Child Care Centers
Pro: Familiar, maybe an opportunity for personal/group coaching on classroom environment.
Con: Enough adult seating, bathrooms, technology constraints.
Conference Center
Pro: Moveable tables, comfortable seating, vending machines, accessible bathrooms, technology already set up.
Con: Parking areas may be far away or not handicap accessible. No temperature control. Other sessions may be distracting with temporary walls.
Childcare center: pros- they can practice skills in their own space such as ECERS-3. Familiar with their environment
Cons:- not enough adult sized furniture, limited access to bathrooms/refreshments
Hotels: pros- adult sized seating and accessible bathrooms.
Cons: shared walls can make it difficult to concentrate on the speaker in your room. Sound can be a problem, even with a mic, if people don’t use them properly.
Community Colleges/Schools
Pros:
*Multiple Rooms to split off into various trainings
*Rooms to have large groups of trainees
*Access to technology
*Free and large group parking
Cons:
*Cost
*Availability -may not be available during certain days and times
Places of Worship
Pros:
*Large room for large group trainings
* Rooms for breakout session
*Free parking
*Cost maybe cheaper than other venues
*PA system already in place
Cons:
*Attendees may feel uncomfortable
*Technology may not be accessible
*May not be able to present certain content
The two locations i chose are libraries and hotels.
Two benefits of using a hotel is that there is plenty of space for training participants leaving more room for group participation and activities. And another benefit is that sometimes food is offered from the hotel and technology such as wifi and computer screens/ projectors which always makes trainings and breaks more efficient and convenient for both participants and trainers.
Two cons of using a hotel could be lack of privacy or confidentiality due to it being a public place and accessible to anyone. And another con could be that one can be easily distracted being at a hotel with so much space and so much going on.
Two benefits of a library are that you have a nice quiet hopefully private room in the space to conduct effective training with limited distractions being that the library is naturally a quiet and low energy space. And another benefit would include its open to the community and other people who may need the information may be able to attend as a resource.
Two cons of using a library include that their may be limited time to complete training due to other community events that occasionally happen at the library. And another con could be that the space is alot smaller due to all the books and other community needs held at the library space.
My workplace has their own confrence rooms where trainings are held. We also utilize our school locations when the children have been picked up. Two benefits of the office is that it is free and it is easy to book ahead of time. Two cons are that it is not in an easily accessible location for some and they book up very far in advance. Two benefits of the school is that they are also free and they are well known locations by staff and families. Two cons include the limited time window for use and the size of the rooms.
Hotels and Colleges
Hotel Pros: provide adequate space in their rooms. Which allows a great space for those to work in large and small groups. Technology is accessible and usually available.
Hotel Cons: not always free parking. Can be confusing where to go as some hotels are very large and busy. Also hard to keep confidentiality as the hotel is a public space. Hotels can be costly.
College Pros: Similar to Hotels, they have rooms that provide adequate space for small and large groups. Free parking. Technology is accessible and available. Likely not to cost as much as a hotel.
Cons: may be uncomfortable for some people. Also, very busy and can be easy to get lost.
Childcare Center
pros: staff do not have to travel to a different location, abundance of materials on location, staff might have the opportunity to work in the classrooms and implement new ideas from the training before children are present
cons: could be a lack of space, could be a lack of technology, could be a lack of adult seating
School/College
pros: more spacious rooms, technology used, adult seating, new environment
cons: staff have to travel, it can cost the school or program to rent the space, could be busy on campus or confusing to navigate
I have chosen a childcare facility and a hotel. Being a director I feel that when we use our facility it is beneficial for the reasons that we can be in an environment that supports room arrangement and learning about centers within the facility. We can also use this immensely for our visual learners in every aspect of our training. It is also a wonderful way to have access to so many different materials that we can use as examples within our training. I found that staff being hands on and actually correcting any mistakes within our facility during our trainings is beneficial for them later to have better understanding of centers.
Cons are that we must close early as a facility in some instances. It is also a con that many facilities may not be able to host as many participants as others.
I have also done training in a hotel. This is highly convenient for those of use who are traveling to the location for an overnight training. It is also a great way to offer a large area to accommodate many people for training.
Hotels can be a costly place to host trainings and they may also not be available for the needed dates. Hotels cannot provide us a classroom set up visual either.
I chose hotels and child care centers as training locations.
Hotels have great internet/technology connections and ample parking. Participants can even stay on site, if necessary. However, there are costs associated with renting conference space. Also, hotel conference rooms are usually very large and do not promote close engagement between presenters and participants.
Child care centers are normal environments for the participants. There they have familiar surroundings and feel emotionally secure during the training. The centers are close to home for the participants and require little drive time to the training. In child care setting though, there’s usually a lack of appropriate sized furniture for participants to work comfortably and often times internet/technology connections are limited.
I didn’t think about how having a training at a child care facility could promote a relaxed learning environment for the participants. This is a good perspective to have if you’re trying to engage learners more and create a safe place to learn by making it more comfortable.
Before reading your comment, Hycinthia Carbuccia, I hadn’t really given much consideration to holding trainings in a house of worship. After reading your pros and cons and considering the topic of the training, that might be a useful venue in the future for me. Thank you for opening my eyes to this possibility!
I have chosen Community College and hotels
Benefits of community college are the large rooms that are able to hold large numbers. They are usually easy to find and have IT people there to help as well, especially with videos.
Cons- hard to schedule sometimes due to the college classes and sometimes , staff may have to travel farther than normal to get to the college.
Benefits of Hotels- Usually close to the interstate where people may be traveling from, able to stay in a room, bathrooms easily accessible- food and drink usually included, so don’t have to go find somewhere for lunch
Cons of hotels- could be noisy from guests, especially with swimming pools- can be very costly to reserve.
I chose libraries and community centers. In Fayette County, many public libraries have meeting rooms that can hold varying numbers of people. I think they are best for smaller groups of people, but reserve the largest space so there is enough room to move around. Parking is usually not an issue. There is no fee for use. I especially love to use the public libraries for any trainings related to early literacy. We can just walk right out into the Easy Book section, gather picture books to take back to the room for analysis. The challenge or problem may be the lack of a projector or screen, so other visual aides will need to be used such as handouts or charts.
Many community centers will open their meeting space free of charge, especially if the training is targeted to the early childhood education programs and schools in the neighborhood. When you make a request, you can say that you will send special invitations to the teachers at X, Y, and Z schools. The challenge might be cleaning up afterwards. If you can carry everything back out and there will not be a cost for the center for cleaning up after you, you might be able to develop a good training location partner.
Child Care Centers have an environment that you feel more at home. You usually have your colleague’s attending the trainings and feel more comfortable. The surroundings are more comfortable. Our facility has an in service training each summer and we always do the week training at one of our Head Start sites. The participants are around the people that they work with and have a good relationship. They seem to interact more.
I have attended conferences at hotels or Convention Centers. You get to meet new people and hear their ideas and way of teaching and can get some really good ideas from them to take back to your employees and coworkers.
At colleges, there is usually lots of room and useful equipment you may need, as well as being set with enough tables and chairs. The draw back can be that they are hard to book due to availability and sometimes loud environments.
At hotels, they are large, can be arranged however you need and people will help do that and there is lots of parking. Some draw backs are sometimes they don’t have the right technical equipment you need or they can be loud.
Community Colleges/Schools- Large enough space for activity and lecture, technology issues and not having what you need readily available
Hotels- Large space and easily able to book but also have technology issues and maybe not what you need to set up
Places of worship can be used for training locations as some of them can be quite large and well outfitted with adult size furniture, break out rooms and various technologies that facilitate presentation. Additionally, aside from times of worship they may have greater availability. Things to keep in mind include your participants level of comfort in a place of worship – whether or not they are a member of that church or another, or perhaps and entirely different religion which may influence their willingness to participate.
Local libraries can also be considered as a training location. Similar to places of worship, they could be outfitted with adult size furniture and up to date technology that will facilitate presentation of your material. A downside could be size of the conference rooms, as well as an intrusive noise level for regular library patrons.
Child Care Center:
My first training in a childcare center was a decent experience. The pros were I didn’t have to drive anywhere and I was in a familiar and comfortable environment. The bonuses in this facility was teacher sized chairs and teacher bathrooms. The cons for training in a childcare center were child sized furniture (while we had adult chairs, the tables were still incredibly short) and the mental strain. I try to be an advocate for mental health, especially in teachers, and I found it to be taxing to work an 8-10 hour shift, stay late, and work through training hours. There’s no time for a mental reset and it can be difficult to change gears to focus on a training when you’re tired at the end of the day. (I much prefer trainings that happen on weekends or I request days off for trainings so I don’t feel as though I’m working 2 jobs).
Hotel trainings are 50/50 experience. The pros were there was plenty of parking, there was food available, and the rooms and facilities were quite large. The cons were the drive, the time the training occurred, and the spacing. During my hotel experience, I was a college student and this training happened to be in the middle of the day. I had to skip classes just to get to the training and it was a lengthy drive for me (living an hour from school) and I ended up late to the training. It didn’t make for a great first impression for me and kept me from participating in my other obligations. It was also difficult to hear the training. We were in a ballroom which has no microphones so it was incredibly difficult to hear the speaker. Thankfully they had a powerpoint presentation so I was able to get some of the content that way.
The two training areas that I chose were hotels and meeting halls/community centers.
Hotels are a great place to hold training because most usually everything can be found onsite. The meeting rooms are the perfect size and are outfitted with the appropriate technology that is needed for the training. The participants also have the option to stay onsite if needed for an additional cost. The cons to holding training in a hotel are the additional cost that can be associated with the space. Not only do you have to pay for the meeting room but your participants might need to pay for their overnight stay if needed. Another con to using a hotel space for training is the confidentiality piece of it. With the hotel serving so many people there really isn’t space for one on one or private conversations if needed.
Meeting halls/community centers are a great place to hold training because they are usually within the area where the training is needed. Sometimes with places like these being within the communities, there is no cost associated with using the space. The spaces are usually large enough and equipped with the appropriate furniture that is needed to seat adults comfortably. The cons to using these types of spaces are that the technology needed is usually limited due to the space being free.
The two places that I chose to reflect on are: Libraries and Community Centers, because these are two places that are usually accessible, especially in small rural areas like ours.
One benefit of Libraries is that they are open to the public and often accommodating to early childhood groups (in our area they even host a “Story Hour” that is targeted toward young children and their families). Another benefit for libraries is that they often have equipment you may need for a training such as podiums, projectors, copiers, access to internet, etc. One drawback is that if they only have one meeting space available, you would have to schedule your training based on availability instead of the best need and fit for your training. Another drawback is that they are usually only open during normal business hours, so having after hours or weekend trainings would usually not be an option.
A benefit of community centers is that they are usually open to being rented at any day/time and so the trainer could utilize the space for non-business hours which would make it easier for child care staff to attend. Another benefit for community centers is that they are usually very accommodating for large events, so there would be plenty of parking, conference space and bathroom accessibility. One drawback of community centers is that usually there is a fee associated with using their buildings (whereas libraries or other public places like schools may donate the space). Another drawback is that usually they do not have equipment available such as computers, projects, copiers, and sometimes not even internet.
I’ve attended many trainings at the conference center. The benefits of trainings there are the versatile room set up with different configurations available (horseshoe, classroom, etc.). The rooms are also able to be changed to accommodate large group, small group sizes. Parking is usually enough. A challenge to the conference center is the travel time for staff from different locations.
Libraries in area offer meeting rooms. For a medium to small group this is beneficial because there is no cost and it’s usually in a location close to everyone. A challenge to meeting at a library is the restriction of no food or drinks for some places. Another challenge would be size restriction.
The two places I chose for different training facilities were Libraries and Hotels. Some pros for both places were the open spaces that could accommodate a large amount of people, arranging the tables how they were needed for the training, and both are spaces that are typically in a city for a mutual place for different participants. Some cons for both places were the potential fee that could be associated with renting a room for the training, and if the place was hosting another event catering, parking, and common areas might be crowded.
I have attended a training at an Extension Office conference room. It was an intimate setting. Easy to hear each other. However it was hard to move around and there was no place for any break-out sessions/group discussions.
Another one was in a High School classroom. It had more room. The tables/desks rolled so it was easy to combine into groups or separate back out. However, there was a lot of echo. It was a more noisy setting.
The two places I chose were hotels and child care centers-
I have been to some really great trainings at hotels. They can generally accommodate a large number of people and several sessions at once. The training sessions that I attended occurred many years ago. We were able to acquire all of our training hours during one weekend and had the flexibility of choosing which sessions we wanted to attend. The downside was that travel was involved and it was costly to stay and to pay for the Conference.
When I chose childcare center, I thought of the center where I work. This is nice because you know everyone you are training with. It is an intimate and comfortable environment, so I think that people are more willing to share and more at ease. I think it’s important that training sessions occur on days when children are not present. We were lucky to only have children four days a week, so we were able to have in-service days Fridays or prior to school beginning. Although people are more willing to share with people they are familiar with, discussion might be more limited because everyone is from the same school and people might be distracted by other things they are trying to accomplish within their classroom, etc…
Hotel benefit is that you could be able to travel to new places that you have not been and hear from people who might have different ideas of doing things, plenty of room for adults. Challenges would be that sometimes it is hard to get engaged with the speaker as there are usually a lot of people in those trainings.
Child Care Centers benefit is that it would keep down travel, there are examples within the child care environment, and that staff might feel more comfortable. Challenges would be seating arrangements and less bathrooms, and the parking might not be ideal.
The two locations I chose to discuss are places of worship and libraries. The pros of worship centers are that there is adult seating, plenty of space and good parking. The cons would be scheduling around church events and the lack of access to technology. It would be important to consider your content and needs before reserving the space. A library space is often good for adult seating and availability of technology. There can be problems scheduling around their events and hours of operation and parking can be an issue at random times. Another positive for libraries is that for appropriate age children could possibly be brought with the parent if they are familiar with the layout and enjoy reading or can do homework independently. Another con to both of these would be if they allowed food/drink in their space. Many participants are coming straight from work and are starving, being it has been many hours since their lunch break.
Trainings at child care centers are beneficial because the childcare staff are learning in a familiar environment in which they teach in. They would have the ability to put into practice what they are learning with hands on activities in said environments. This location can also be used at no cost to the program, and would be familiar to employees as far as location goes. The cons would be lack of adult seating and/or table space, there could also be a lack of parking depended upon the group size for the training.
Conference centers are beneficial due to the size of the facilities themselves, and generally adequate accessible parking. Staff also have the ability to sit comfortably in adult seating with access to tables for note taking, etc. This also provides flexibility for small vs. large group break out sessions for the training. Cons would be cost efficiency for the program, little or no access to materials that would be used on a regular basis within the classrooms, and finding a centralized location that would be easily accessible to staff attending the training.
I have attended trainings mostly at Child Care Centers and meeting halls. Child Care Centers are great because they are familiar, and attendees know how to get there. They are also easier for set up since all the logistics are in-house and can be figured out/prepped beforehand. However, challenges include the limited space available as well as the child-sized environment. Meetings halls have more space available, and they are set-up for trainings. However, they may not be located in an easy to get to location and reserving space can be an issue.
Two places I have attended trainings is a hotel and a childcare center.
The benefit of a hotel is that the conference room is spacious and provides enough room for a multitude of people. Also the hotel already had equipment, like stage, podium, projector and microphone. The challenges and problems that may arise is parking and the busy time of the hotel and other guests staying there.
The benefit of a childcare center is that is very comfortable and very home like and familiar. It allows you to do hands on activities if related to early childhood education. The challenges and problems are that there is not enough adult furniture to provide for the adults or have to be rented to use in this space. Also, it could cause a bit of extra traffic if the training is during business hours of the center and therefore you have parents picking up children and people arriving so timing is a big key in this environment.
I have attended trainings at multiple locations. Most trainings are at hotels and colleges community centers.
The pros for the hotels is a change of scenery for staff, so that way they can get their mindset into learning the ability to feel fresh and ready to learn new ideas. The challenges are for others that getting out of their routine and out of their atmosphere into another county or state is hard for them as well as the cost.
The pros for community centers and colleges are the resources, the area and space and being donated. the cons or challenges would be getting the appropriate time for the staff to all come together.
Trainings I have attended at hotels were good experiences. I like to large rooms and tables and seating were very accommodating. Restrooms and parking available. Internet and media seemed to meet the needs of the presenter. I assume most of the cost of the training went to the facility and I would have rather the trainers received more compensation due to the obvious hard work they did in preparing the training.
I think libraries would be a good option for all the above reasons. There may be limited space but the cost might be minimal. It would be easy to manage the limited space by adhering to an appropriate capacity. However if there is a lot of interest in the training, perhaps multiple sessions could be offered. This means the trainer is repeating the same training several times, but a small group has its advantages which can have optimal results in assimilating the information.
I chose a college and a childcare center.
The advantages to using colleges is their space provided and would be easy to provide classrooms for collaboration and problem solving. It also promotes a safe and familiar learning environment. The conference rooms if available would already more than likely be set up for guest speakers. The disadvantages could be a hard to hear due to group size. Another would be if it was a training that lasted longer than a day there is no overnight stay options like it would be if it was held at a hotel.
Training at a childcare center would be beneficial due to having materials and classrooms already prepared and available for example setup and it would be familiar to early childhood educators. The disadvantages would be smaller spaces and less parking and also teaching staff would have limited chances to collaborate and get different perspectives on material depending on group size.
I have attended trainings at a variety of locations. The two I have chosen to highlight are community colleges/ schools and Libraries.
A few benefits of attending trainings at community colleges/ schools are advanced technology, space, available equipment, chairs and tables are readily available. There may also be a variety of rooms to choose from depending on the size of your audience. This may also be an affordable option. A disadvantage is your options to choose rooms may be limited thus being in space.
A few benefits of libraries are it may be free, depending on location the room choices may be big, might have access to advanced technology as well as chairs and tables. A few disadvantages are depending on the size of the library your room selection may be too small for your participants. You may have limited amount of chairs, tables. You may not have advanced technology.
Community Colleges: Pros – Educational setting – Possibilty of free use
Cons – access to technology may be limited – May be out of range for some trainee
Childcare Centers: Pros – The center you work at could be a useful resource
– Great example of set up depending on the age groups trainees are interested in
Cons – May have limited access to center
– Some centers may not have ample space
I have chosen to highlight a childcare center and a library as I have attended trainings in both of these locations.
Childcare center: Pros- very comfortable environment for ECE adults, lends itself easily to conversation as there is a lot to observe. Cons- might not be the most physically comfortable for adults since the furniture is all child sized.
Library: Pros- an environment that inherently promotes and encourages learning, a peaceful and comfortable place. Cons- might not be the most convenient for everyone depending on location.
I have attended trainings at libraries and childcare centers.
The benefits of a local library are that is is close to most community members and it is generally in good repair, with meeting rooms and facilities. A library, however, doesn’t always have hours that are flexible enough to accommodate later meeting hours, which many childcare providers need. In addition, some rural communities will have a long commute to their local library.
Childcare centers allow staff to be in their own environment and go by their own schedule. However, childcare centers rarely have facilities that are comfortable for adults. Having everything “kid size” works for the children, but is not conducive to adult learning. I also feel like training in an area that is truly made for adults makes the staff feel more professional.
I have attended trainings in a school library and in an early childhood center.
The pros of attending sessions in a school library are comfortable seating in configurations conducive to small group work. There is also easy access to the technology needed for the presenter. If participants work at the school, it’s easy for them to arrive on time.
However, if the session is targeting participants from other schools, it can be a challenge for participants to travel to the session, especially if it’s a larger county or region. Also, the temperature control can be a challenge after school hours if the thermostat is set to turn off after hours.
The pros of a session at an early childhood center can be real world examples of student work, room arrangements and management systems. However, the presenter needs to be aware of providing good models for the participants. All early childhood classrooms are not necessarily good models:) Also, staff from the classrooms should be made aware if participants will be in the classroom.
Although some early childhood centers have space with adult seating, many do not. This can be problematic if we are asking participants to sit for an hour or more.
Hotels: the benefits are the space is usually large and everyone tends to know where the hotel is. The challenges are often cost and do folks have to travel.
Child Care Centers: the benefits are that most of your participants are already there and they are comfortable in their own environment. The challenges are that often there are difficulties with adult size table and chairs, and reflecting upon the comfort level-sometimes that can be a distraction to learning.
The two types of training locations that I have attended or done training at is a large Community Center or Meeting Hall and a child care Center.
The Child care center is beneficial due to the fact that staff is already there so they don’t have to close early to come to a training. Unless it is another childcare center that is coming to attend. The staff are comfortable and familiar with the location. The media equipment is mostly likely there, materials are there, often the director will provide food. A disadvantage is parking (if other centers are coming) , child like furniture and bathrooms, space of the centers are small so offering the training to others is limited.
The Community center that I have attended as a participant was a 2 day conference so a disadvantage for some was lodging and traveling. There was a hotel at the bottom of the hill but not everyone could stay there so some had to travel a few extra miles to have a place to stay. Food was offered but there was no choice of food and no special dietary was taking into consideration. There was breakout sessions and each session had different breaks (no scheduled break time) so noisy was a factor. Advantage of the community center was there was a wide variety of fast-food restaurants nearby. Location was excellent. It holds 10,000 people so size was not a factor. Parking was great, everything was adult size, several bathrooms were available. lights were great. A disadvantage but also an advantage was the sound. The rooms were large. If you chose to sit in the back it was hard to hear but sitting in the back was not a must it was a chose. The rooms were large enough that everyone could be close to the front of they chose to be.
The two types of training locations that I have attended or done training at is a large Community Center or Meeting Hall and a childcare Center.
The Childcare center is beneficial due to the fact that staff is already there, so they don’t have to close early to come to a training. Unless it is another childcare center that is coming to attend. The staff are comfortable and familiar with the location. The media equipment is mostly likely there, materials are there, often the director will provide food. A disadvantage is parking (if other centers are coming) , childlike furniture and bathrooms, space of the centers are small so offering the training to others is limited.
The Community center that I have attended as a participant was a 2-day conference so a disadvantage for some was lodging and traveling. There was a hotel at the bottom of the hill but not everyone could stay there so some had to travel a few extra miles to have a place to stay. Food was offered but there was no choice of food, and no special dietary was taking into consideration. There was breakout sessions and each session had different breaks (no scheduled break time) so noisy was a factor. Advantage of the community center was there was a wide variety of fast-food restaurants nearby. Location was excellent. It holds 10,000 people so size was not a factor. Parking was great, everything was adult size, several bathrooms were available. lights were great. A disadvantage but also an advantage was the sound. The rooms were large. If you chose to sit in the back it was hard to hear but sitting in the back was not a must it was a chose. The rooms were large enough that everyone could be close to the front of they chose to be.
I have attended trainings in hotels and childcare centers.
Pros to attending trainings in a hotel is that there is usually a lot of room for group time and the seating is adult size.
Pros for attending trainings in a childcare center is that many materials that you might need are available for you to use. Staff are in their own element and can find the restrooms easily.
Cons to attending trainings in hotels is sometimes the areas are too large and you can’t find your room for the training.
Cons to attending trainings is a childcare center is the small chairs.
I saw all the ones where people said they had attended in a library but I wondered if the rooms were large or small? If they had a fee? Were they allowed to be used in the evening?
I think that presenting in an early childhood center/daycare can have the benefit of having real life exposure to the topic you may be training on- such as being able to see a room arrangement in person. Seeing the room will help the participants be able to have a context for what they could do in their classroom However daycares and early childhood centers do not always have access to adult seats/comfortable seating or areas that allow for group work.
The second setting I like to train at is community college/schools because they typically have access to technology, adult seating that is both comfortable and allows for group work. The challenge in this setting is that sometimes traveling to the location can be difficult for participants and unfamiliar which can make navigating the campus intimidating for the participants.
I’ve presented and attended training at child care centers, and at our local child care resource and referral and training agency.
At the R&R, the benefits were rooms and a facility designed for adult training. Adult sized furniture, movable for different configurations and needs, all accessible training room and spaces, Media and technology set up for all to see and hear, bathrooms and break room, and an on site facilitator to help with tech and logistics.
The cons – location and accessibility. It was a central location in the city with ample parking, but it was difficult for some to get off work across town at 6 and get to training at 7pm.
Child care centers – location convenient for those employees. Familiar facility.
Cons: often not adult sized furniture, hard for all to see the trainer, had to bring all technology and often difficult to set up and use.
The two types of facilities that I chose are conference rooms at EKU and various child care centers in the area. Some benefits of having the trainings at the EKU facilities were plenty of parking, vending machines and water fountains on site, plenty of bathroom facilities for everyone, ample seating, audio/visual equipment, and training materials on site and provided to you by the training department when you schedule a training there. There were really no drawbacks since the facility is available in the evenings and on Saturdays as well as during regular business hours.
The main benefit of having a training at a child care facility, is that the employees are already there at the end of the day they don’t have to leave and go somewhere else. Another benefit would be having child care related items/materials on hand if you need to demonstrate things that may come up during the training, outside of what was originally planned. A couple of drawbacks to that facility would be that there may be limited space for trainees and limited adult sized seating.
Child Care Centers and hotel/convention centers. Two benefits for each is the parking will be easy to navigate and both could offer proximity to where the learners live. Two challenges will be class sizes, one might be too small and one too big, and lastly the technology/furniture might not be what you need or can work with.
The two training locations I chose were a hotel and a library. The benefits of a hotel are that there is a lot of space and plenty of parking spaces. The challenges of the training I attended were when the microphone went out it was hard to hear the trainer. Another challenge was not having tables to take notes or for those who like to doodle to keep their hands busy. The benefits of the library was there was not a lot of noise outside of the room and able to hear the trainer. The challenges in a library were it was a small space, so it was difficult to have small group activities without being distracted by the other group’s discussion.
I think I like to train in is the community college because they usually have access to technology, adult seating that is comfortable, and allows for group work.
environment
The second environment could be at a daycare because can have the benefit of real-life exposure to the topic you’re training on, like being able to see the layout of a room in person. However, daycares do not always have access to adult seating/comfortable seating or areas that allow group work.
The challenge in this environment is that sometimes traveling to the location can be difficult for participants and unfamiliar, which can make navigating the campus intimidating for participants.
​Look up details
Trainers should arrive early and well prepared for their training, have a welcoming environment and the room ready before people arrive and the sign-up sheet on the table for when people arrive.
The two training facilities I have considered are the Lexington Civic Center and our training classroom at our 913 Georgetown Street facility. The benefits of being downtown are that the rooms are spacious and can accommodate a lot of people for our Professional Development days. It is quite a large production, however, because IT and our facilities crew have to transport and set up all of our media equipment, as that is not furnished by the lessors of the facility. There is a lot of food nearby and sometimes the meals can be catered to make breaks and lunches convenient for everyone, and the staff always love being provided for. The drawback of this site is that it is not very accessible for people that may have mobility issues, as there is a lot of walking involved from the Rupp Arena parking lot and once inside the facility.
913 Georgetown Street is a nice facility for smaller trainings. It can accommodate up to maybe 50 people, and all of the needed media equipment is on hand for the presenters. Food can be more challenging for all day trainings and we often ask the adult learners to bring a lunch, as traffic can be somewhat challenging during lunchtime. There are several restrooms close to the training room and people with mobility issues can be dropped off right at the door and not be challenged to walk very far to get to a seat in the room.
I have attending trainings in both hotels and childhood centers. As you all know their is pros and cons for each.
Pro (Hotel)
-plenty of parking/large open rooms
– limited distractions
Cons (Hotel)
– Difficulty with settling up technology
– Distractions from being in a public space (e.g. noises, people walking in etc.)
Pro (Childhood Center)
– Networking with more then just the people in the training
-Being in the child care field, the discussion correlates to the classroom your in.
Con (Childhood Center)
-Small chairs
-Bathroom Facilities
The first place I have done training at are child care centers. These are nice because it feels like a more intimate and welcoming facility. they are usually easy to locate and parking isn’t usually a problem. the drawbacks of doing training at child care centers are that there may not be enough comfortable space for the amount of attendees and to set up the presentation. another drawback may be that everyone is too comfortable at the center and may not pay attention as much (i.e. get up for the “bathroom” frequently and if they are at their own center they may go off to do something else.)
I have taken a training at 4C which I felt was a very good place for training. the area was comfortable and welcoming and the setup was appropriate to promote learning. some drawbacks include trying to find the location and parking. also not exactly sure where to go into the building. I really don’t like getting lost and going to 4C caused a bit of anxiety.
The two locations for training I chose are School and Church.
Pros (School)
* It’s convenient for teachers as it is their workplace, and they know how/where to access materials
*They are comfortable in this environment; the new learning gained from training can be easily generalized to the teachers’ context when it occurs in their workplace
Cons (School)
* It may feel less professional to train in one’s workplace. Teachers enjoy a change of pace, something that is focused just on them. Training in the work environment may feel less important than it would if training took place in a more adult-centered environment.
* Less comfortable places for adults to sit and work.
Pros (Church)
* We are a preschool located inside a church building, so the church is convenient, easily-accessible, and free for us to use
* Plenty of space for participants, comfortable seating, round tables that can be used for small-group discussions
Cons (Church)
* It’s a busy place; space is not always available when we need it
* Some participants may feel inhibited or uncomfortable training in a church environment; it may feel culturally inappropriate to some
I’ve had trainings in a high school (when school was closed for summer break) . I enjoyed both the large and small rooms that we were able to attend . We were able to choose some of the trainings that we wanted. There was plenty of space and lots of parking available.
Some hotels that I’ve had trainings at have been good sources for trainings. But at others the seating was very uncomfortable and we were packed in the room so tightly. It also can get very warm with so many people attending the training.
I don’t enjoy going to a training where we have to find and pay for our own parking and also have to go find our own place to eat. (especially if we are not familiar with the area).
I have attended training in many different places over the years. I find convenient the parking & location along with the size of the place FOR COMFORT OF SPACE.
Two benefits of using a Hotel as a venue for future training is that they are easy to find and are accommodating to adults. They normally have large or small meeting rooms for conferences or trainings with adult sized chairs that are close to the lobby. They also have a surplus of parking space. Two challenges of using a hotel as a venue for training is one, it is not a controlled space and two, it requires more set up than other venue options. Hotels leave a lot of opportunities for disruptions from outside sources throughout the hotel. It also requires you to bring all of your materials and set them up in a space where they could work differently, or not at all.
I have chosen Community Colleges and Hotels to discuss the pros and cons.
The pros of having a training in a Community College are that the class setting is ideal for learning, and there is already accessible equipment provided to present the training. The cons are that it can be hard to locate classes, possibly making someone late to the training, and the commotion of people going to one class to another can be distracting.
The pros of having a training at a hotel are that it is a large, open space that can fit a multitude of people, and it is a change of environment from a standard class setting. The cons are that because of that large open space, it can be difficult to engage in the training, and typically training at hotels are extended to possibly 5 hours or more, which can be difficult to schedule around.
I have led trainings in schools and in places of worship.
The benefits of a school location is that there is often a number of large spaces to choose from. School libraries tend to have good, flexible seating and room to move around. A challenge with schools is that they are often busy places and having an uninterrupted session can be rare. Another downside to schools is that they can be sticky or messy requiring some extra clean up while setting up.
The benefits of places of worship is that they often have community rooms with flexible seating. These spaces are often offered free of charge to community members. A downside can be participants feeling uncomfortable if they are not familiar with, or practitioners of the faith represented.
I have attended trainings in child care centers, hotels, and at a conference center.
Child care center- Pros: everyone is already there, examples in classrooms. Cons: child size furniture, if any for sitting and teachers may want a change of scenery
Hotels- Pro: Place to stay and had tech support. Cons: parking can be crazy or expensive, not centrally located
Conference Center- Pro: neutral site, large space with bathrooms and tech connections. Cons- not centrally located, no tech support
The two spaces I selected are hotels and child care centers.
Hotel trainings can be good and bad. The space is usually adequate, but securing the space can also include an expense. You also can not control other events that me be taking place and then space can become an option.
Child care centers are convenient; no fee and less travel for many participants. However, lack of adult seating can be a concern. As well as, employees are in the same space and may not be invested in the training, but the environment, i.e. what hey need to be doing in their classroom.
Yes, I thought the same thing about presenting at colleges. The students may be busy with other course work or since it is in the same space, they may not be available or engaged in additional training.
I have had trainings in multiple locations and there are always pros and cons to each. The two locations where I usually go for trainings are hotels and places of worship.
*Hotels- Usually have big conference rooms to use which has great space for everyone and they have rooms you can stay in when it’s more than a one day training.
Some challenges are internet issues and the audio/sound system; not all conference rooms at hotels have one so it makes it hard to hear.
*Places to worship- Benefits are they don’t charge to use their location for trainings and Audio/sound system are great making it easier to hear the person presenting the training. Some challenges are internet issues and not enough bathrooms for participants at the training.
I have attended trainings at hotels and places of worship.
The pros of having a training at a hotel is that it provides for multiple options number of participants and room set up for an optimal learning experience . Hotels are also able to provide AV assistance so the trainer only needs to bring their laptop with PowerPoint and handouts. A con for using hotels as a training venue is it can be cost prohibited as they do charge based on the room size but also for any amenities (AV items, snacks and even water pitchers.
The pros of having a training at places of worship is that will allow the facility to be used for no cost or minimal “donation”. They also, in most cases, allow access to their media items with no charge. The cons of using a place of worship is that available space may limit the number of participants that can attend. The church may also be prohibitive in who can attend depending on the church’s beliefs.
I have attended trainings primarily in the child care facility I worked in. I have attended trainings at a facility dedicated to trainings, community centers, and a place of worship.
I found that the most relevant space for me was where I was working (child care facility) because the trainer and the participants could have hands-on experience in the classroom and conduct activities in the actual space where the skills I was learning would come to life. I also felt more confident being in a familiar space, which contributed to my learning. While this space was beneficial, I did find that I was distracted by work that was left to be done in the classroom at the end of the day and the training participants were all from the same staff so we didn’t have alternative perspectives from other child care centers. The environment helped the content come to life and make easy connections to how it could be implemented but it limited the ideas to our certain center and narrowed out thinking.
The two locations I am choosing are community colleges and schools and libraries.
Community colleges and schools – One benefit would be that you are able to reach a targeted audience, advertising, for example, to students who are seeking a specific type of degree. I am thinking in particular about students working to obtain a CDA or a transfer student who may be working toward a BS in ECE. Another benefit would be the aid in advertising you might receive from course instructors at the college. They could let their students know about the upcoming training you are providing. The draw backs could be that you are only targeting one audience and that perhaps, these students are so engaged in their regular coursework that they simply do not have time to devote to another training.
Libraries – This would be accessible to the public, and would provide a general facility for teaching, which could have all of the materials necessary for teaching a training. Also, at my library there is a coffee shop where learners could purchase refreshments to bring with them during the training. This could be a definite plus to doing a training at a library. Another plus would be that participants would have access to different learning materials, right at their fingertips, if they chose to dig deeper into the topic presented on during the session. The main drawback I can think of is that it is a public place and is often bustling with activity. There may be many distractions and children around, which would mean you would have to work to secure a meeting/conference room to teach in, and this can cost money, so budgeting for that in the cost of your session would be important.
I have chosen childcare centers to discuss pros and cons.
I would say the pros to having training at a childcare center is that if your staff is based in child-care, then they most likely will already be present at the center and will not need to travel. Similarly, many of the resources or items that you may be discussing in your training may already be present at the location, making them easily accessible during the time of the training. One con of holding a meeting at a childcare center is that if the center is in session, you may be frequently interrupted by the commotion of nearby classrooms. Similarly, staff may be pulled in and out of the training depending on the need for staff at the childcare center.
I would say the pros to having training at a childcare center is that if your staff is based in child-care, then they most likely will already be present at the center and will not need to travel. Similarly, many of the resources or items that you may be discussing in your training may already be present at the location, making them easily accessible during the time of the training. One con of holding a meeting at a childcare center is that if the center is in session, you may be frequently interrupted by the commotion of nearby classrooms. Similarly, staff may be pulled in and out of the training depending on the need for staff at the childcare center.
I chose to discuss the use of libraries and childcare centers.
The pros of using the library for a training location is that there is usually a nice set-up for tables and chairs and media for sharing videos or slides. Also, there are adequate bathrooms and parking. The cons of the library is that they may not allow paid trainings to take place. Also, it may not be convenient for participants to travel there.
The pros of providing trainings at childcare centers is that the location is convenient for the participants and there will be available resources and materials. One of the cons of using a childcare center is that there likely is not adequate adult seating and there may not be media such computers or projectors for sharing visual information and videos.
Holding trainings in places of worship can be a good option if there is adequate space in a recreation type room. The availability for wifi and use of technology is sometimes dicey. The parking is usually never an issue. There are usually large tables and chairs for adult seating.
Having trainings in child care facilities works well if there are spaces designed for adults. It gives the participants a chance to be where they are comfortable if they work there. If they are from other facilities, it offers them a chance to see how a different center is laid out.
I have attended trainings on line (virtually), community centers , as well as churches. For me while virtually was the most easiest for all I found out that when it came to retaining information, that was not the best for me.
community centers and churches were good but we also ran into traffic with the number of people we were trying to gather. also being in a church had quiet a bit of restrictions and made a few feel uncomfortable.
community centers and churches were good but we also ran into traffic with the number of people we were trying to gather. also being in a church had quiet a bit of restrictions and made a few feel uncomfortable.
I have hosted trainings in every kind of space. My favorites are hotel conference rooms because there is plenty of parking, I can arrange the room, good technology, and comfortable chairs and restrooms. The downside to this type of facility is the need to travel to get there. I also like using community rooms. I have found with community rooms I often have to bring my own equipment but they do have good parking and comfortable chairs and restrooms. I believe there is no perfect place for a training, there will always be pros and cons and sometimes you just have to make what you have available work. With the proper planning and organizing this can be accomplished.
I’ve been to all the different sites for trainings.
Childcare centers are beneficial because the staff maybe comfortable in the familiar space. The environment maybe contain information that is useful to the training being conducted.
The challenges maybe the seating maybe not be geared toward adults and spacious enough adults to be comfortable. The center may also have to close in order to conduct the training.
Meetings and townhalls are beneficial because they may have tools and technology that can be used. They have adult size seating and easy access to restrooms.
Challenges can be they space maybe to large for the group size that is attending. staff may have to travel a distance from home to attend these trainings.
Meeting halls / community centers
– PROs big spaces, chairs and tables available, also possible technology is ready accessible.
– CONs spaces might be too big for smaller workshops, sound proofing between meetings halls, limited availability, fees associated with using space.
Community colleges / schools
-PROs chairs / tables available to be setup, good lightning and access to restrooms.
– CONs – limited accessibility to rooms, navigating on the campus to find the right locations for new comers, fixed chairs/table setting up
The two types of spaces I have participated in the most trainings at are Childcare centers and community centers. The Negatives of trainings in a childcare center are the size of the space and they sometimes lack large room spaces. The positive of having training in the childcare center is the ability to show examples in real world classrooms as well as be able to host trainings inside centers that are already successfully using the approaches you are teaching the training about.
I have been to trainings on site at the facility. The pros to this is it is our site and the staff appear more comfortable here. However, the bathrooms are child size and being onsite–other staff may interrupt the meetings.
I have been to trainings in hotels. The pros to this is the participants are more focused on the information delivered. However, it can be a financial burden if the participant does not live close to where the training is held.
I have attended trainings in most of these facilities. Childcare centers are conducive to applying information depending on what is being taught. But you also need comfortable space to enhance participant learning. Hotels can sometimes be too overwhelming depending on size of training.
Some places listed have the ability to provide a space conducive to learning, but may run into problems of traffic or participants ability to get to the training.
The two facilities I have chosen are Libraries and Child Care Centers.
Child care centers are great as far as accessibility and having materials that can be used on hand, but they are catered for children and sometimes don’t have adequate room for adults. Timing can sometimes be an issue too unless it is shut down.
Libraries will have seating and room for adults as well as plenty of parking, but sometimes it is an issue to get a spot reserved there. I know they do not charge at my local library, but you will need to schedule it out plenty in advance. There can also be other events happening there at the same time that could possibly be a distraction.
Hotels are a great location for training as they have dedicated meeting rooms and ample parking space. Renting hotel meeting rooms can be costly, and the space may not always have the equipment needed by the trainer.
Providing training for staff at a childcare center allows staff to be “in their own space”, and more comfortable. It also means staff do not have to travel to another location. However, staying “in their own space” for training may be less engaging as staff may not focus as well which is sometimes the case with our group. Also, physical space for training may be a problem in a center.
I have attended trainings at many different types of locations. I chose to focus on hotels and libraries. I recently attended a training at a library. While it was a very nice facility and set up with technology and comfortable, it was hard to find the room because I wasn’t familiar with the library. The room was small so there was not much space to move around and there was a lot of outside noise from other patrons.
A few years ago, I attended a conference at the Galt House in Louisville. This facility was very nice and had lots of room for participants. The technology was set up great and there was food that was wonderful. The challenge was it was far from me, so traveling was difficult. It was big and very confusing as to where to go for the classes.
I have attended several trainings at the Green River Regional Educational Cooperative (GRREC) in Bowling Green. The building has several spaces that are used for various trainings, including large rooms for large group trainings. They always have materials on the tables, such as pens and post-it notes, as well as any other materials that may be needed throughout the training. I have also been in several trainings at our LifeSkills office, where I work, and we have a couple of large conference rooms that we use for these. Both centers always provide needed materials and anything else we may need throughout the day.
I have attended trainings at many of these types of facilities. Trainings held in the child care center are extremely convenient and often cost efficient. Staff do not have to travel. The down side is the child sized furnishings and limited bathroom facilities. And if it is held immediately after closing time, that means a very long day for employees.
I really enjoy trainings that are held in hotel conference rooms. The furnishings are adult sized and comfortable. They often provide at least beverages. Restaurants are close by or even at the hotel for staff to enjoy lunch. Plus, I think it makes the staff feel valued as employees if they are able to attend trainings together at a nice facility. It provides an opportunity for staff to interact outside of the child care facility. The only con I could think of is transportation, but I am sure they could car pool. I have even worked for a center that reserved tables for the hotel restaurant for lunch and then paid for everyone’s meal. It made everyone feel appreciated.
I like going to schools/child care centers for trainings because I am curious as to how other people set up their spaces. I get inspired by seeing how the environment is set up and finding new ideas. A downside is that the space may not be comfortable for adults to sit and get comfortable. Using child sized chairs, tables, and washrooms may be unsuitable for the adults.
Hotels always seem nice as the facility is set up for the work being done there. But, if the space is too large, there is a sense of it being too formal. There may not be an opportunity to have a discussion with the trainer if the number of people is high.
I like going to schools/child care centers for trainings because I am curious as to how other people set up their spaces. I get inspired by seeing how the environment is set up and finding new ideas. A downside is that the space may not be comfortable for adults to sit and get comfortable. Using child sized chairs, tables, and washrooms may be unsuitable for the adults.
Hotels always seem nice as the facility is set up for the work being done there. But, if the space is too large, there is a sense of it being too formal. There may not be an opportunity to have a discussion with the trainer if the number of people is high.
Child Care Centers: Two Pros would be it’s free and people who work in that center or area will know where to go. Transport will be easier. As for the Cons, the space might not be big enough to fit everyone, there also might not be the correct furniture, the center would be designed for little kids and the chairs might not fit heavier or taller people so that they can relax.
I have also done classes at both a facility and a venue ,I think the venues are more comfortable but less personal. I like the one on one connection of the small group,and it seems like people are more comfortable participating in smaller groups.
Childcare center considerations – have enough adult chairs and make sure you have the technology set up ahead of time if needed. Be mindful of how comfortable people are with seating and the space.
Library – the Madison County library rooms are wonderful and have ample parking and facilities.
Local restaurants or event space considerations – make sure your technology will work there. It’s nice to include a food aspect to training if it’s in the evenings.
I think there are many reasons why all three are great – it just depends on what you need as far as space and accessibility.
I like library meeting rooms they usually have a projector, space to set up, and adult size furniture. A con may be finding an available date for the training. The second choice is child care centers they are free which is good, however the chairs are child size and there are no projectors or other technology available.
Over the years I have done trainers in many differing areas and I have many opinions on them on.
I feel as well that offering trainings inside childcare facilities pose several pros such as, not having to drive, already being comfortable in their own space however I would also argue that getting into a new environment such as a new center or even a public library may increase creativity of a new space. Opening up the mind more to the possibility of the training be taught.
Large, nice venues such as convention centers, arenas, and such are also great places to train. They usually provide all needed amenities for a comfortable, professional place to train. However, cons are usually parking and sometimes attendants can feel overwhelmed in such places. With great signage and hospitality you can overcome those obstacles though.
I have organized a training which took place at a hotel within my city. There were perks and challenges to this. One of the challenges was having to transport all of the training materials to another location. The location was not as customizable as it would have been if the training took place at my agency. It was nice to have a neutral space however that had amenities to make participants more comfortable.
I have had trainings at the local library.
Benefits:
1) They usually have tech support to help you set up your technology needs.
2) The space is usually large enough that it can accommodate small or large groups.
Challenges:
1) They open later so you can’t start your meetings early.
2) Sometimes they charge you a fee to reserve or clean up.
I organized a training at a public library.
Benefits:
Central to where attendees were coming from
It had a nice large space with tables and chair to accommodate and a nice bathroom.
Challenges:
Technology issues-The smart board would not successfully connect with the laptop.
Sometimes get charged to reserve or for clean up.
A pro for having a training at a center that your staff attend is that they are able to be comfortable with the area, where the restrooms are and how to navigate the building if needed. A con is when another center that may join the same training and they will not be sure where everything is located in the building.
college extended learning campus
pros- plenty of seating, accessibility, plenty of parking, plenty of restrooms
cons- reserving rooms could be an issue, costs to rent space, have to order lunch from them
multi purpose room at agency center
pros- staff don’t have to travel, no issues reserving space, no cost for room, can get catering from anywhere
cons- space may be limited, parking could be an issue, interruptions/ distractions
Hotels offer several benefits for hosting training sessions, including access to amenities like meeting rooms and catering services, which can enhance the overall experience for participants. Additionally, hotels provide a comfortable and professional environment conducive to learning, with features such as comfortable seating and proper lighting. However, challenges such as cost and availability may arise, as renting space in hotels can be expensive and availability may be limited, especially during peak seasons. On the other hand, libraries provide a quiet and distraction-free environment ideal for focused learning, along with access to resources like books and technology that can complement training content. Despite these advantages, challenges such as limited space and noise restrictions may present obstacles when hosting training sessions in libraries. By carefully considering these benefits and challenges, trainers can make informed decisions when selecting venues for future training sessions, ensuring the best possible experience for participants.
Hotels offer several benefits for hosting training sessions, including access to amenities like meeting rooms and catering services, which can enhance the overall experience for participants. Additionally, hotels provide a comfortable and professional environment conducive to learning, with features such as comfortable seating and proper lighting. However, challenges such as cost and availability may arise, as renting space in hotels can be expensive and availability may be limited, especially during peak seasons. On the other hand, libraries provide a quiet and distraction-free environment ideal for focused learning, along with access to resources like books and technology that can complement training content. Despite these advantages, challenges such as limited space and noise restrictions may present obstacles when hosting training sessions in libraries. By carefully considering these benefits and challenges, trainers can make informed decisions when selecting venues for future training sessions, ensuring the best possible experience for participants.
Child Care Centers offer a familiar environment for staff, less travel, appropriate environment for hands on training with materials, like a class focused on room arrangement. Cons would be limited space, and adult furnishings for comfort.
Community Colleges offer great tech materials, adult size accommodations, parking. Cons would be unfamiliar, availability, and travel.
Location 1 – Child Care Center
-Pros – at the staff’s current location, allows for ease of comfort when navigating a familiar place, no issues with reserving location, no overnight stay for staff
– Cons – Space and adult accommodations
Location 2 – Libraries
-Pros – usually centrally located for staff, adult accommodations, wifi capability
-Cons – have to reserve space, parking may be an issue, depending on the size of the group, space may be an issue.
Training at childcare centers and hotel may have various benefits and challenges. Trainings given at childcare centers can provide benefits to the trainees because this is a very familiar setting in which they would be more comfortable to participate in the training curriculum and engaged to readily think about their center’s needs. Challenges may ensue due to limited space and a lack of adult seating, parking spaces. Hotels may be able to accommodate a large number of people but too costly. It also requires you to bring all of your materials and set them up in a space that is acoustically perfect for all training rooms. A lack of available technology equipment to properly present the training material may be an issue for both venues.
I have attended trainings at a variety of places including hotels, convention centers, child care facilities, college campus, and churches. Hotels offer amenities that a childcare center may not have available. Hotels typically have large meeting rooms with adult seating and updated technology. This is especially important when presenting to a large group. The availability of large screens and a sound system can be a huge benefit to hosting/presenting at a hotel. The challenge of a hotel may be that they charge a fee for using their space. Another challenge could be location. Oftentimes hotels would require staff to drive quite a distance to attend the training. I also feel like it fun to just get away from the place you work each day. A change of scenery often is a breath of fresh air!
Childcare centers also have many benefits and challenges. Benefits would include convenience, familiarity, and no cost. Some challenges of training at the childcare center may be not having a space large enough for all adults at the same time, not having enough adult seating, and no large screen or sound system to present.
Childcare Center – Pros would be ease of staff in attending, scheduling the training, parking and familiarity of location plus many materials could possibly be available within the building. Cons would be possible lack of adult sized space for comfort, media/technology issues could be a problem, and sometimes if learners are too comfortable where they are they may not be as attentive and receptive to what is being presented.
Community buildings – Pros would be a neutral adult sized space, more room to accommodate comfortably, and probable easy access to building and parking. Cons could be having to bring all devices needed for technology, most would charge at least a clean up fee, scheduling the event and the actual location may not be convenient for learners to get there.
Location 1: Hotels
Benefits: Parking is usually plentiful, rooms are spacious (with adult-sized chairs and tables) and technology is available
Challenges: Can feel very “formal” for participants, can be difficult to travel to and carry materials into, off-site, sometimes a fee
Location 2: Libraries
Benefits: Adult-sized chairs/tables, technology is available
Challenges: Can be difficult to schedule because community uses a great deal, parking can be limited
When thinking about venues for trainings, I’d like to compare school sites (daycares included) as well as convention centers.
I’ve been to several trainings at the convention center in Morehead, and it’s honestly my favorite place to attend! The seating is comfortable, the sound system ensures everyone can hear,the bathrooms are readily accessible and in good shape. Some cons would be scheduling, as I believe this location is in high demand. Another disadvantage may be parking, depending on how many attendees there are.
I have also been to trainings in schools/daycares. The advantage of not having to travel is very convenient! Also I felt more comfortable being in my own workplace. Some disadvantages included comfort— toddler chairs are not forgiving. Also, parking could be an issue for others who may not work at my school. Also, lots of attendees having to take turns with limited adult bathrooms.
Community Colleges/Schools: I have had trainings in this setting, the the pro is that there is space to accommodate everyone, but we were in individual classrooms with poor ventilation and tight spaces. I have also had training in Hotels, the pro with the setting is they offer room to accommodate very large groups, the con is with such a large group size, it can be hard to keep the entire group engaged and hearing the speaker can be difficult.
Child Care Centers
Pros:
*May allow for greater availability of staff to attend trainings
*May aid in generalizing the training material to their work
Cons:
*May not have adequate space or access to multimedia tech to present training material
*Child Care staff may be less receptive when they feel “stuck” at work, especially after hours
Community Colleges/Schools
Pros:
*Large, furnished meeting spaces with updated technology for multimedia presentations
*Holding trainings at an institution for higher learning sets the stage for participants arriving ready to learn
Cons:
*Coordination and communication between many parties to organize and plan for the training will take extra time and effort
*Considerations for participants traveling and locating training spaces on college campuses
I chose the library and child care centers.
Library Pros:
– Free of cost large space
– AV equipment is provided
– Adult size tables and chairs
Library Cons:
– Requires you to be extra prepared with no ‘pool’ of recourses.
– Noise levels can be challenging for some activities.
Child Care Centers Pros:
– Many participants will be comfortable in this environment.
– Endless supply of recourses
Child Care Centers Cons:
– Lack of adult seating and tables
– Often smaller spaces for learning
Location 1 Child Care Center
Benefits- staff do not have to travel, depending on the topic classrooms can be learning labs for discussion, observations, hands on experiences, no cost
Challenges- may not have technology- smart board for training purposes, may not have adult seating for a large group, parking may be a problem
Location 2: Library
Benefits- change of scenery, away from phones in the office, adult seating and bathrooms, usually have lots of parking, technology would be available
Challenges- may have to pay for training space, would have to carry training materials, may be problem for schedule…plan in advance would be important
I have provided training in a number of different spaces.
I think hotels can be a great training space because often you can have a dedicated space, a tech or AV person that help with any issues and there are usually accessible restrooms and break areas. The draw backs to hotels is that sometimes you are competing for parking depending on time of day and the size of the hotel can be overwhelming with parking, finding the room and a lot of times its very cold.
I have done a fair amount of training in community centers and spaces as well, usually the parking isn’t as big of an issue, and they can be easier to get to, however the acoustics can be hit or miss. Sometimes there are big rooms, other times you are in the gym and trying to talk over people playing basketball on the next court. Another potential draw back is access to AV, there was a point in time when I always had a projector in and speakers in my car in case the community space didn’t.
Childcare Center Pros and Cons:
Pros- It opens the training up to where all childcare professionals can have the same education.
Cons- placement for staff to feel comfortable.
College Center/ Community Building Pros and Cons:
Pros- Helps more community members feel open to attending a training in a common building vs. a childcare center that others may not feel as comfortable in if they are not familiar with the site.
Cons- Potential cost to rent depending on placement.
People seem to be excited about facilities they’re familiar with but have never been to before, like a local hotel or resturant with a quite meeting space. It does make logistics a little complicated to be away from your supplies, but it can be more memorable if you put forth the extra effort to plan ahead.
I have attended a ton of trainings in different places.
For Childcare Centers, some have small chairs and are uncomfortable but the staff will be comfortable if it is where they work. I also think the library is a great choice because most people are familiar with the local library. You do not have to pay to train there, and I do like to get out of my workplace if the staff has worked all day it is beneficial to leave. Free rooms and technology are available to you as well.
I see value in conference centers if you have enough people and your company can pay to send staff to conferences.
Hotels- Pros- The space is adequate with adult size furnishing, internet access, and technology needs. Cons- More than one group having trainings, sometimes noisy and finding rooms can be confusing.
Centers- Pros- Easily accessible, have the materials on hand. Cons- Child Size furnishing, small space for adult learners.
For my senior adult learners – we have to consider factors such as familiarity – many don’t use GPS, so providing specific directions. Accessibility of the building and restrooms, audio and visual equipment, meeting time as many don’t drive at night, flooring/tables/chairs for those with specific mobility issues.
Also mine come from 10 counties, so using a location closest for the majority as some don’t drive.
I have attended trainings at a hotel, child care center and library. I appreciated that all three offered ample parking and bathrooms. The hotel and library had adult-sized seating while the child care center did not. At the time, I was much younger and did not mind being in the little chairs, but if I were to have to do a full day training now in little chairs, my back would be screaming. However, the child care center was quiet and had far fewer distractions than the hotel or library as they were public spaces. The hotel and library also had the ability to offer multi-media hookup and that was not available in the child care center. In today’s day and age, multi-media hookup is a pretty significant benefit in my opinion.
I have attended many training sessions in different types of locations.
My Pros are community colleges, schools libraries, hotels and meeting halls. I like these locations based on space, comfortable seating and tech resources availability. I feel getting staff out of their worksite can help with learning in a new environment and the opportunity to train with other because of space.
My Cons are child care centers and places of worship because although the familiar location may be easy to find but the space is sometimes limited and seating may be an issue,
I have attended many training sessions in different types of locations.
My Pros are community colleges, schools libraries, hotels and meeting halls. I like these locations based on space, comfortable seating and tech resources availability. I feel getting staff out of their worksite can help with learning in a new environment and the opportunity to train with other because of space.
My Cons are child care centers and places of worship because although the familiar location may be easy to find but the space is sometimes limited and seating may be an issue,
I have attended trainings at many different locations over the years, many in churches, and libraries. The Pros to these sites are they are large, with seating to accommodate adults, and parking is good in these places. The restrooms are easily accessible. The Cons to these same places is that as a trainer you will need to bring all of your training items in with you.
Community Centers Pros/Cons:
Pros–space availability to accommodate large groups of people, various meeting rooms for break out sessions, technology available, parking
Cons–location can be an issue if you serve a large region, scheduling to accommodate everyone, costs of renting their facility can cut into training funds
Child Care Centers Pros/Cons:
Pros–training in a space that they’re familiar with, availability of materials if needed, easy to plan around staff/center schedules
Cons–sitting in child-sized furniture would not be comfortable, parking can be an issue if offering training to other people other than those that work there, technology may not be as advanced in a child care facility as it would be in a community center
Community Colleges/Schools Pros & Cons:
Pros – multiple spaces for training, adult sized furniture, generally spacious, several restrooms, usually have audio/visual equipment
Cons – parking is sometimes an issue depending on the location (sometimes not a problem at all), it can be difficult to find the buildings/rooms unless signage is very clear
Libraries Pros & Cons:
Pros – have a designated training space with audio/visual equipment, accessible for most people if centrally located, plenty of parking, easy to find the space
Cons – limited space and restrooms, usually just one room designated for training
I have attended trainings at Community Centers and Places and Community Colleges. The pros to these trainings were the areas were very large and able to accommodate a big group of individuals from different agencies. The Con that we noticed for the Community College was in between the student’s transition there was a few minor distractions that could have been major to other individuals. Con at the Community Centers, is trying not to disrupt others who work in the building during break times. Also, both of them were paid through funds provided through wrap around from a program, but depending on the area the expenses can be costly.
Community College
Pros–large rooms, can adjust the temperature of the room, bathrooms are typically close, a tech person is usually available for any problems, table and chairs are adult friendly
Cons–parking can be farther away, buildings can be hard to find if you’re not familiar with the campus
Hotels
Pros–typically have large meeting rooms with comfortable adult seating. Technology is in place. There are plenty of bathrooms. I have even seen hotels change a male bathroom to a female bathroom to accommodate the number of women in attendance!
Cons–sometimes hotel meeting rooms are hard to get the temperature adjusted, there may or may not be space for breakout small group sessions
County Cooperative Extension Centers in my area provide great space for trainings. They typically have spaces that can be configured to meet your needs for space, tables, chairs, technology, etc. They have restrooms nearby and many rooms offer the ability to provide food and drinks easily. Many are centrally located and are familiar and convenient to the participants. Typically there is not a cost to area schools and non profits. The downside is that the scheduling can only be done one month in advance. If you want to offer a series of workshops you may have to change the room location based on other sign ups. If your trainings are offered on weekends or evenings, there is typically no one from the extension office on site. It is best to stop by in advance to familiarize yourself with the room, technology (always have backups), etc.
I have attended several trainings at places of worship. They offer both auditorium/sanctuary and classroom seating. Restrooms and kitchens are readily available, and most have technology options if you request in advance. Many places of worship have child care or preschool programs so they appreciate the opportunity to support early childhood programming. These can also be useful for touring during training or to showcase ideas. Most of the time there is not a cost or they only ask for a donation.
The downside to places of worship is that some participants may not feel comfortable in this setting if they are of a different faith or if they do not practice a religion.
I feel the benefits of a library would be plenty of space, adult sized tabels and chairs, access to bathrooms and easy to find. Most people know where the public library is lcoated. Down fall would be that you’d have to bring your own tech gadgets. You’d have to have the proper cords to connect to their board, a clicker, etc.
I feel like havign it in a place of worship might be intimidating for some, their might be limited bathrooms also, and also may not have tables if using the sanctuary. The audience may not have a space to write or take notes. A plus would be seating, sound equipment, and maybe a large display.
I have attended trainings at the local community college and at child care centers.
The benefits of the College are that the seating is for adults, the bathrooms are accessible and fitting for adults, there is enough parking available and there is room to get up and move around if required during the training. The drawbacks of having a training at the college is the time may not accommodate people who have to close the daycare. There are times reserving space could be a challenge.
The benefits of the child care facility is that staff do not have to travel to get there. You could have examples right there if training on preschool environments, materials, etc. It would not be hard to reserve the space. The staff may feel more comfortable at their daycare. The drawbacks of having a training at the daycare would be child sized seating, space would be geared towards children, the bathrooms would be child sized. Parking may be an issue, depending on the number attending.
Thank you Glenna for thinking through the pros and cons of different facilities. There certainly are many variables to consider. Given that I work at UK, parking is always a big consideration for me.
Over the years, my favorite spot to attend trainings is the Lexington Civic Center. The pros of this facility is the rooms are large, comfort chairs, nice tables. Also, the training is in the same building as a food court and some shops. There is also plenty of bathrooms.
The Cons for this is facility is you have to bring in your own visual aide equipment. The climate is not regular because the rooms have sliding dividers so some rooms are cold and the others warm. Parking is also a headache. We had to park very far away and walk.
The agency I work for has a training room. The Pros are that there is a computer, mic system, and screen. There plenty of tables on wheels so you can move around to divide into groups. The restroom is close by.
The lighting is perfect.
The Cons of this room is that it has flooded a couple of times and it has a moldy smell. The computer does not have a DVD drive on it. There is a motel next door and there is a lot of noise coming from that area which can distract the trainer and the adult learners.
Training at childcare centers and conference centers have various benefits and challenges. Trainings given at childcare centers can provide benefits to the trainees because this is a very familiar atmosphere in which they would be more apt to respond to what is being trained upon and prompted to think about how it may apply to their center. Challenges may ensue due to lack of adult seating for comfortability, parking, and the lack of space needed to properly fit the adults needed for the training.
Conference centers are beneficial due to the size of the facility to comfortably fit the amount of adults needed, as well as provide adequate parking and bathrooms for adults. Conference centers may be challenging due to the cost efficiently of renting the facility, location/events happening during the training, and/or how the audience perceives a large group training over a small group training.
A pro of having a training at a center is people already know the location and the set up so they can seat correctly a con is if you have other people from other places coming not knowing the area and not feeling so confortable.
The two training spaces I have chosen are Child Care Centers and Community Centers. While both may have adult accessible equipment for training, there may not be enough space for all participants to attend comfortably. Also, the availability to technology and resources for presentation equipment may also not be available. At a Center, there is easy access to pull examples from classrooms that staff attending may share for the content, but at a community center this is limited more to the presenter to give examples of materials for discussion.
Glenna, I believe those are great thoughts and ideas! I was inclined to think that training in child care facilities would be the best option until you brought to light that the space would be geared toward children (seating/bathrooms etc.) . Then, there is always the issue of parking. Your comments were very helpful!
I have attended trainings at both facilities and hotel/convention centers. These tend to be set up either like a class room or like you are attending a large concert. I have found in conference style seating in large convention rooms it feels harder for me to engage with the speaker and feel I am genuinely learning. However, often times you are hearing from profoundly brilliant individuals and that is where there are so many people. I enjoy interacting with the trainer in a q and a type discussion to feel I have learned the most.
I have never thought about doing trainings in an actual day care setting. I think this would be awesome for displaying types of styles of teaching, consequences, redirections, praises, or whatnot. However, as is listed, with COVID not as many people would be able to attend.
I have hosted training at child care centers and conference centers dedicated to hosting training events.
Child care centers offer convenience for staff due to lack of travel, familiarity, and close proximity to their homes/workplace and they also have materials or environments that might enhance the training topics. However, they also oftentimes lack the technology and adult-sized furniture needed to accommodate adult learners, and provide opportunities for many distractions and interruptions, especially if training occur during regular childcare hours.
Conference centers have had excellent technology, parking, facilities prepared for adult learners, and an environment conducive for teaching and learning.
Community Colleges: I have attended trainings the most at these locations. The benefits are most definitely space, resources available, parking, and seating. This is a must if you have large crowds to accommodate. The setbacks were that the equipment had trouble connecting (WiFi, powerpoints, etc.) and that there are usually large fees to access the building.
Childcare Setting: This is a great location for anyone doing specific trainings due to the resources on hand, visual guides to specific info., and materials to use. The setbacks are always parking and interruptions. These are also considered to be the biggest setbacks to have for a training. The space is never enough either.
Benefits: not have to close daycare, can train more people in house
cons: seating, adequate space for training.
When thinking about locations for future trainings, the two that stood out in the communities that I serve are Libraries and Child Care Centers.
Libraries are a great place because everyone usually knows where they are located. The rooms are usually large and offer adult sized seating. It can also be a neutral area if you were offering to multiple child care centers in one area, and there is plenty of parking. The cons to libraries are they may have limited scheduling because of other community events reserving them (depending on the size). It can also be a distracting environment depending on the setup. Workers would have to travel.
Child Care Centers would also be a place to hold a future training. One of the benefits being that the workers wouldn’t have to travel any further than where they work. The trainer would come to them rather than them travel to the trainer/training. Another benefit would be that it is an environment that the workers should be comfortable in. Hopefully allowing them to seem more at ease and would be willing to participate in. There are some cons to child care centers of course. There may be limited room and also limited adult sized seating. And another may be limited or no access to technology if you were to be using a PowerPoint or show videos/pictures during your training.
pro of a library would be that you may have all the extra set up already there as far as visual aids go and books to go along with it , parking may be a good one and enough space to move around and get into small groups. A con could be the library may close early and it could also be small.
I wonder if you would have to be more quiet in a library as well?
I am not exactly sure how to make my own thread.
I have been to training at a hotel meeting room. The benefits was that there was plenty of parking, it was in town so there was plenty of places to eat for lunch and be able to return to the hotel on time, seating was comfortable and adult sized and technology was available. I didn’t really see a down side to this training venue.
I , along with some other teachers, hosted a Kindergarten Parent Information session in the Rowan County Board Room. The benefit was that it was on campus and I didn’t have to drive anywhere, there was plenty of parking, the seating was adult sized, technology was available if needed. The downside was that child care wasn’t provided for parents attending with children as the session was in the evening as people were getting off work and picking up kids from daycare.
I agree with you Glenna. I have been to both a child care center and a College/Community Center. It is easier for the staff to have it at the the child care center because they don’t have to travel and they do feel more comfortable. However, seating is uncomfortable. At a College/Community center, not all staff are able to attend due to some staff having to stay behind to attend to the children.
I have attended trainings at colleges/universities, local K-12 school buildings, and at local community centers.
College: Pros = Large seating, adequate space, needed technology
Cons = hard to locate training room if not familiar with campus buildings
K-12 Buildings: Pros = break out spaces, tech needed, some large meeting space in cafeteria/auditorium
Cons = sometimes not a large meeting space for entire group, can have small chairs and tables
Community Centers: Pros = community of stakeholders, easy to access, relational environment
Cons = tech and space difficulties
The place I think of for a training is right at the Head Start center. Pros to this would be meeting the teachers where they at. It also would be a pro to be able to show them stuff in real time. However a con would be, depending on the center, where the training would take place. Another con could be that the teachers are here everyday and may need a change of scenery.
Two facilities I have attended training’s include Child Care Centers and Libraries.
One benefit of having a training for families at the child care center is that children have a space to play if parents must bring their families. Most of the teacher’s materials will be on hand if they need them. Also staff will not have to travel to a different location. A few cons to consider is everything is child size (seating, tables, and bathrooms), the space may not be large enough for many adults, and parking is usually an issue.
At a library some benefits include large spacing, adult size seating, available media use, WiFi, and good parking. Drawbacks to consider include the space is usually open to the public, you must consider your volume of sound, sometimes seating can be an issue if it is a large event. Also when families come that can get distracted by the materials in the library.
pros – some adult seating, available media
cons – open to public, easily distracting
I was gonna ask if you rented a room for the training or if it was out in the open? Our library is wonderful but the extra rooms for training are small and open to the public.
I considered trainings at childcare centers and libraries.
One benefit of training at a childcare center is access to the resources providers use in the day-to-day. The trainer can also get a sense of these resources and the possibilities/limits inherent within. Childcare centers are further convenient for staff, as they’re familiar with the space and they are already there: no travel time! By that same token, though, they made need a breath of fresh air – a different environment can be refreshing. As was pointed out in the previous lesson/photo, most furniture is child-sized and, as such, can be quite uncomfortable and cramped.
Libraries can be really great because they often have meeting spaces that can be reserved with room set-ups and furniture conducive to both large groups listening to one speaker and also breaking up into smaller groups. Great tech (and tech support!) is available as well. Some downsides are that the meeting rooms are generally limited in the amount of time they can be reserved. Additional travel time is necessary for staff to travel to the library and, depending upon the location/branch, accessibility and parking can be problematic and may even require payment.
Benefits to holding trainings in centers is the opportunity to see the inside and outside environments, peruse the documentation panels, talk with staff and administration who are on site but may not be part of the actual training session, observe protocols while you’re there. A con of this type of training site is that there are not often centers with enough meeting spaces for participants to spread out, move around, use additional small group space. Parking is often limited at centers as well.
Benefits to hold trainings in hotels is the ample parking, large meeting spaces as well as abundance of small group meeting spaces that can be utilized, they are often more comfortable as well. A con is that when training is held off-site, participants do not get to see the environments or interactions that they would in a child care setting. Sometime hotels can feel more formal, which may make participants feel less comfortable socially.
I have trained primarily in Childcare Centers/Schools and Community Centers.
I enjoy training childcare staff and teachers at their normal location because it cuts down on any travel time and allows us maximum training time. If the center closes at 6, we can offer food and get the training started at 6:15/6:30. When we train at an off-site location, it delays when we can start, and I feel often people find a reason to not be able to make it.
What I enjoy about going offsite, say to a community center, is that it typically allows people to network and get to know new people, or network with teachers/staff from other locations. For some individuals, I think it is also easier to ‘leave work at work’ and really be present when they are able to step away from their typical work space.
I agree, it is easier when you are on site and can begin as soon as the work day is over. However, the little chairs are not comfortable to sit in for an extended period of time.
I agree Childcare centers are unacceptable for trainings unless there is space set aside for adults to meet together with adult size tables and chairs, but even if that is provided, you may still have the disadvantage of no technical equipment. I have found that community colleges offer great advantages. The rooms are large with adult size tables and chairs already set in place and the technology equipment is there and ready for use. You also have the advantage of restroom services being provided.
You may have the disadvantage of not having connections to receive permission to use the facilities and you may have to pay for the use of the facility. You will need to make preparations ahead of time to set up the appointment to use the community college facilities.
I have attended trainings in multiple facilities. For this exercise, I will focus on hotels and community centers.
Hotels provide plenty of space, accommodations for food, bathrooms, business centers and technology connections for trainers/attendees. Sound and controlling distractions are not usually an issue in hotels. The first challenge with using hotels relates to costs. They are typically more expensive and technology accommodations can be pricey as well. Hotels can provide opportunities for attendees to meet multiple needs which can also contribute to attendees not coming back for sessions on time or leaving in and out of sessions to do things.
Community centers offer donated or inexpensive spaces for trainings. Typically, they have large conference rooms that can accommodate groups up to 20-40. Parking is usually reasonable. Technology can be a hit or miss when it comes to community centers and vary by the age of the facility or capacity of the organization. Community centers present challenges because your training will more than likely be held during the hours of operation. Neighborhood participants may be in or out receiving services and interruptions may occur.
I have trained in most of these situations-
Community Meeting Halls can be very good places to train, however there is often a fee for renting or cleaning.
Schools are limited because of school hours and cleaning services. It is possible if your janitors are aware of you plans beforehand and can work around you.
I have trained in several churches and that works well, especially if you are partnering with that religious organization in a project.
If libraries have private room, especially with a private entrance, they can be great places to train.
I have attended training at Hotels and Child Care Centers. When attending a training at a hotel the meeting room was large and spacious, the seats were comfortable , food and drinks were provided. It was a multi day conference so it was nice to be able to stay at the hotel. The cons were I had to travel over an hour for the training at this location. The expense of traveling and getting a room for the night added up. When attending a training at the child care center it was a setting and place I was familiar with, it wasn’t far from where I lived. The bad part was it was in a small cramped room, the seats were crammed in it and they were very uncomfortable. Some participates had to sit in child sized seats and there wasn’t room to move around.
The two types of facilities that I considered are the childcare center and hotels.
The child care centers are more convenient for staff, especially if the training is in the evening and staff are working to close the center. Staff do not have to travel and may be comfortable in familiar surroundings. Some drawbacks to consider are that there are often not enough adult sized tables and chairs for all staff. There may not be a big enough space in the center to comfortably fit all staff that need training. It can also be a challenge to make sure you have what you need to be sure your technology will work properly (wifi, projector, etc.)
Having training at a hotel meeting room will provide a big enough space and plenty of adult size table and chairs. There is usually multimedia equipment available for use and the freedom to set up rooms how the trainer wants. You can have larger groups for training as well. The drawbacks for this would definitely be the cost of renting space at a hotel and parking can be an issue at some hotels that may only have paid parking. It would not be as convenient for staff to have trainings off site.
I have attended trainings at several types of facilities. I think it does make a difference the type of training as to what is suitable.
I attended a conference at a hotel. This was a great set up for this conference as there were several hundred people in attendence. The conference also consisted of several workshops.
I attended another training, which was one workshop, at a school. This was an appropriate set up as the participants numbered less than 50.
I have been to trainings in a variety of places, however many took place in a childcare center or hotel.
Childcare centers are nice because of the ease of access for participants. Participants are also likely to be comfortable if it’s their location of work. Unfortunately, childcare centers have small capacities and are usually have limited adult seating and tables.
Hotels, on the other hand, are large and can be easily accessed by others within the public. A trainer would need to weigh those positives with the expense of hotels. Likewise, hotels require more planning required to schedule your training.
I have had training at most of these sites also. My 2 I pick is Childcare center and College sites. The centers are a good place to hold training that involve a classroom setting for interaction and teachers are more comfortable in their own setting not having to pay to rent the place out. The downfall of it is kid sized tables and chairs that are not good for adult learning.
The Colleges are perfect for parking, adult tables and chairs, adult bathrooms, wifi and large spaces, and allows more than just one center to get trained at a time. I don’t really see a challenge with having it at a College
Hotel: Benefits are having a room if your staying overnight to be able to go to once the training is over, and no driving back and forth, large meeting rooms, and more than one bathroom.
Challenges: one will usually have to travel from home to attend and spend nights away from home and work.
Child Care Center: Benefits- you could be allowed to tour their facility to get ideas, it could be possibly close to your work/home, smaller setting
Challenges: could be to small of setting for what is needed for the training, not enough space, could be disturbing to the child care children.
Several issues come to mind regarding venues for training. In past positions when we looked for training space, of course we tried to find the most cost effective space. Sometimes those aren’t the best locations. It’s important for participants to be comfortable in the space, especially if it’s a long training. Having good access to the building and parking are also big considerations.
Training at the local college has the benefit of having multiple rooms to space out or have small group discussions without having to whisper. The other benefit is that often times when a local college is being utlized it is because there are multiple classes offered throughout the day (think Super Saturday) and it allows one to expore various topics. However, parking can be a problem depending on when the training is offered and the cost could also be a draw back to having it there.
Utlizing community libraries has it advtanges such as large meeting rooms, and many times they are centrally located and convenient to all who attend the training. The cost is minimal, keeping the training expenses down. Often times between training sessions or breaks, the volume level needs to remain at a whisper and making it difficult to connect with others while on break. The other drawback ir that often times the library only has one room available, limiting the nymber of participants.
The two types of facilities I reviewed were Community Colleges/Schools and Child Care Centers.
Colleges and schools are good for large training. There is plenty of parking, they are generally easy to find and there are plenty of bathrooms. When there are multiple bathrooms, breaks are not as long and everyone gets back on time. Although I want to say there is usually access to technology, I have ran into a time when I was not able to access the technology and I was not able to use mine. Arranging the room in a college is not always a possibility. Many of the rooms are set up in a way you cant move the tables around and they are not ideal for group activities.
Child Care Centers allow learners to review their environment and use materials they use every day. One of the main draw backs is the furniture. Most centers have youth chairs and tables, which makes it difficult to sit for any length of time. The bathrooms are generally geared toward children and there may only be one staff bathroom, which makes for difficult breaks.
Pros—
Good line of sight for trainer/participant
Easy to locate for participants
Good sound quality
Cons—
Too small/too large
Cost
size of seating
Working in the school system, we use our board room and our auditorium at the high school for most of our trainings.
I have been to training facilities in which the facility is nice but the parking is not adequate or it is too far away.
I have attended training in few different places but I would say the most common would be in daycares or a library. There are pros and cons with each space. I like having training classes in daycare centers because I feel like I’m in the environment of which I’m learning. It make it easy to imagine doing what I’m learning. Cons to daycare centers of course is the furniture size. It can become very uncomfortable to be seated in those small chairs during training.
Libraries are also commonly used for training. Libraries are great because their equipped with a lot of technical resources like T.V’s and projectors that can be used during training. Libraries offer a lot of parking and are usually spacious so everyone is comfortable. The down side to using a library is the noise level. Sometimes training classes call for participation and this might limit what activities can be done.
I agree I love having the trainings within the childcare facility. One you are comfortable in your own setting and you can visualize what you might need to change or want to do within that training. AS far as the furniture size I am with you. I can’t be sitting on a toddler size seat for an hour or a floor so that is a major con. I love when the facility has a break room or a conference type room we can start off in and move around. Sitting it just to much. In training I love to move around.
I have attended trainings in community colleges/schools and child care centers.
The community colleges/schools would have large space and enough parking to have a large training group. The challenges would be reserving the location and closing down your daycare to ensure all staff could attend.
The child care centers would have the age appropriate materials to train on and all staff at that location would be in attendance. The challenges would be not having enough space and having small un-appropriate furniture.
I have attended trainings in hotels and in meeting hall/community centers.
Trainings/workshops held in hotels are logistically great when lodging is at the same hotel. The rooms are large and more bathrooms are available during breaks. The challenges sometimes are regulating the temps of the room that are comfortable for everyone and also parking.
Meeting Hall/Community Centers are usually free to use and the areas are large enough to accommodate more participants. Challenges include the space, if its too large, presents issues with engaging everyone. Another challenge is with technology.
I have had issues before where the event place is very large. It can sometimes be hard to get from one training to the next on time.
Yes, I agree with Glenna and our other friends on here. I was thinking about accessibility for adults. Usually, a library or college might have reasonably sized adult items for sitting and using the restroom.
A few other area to consider would be extension offices for counties. They also fall into the “adult” world and they are usually facilities that are accessible to trainers.
I really like being on site. I like the ideas that people we are training need to have access to materials. When I as a trainer go into a facility, I could do a quick inventory of items that might relate to our training. I see this as a big advantage when training people. MAking training relevant and timely is more possible on site due to this fact.
If I am at a community center or library, I might ask teachers to do a quick inventory before they come to an “adult space” so that they can know what materials they have that they can use at their center. It would also be a great and important tool to help the training be more transformational. This will also be an important part where the staff can “think pair share” even better than without already having information if they are going to have to share at their tables.
Child Care centers—Benefits —1) an ECE learning environment maybe used for hands on experience. Challenges—1) May only accommodate a small number of participants.
Hotel/Meeting rooms—Benefits—1) facilitation equipment is usually provide. Challenges—1) expense and limited to the physical room layout.
Child Care centers—Benefits —1) an ECE learning environment maybe used for hands on experience. Challenges—1) May only accommodate a small number of participants.
Hotel/Meeting rooms—Benefits—1) facilitation equipment is usually provide. Challenges—1) expense and limited to the physical room layout.
Trainings in a early childhood center may be great for exploring the material and getting a view of the environment but more than likely its not set up for adults. Bathrooms and seating.
Collage classrooms would be great such as parking, bathrooms and seating. If needed a computer lab would be near if its a training that is on a computer.
Hotels are wonderful food usually is provided maybe even an overnight stay but could be very expensive to a program that may not have something like that in the budget.
I have attended training’s at the Community College and at child care centers.
Having it at the Community College there is more room for everyone, and there is better parking, and everything is adult size.
Having it at the child care centers, a lot of the time the centers I go to are small, and there is no parking. The child care staff will be more comfortable there, and so will the families, because they are used to the setting, and if something comes up and they have to bring their children, there will be toys/activities.
I prefer community colleges childcare centers for trainings.
Community college campuses offer pleasant educational environments; there are greater amenities available such as multiple bathrooms, food, private/quiet space, nature. College classrooms are also equipped with more learning devices such as white boards or smart boards. Community colleges classrooms are usually available on the weekend. The greatest downside I have encountered is that the participants may be unfamiliar with the layout of a college campus. This may cause confusion about parking and finding the building where the training is located.
Holding trainings at childcare centers is very convenient for the participants, especially if the training is for the teachers of the center. Teachers are all ready there and they do not need to return. Their comfort level with each other may make participants more open to sharing. Trainings can be held after work or on the weekend. Material for hands on learning are also readily available. The drawback to childcare centers is, in fact, the familiarity of the center to the participants. Staying in one’s comfort zone may not stretch the learning of the participants, especially if it is their own center.
Two places I have attended training at is a day care facility and at a college.
Benefit of College is : plenty of seating and equipment
Benefit of day care is: Staff is already there, unless training on weekend and familiar surroundings for the participants.
Challenges of college: parking and sterile enthronement.
Challenges of day care: Limited adult seating, and small space
Two benefits of having the training at a child care center would be that staff are familiar with the location so it is easy to find, and there would be no travel involved. Items from the classroom could be utilized if needed. However, some challenges to this location may be a lack of space and not a lot of parking available.
Two benefits of having a training at a community college or school is more meeting space available and ample amount of restrooms. The downside to this location could be possibly parking issues (parking pass needed or validation required) or technical difficulties (college username/password required to utilize equipment, etc.).
There are pros and cons to every type of location. The benefits of a community college/school would be: ample amount of space, use of projectors/microphones and screen and that everyone within the agency is in the same area for training. The downside to that would be drive time (for some), technology issues that arise with everything that is available as well as larger groups create more opportunities for side talk.
Two benefits of having a training in a child care center would be that all the materials are there and smaller, more one-on-one group size. The downside to this type of environment would be the small child-size seating/restrooms as well as limited amount of space for breaks or lunch depending on the length of the training.
Training at a child care facility, while a convenient location, is not comfortable for adults. Most centers do not have adult seating and tables. Meeting at the library is an ideal location because it is free and most people know where it is located. A drawback to this location could be if the library does not allow eating or has restricted meeting hours (ie only open on weekdays during the day).
Places of worship seems to not have been discussed and posted yet, so here are the pros: adult-sized furnishings, most have meeting room space, most likely to allow food/eating, parking availability, and space to have small group work. The cons include: availability schedule conflicts, some training participants comfort level inside a place of worship, the trainer may need to be a member of the place of worship in order to secure the use, and there may be a suggested donation fee to utilize the facility.
Most of the trainings I have delivered in the past were sponsored by an agency which took care of the arrangements, including booking, setting up and cleaning the space. If I were going to conduct a training as an independent trainer I would inquire of the person who requested the training if they had a preference for location. I would assume most would want to use free space such as their center, or a local agency. I agree with the folks who have already responded that there are clearly both pros and cons of training on-site. The issue of appropriate seating could possibly be addressed by having folks bring their own lawn chairs (if no writing or table work is required), or seeking the loan of adult seating from a church or other entity. I also agree with other folks that college campuses are good places for adult training, however most of them are now charging a fee even to other state agencies.
My two facilities that I chose was a place of worship and the child care center:
The pros in the place of worship was the adult seating, tables were available, rooms were utilized for small groups. The cons were not enough bathrooms, during a break you had to wait in a long line to get in the restroom. We also had to pay a fee to use the facility and bring in our supplies we needed, material for the training, our computers and projected screens, plus we had to clean before we left.
The pros for the child care facility was a big huge space that fit over a 100 people with adult seating plus we had access to the kitchen so everyone could bring in food. The cons are for people who didn’t live in the area they had to travel to get there, and there was not enough bathrooms.
I looked at community/colleges and child care centers.
Community colleges’ benefits include technology tools that I as a trainer can use (i.e proper wifi, projector, and computer). There is also adult size sitting and plenty of bathrooms for adults including those with disabilities. These areas are usually set up for learning in mind so it is a great place for participants to get into that frame of mind that is it is time to learn.
Challenges/problems could include scheduling this can be because classes that take place at the college have priority over my training. So it could end up being at an odd time. There could also be a cost to rent the training location depending on the size of the classroom.
Child care center benefits include if you are training child care providers they are already in the location. So they would not have to travel to the training. You can also use examples based on the classroom you are in. For example, you want to use a job chart for an example of an effective circle time this may already be present in the classroom.
Child care center challenges included scheduling, resources, and adult-sized chairs and bathrooms. Most child care centers are open from 6 a.m to 6 p.m meaning you would have to schedule your training after hours or on the weekend which may not accommodate many participant’s schedules. There may not be a lot of technology resources available (i.e good wifi or projector or computer) which could hinder effective instruction. Adult sized chairs and bathrooms most chairs in child care centers are very small and bathrooms tend to be the same.
I have done most of my trainings either at universities or other mental health agencies
The universities I have difficulty navigating with parking and finding the training site however it is usually good space and technologically friendly
Mental health facilities are easier to navigate but the rooms are smaller and less comfortable
Benefits of community colleges/schools as training sites include ample space available to hold participants and there is typically technology available to assist in the training. Challenges would include potential difficulties with parking and finding the location of the training within the building, especially if it were a large campus.
Benefits of child care centers include that the location is familiar to staff participating in the training as is the materials within the center that can be used during demonstrations. Challenges include that many child care centers do not have much adult size furniture, so it may be uncomfortable and there is limited space that can be utilized for the training.
True, I think the most are the chairs so uncomfortable to small for adults. I totally agree with you in regards to childcare centers are very adequate/appropriate for the learning experience.
Two facilities I have attended training’s include Child Care Centers/Classroom and Hotels.
One benefit of having a training at the Child Care center/Classroom is that you have the opportunity to look at someone else classroom/center. The training was focused on learning environments and this gave us the opportunity to look at a classroom and how the classroom set up was. We was able to look at each station and see what the teacher had added to maximize learning for all students. The cons of having this training at the center/classroom is that the seating was child size chairs and tables and parking was a bit challenging.
The next one is I have attended training at a hotel. This allows for no travel on the day of training. This allows for you not to run into issues with traffic and looking for the location of the hotel. This also allows time after the training to speak with trainer and others about the training or any concerns that you might be having. Rooms are always big and plenty of seating, restaurants are close by when you are having your lunch break. There is many advantages of having trainings at a hotel. The cons of having the training at a hotel is that some of the break-out sections are in smaller conference rooms and there is limited seating and you sometimes have to stand or sit on the floor.
Two places that I have attended trainings the most seem to be child care centers and meeting halls/community centers.
Child care centers are always a good place to have a training because they fully immerse you in what the current topic is. You can use examples that are readily available and have hands on experience. I find that being in an early childhood training in an early childhood classroom also make information feel more relevant. It’s also nice to see others classrooms and how they set them up at well. However, not having adult sized furnishings make for very uncomfortable trainings especially if for an extended amount of time. Being uncomfortable can really hinder somebody’s ability to pay attention and gain information during trainings.
I have also attended meeting halls/community centers. I find these to be much more comfortable in terms of have adult sized furnishing. They also tend to be roomy if you are breaking into small groups or needing to move around the room. I also hate arriving to a training and not being able to find a place to park and typically these locations provide better and easier parking/traveling options. However, sometimes these spaces can be awkwardly laid out. I’ve been to trainings that you need to work in groups and the room is laid out in an auditorium style where everybody is facing forward. Meeting halls are also very generic and don’t immerse you in the what you are truly learning about.
Benefits of having a training at a childcare center- participants will not have to travel to another location if all participants work at the childcare center
-they will feel comfortable and knowledgeable of the environment
Drawbacks of having a training at a childcare center- participants who work at the childcare center may still be in the “work mindset” and have a hard time engaging in the training
Benefits of having a training at a community center or meeting room- furniture and other means necessary for the training may be provided at the location
-participants will be in a new environment which may cultivate new ideas and opinions to bring to the training
Drawbacks- traffic, travel, participants finding the location
-feeling uncomfortable in a new environment
I think you are so right about the “work mindset” balanced with the convenience of not having to travel to an alternate location – not to mention the NOT adult-sized furniture like Hillary Vincent mentioned.
I have been to trainings in hotel ballrooms. Pros, the ballroom provided a very professional atmosphere, with adult size seating. A continental breakfast was served and a hot lunch was catered complimentary of the hotel. Strong WIFI, accessible to different amenities offered by the hotel.
The cons, a rental fee might be needed to secure the location, because of the large tables it was a little harder to maneuver around and mingle with other during breakout session. Tonsure that information is covered, it may be harder to during the day, so to avoid a two part session, a weekend training might be necessary. However, if a weekend training becomes necessary, their might be issues with payroll and possible overtime for employees. However, not a huge issue because you want your staff to be compensated for their time spent, but you could run into unexpected cost.
I have done my training in conference rooms. There is plenty of space and most people that are local find it easily. It has ample space to move around the room and be hands on.
Child care facilities I feel while staff are familiar with the center , most of them don’t have adequate chairs for adults . It could also not have the space to move around or do some activities. Times would also be of concern because most facilities are open until 530 or 6. This makes for a long day for participants and they are less focused because they are tired. Also , they have to make arrangements with family if they need their own childcare which would mean that they would be getting home even later.
Weekend trainings are also a bonus that I have done in the past. People are willing to give up a few hours to participate to get in their hours.
I have also attended trainings that are in conference centers. They put up temporary walls. So you can hear more that the own training that you are attending. This could be distracting to participants as well. a Positive is that multiple training options can happen in one place.
The benefits of doing trainings in a Child Care Center is that it doesn’t cost anything to have the training, you will have funds to spend on materials, snacks, etc. Another benefit is the convenience of not having to travel somewhere, and the hands on training option. You can provide hands on training and demonstrations in the classrooms. The challenges of having trainings in the center is the size, the number of participants would be limited, parking could also be an issue depending on the size and location.
The benefits of trainings in a meeting hall is the larger room size, you can have more participants. Another benefit is most meeting halls have a technology set up ready to go for you. The challenges would be the cost of holding the meeting there as well as participants having to travel to the location, for some it could be an hour or more away.
I considered the benefits and challenges of trainings at hotels and child care centers. Hosting trainings at hotels offers the option for many sizes rooms for large groups to smaller break out sessions. With larger groups you have the opportunity to interact with more participants and hear new ideas and viewpoints. Food options are more varied and teaching teams have the opportunity to step away from their classrooms. The challenges presented by trainings at hotels include cost, travel time, a less personal atmosphere, and the reluctance by some to stretch out of their comfort zone.
Trainings at our center offer us the benefit of no travel time, no additional cost, familiarity for staff members, the ability to have materials available, and the opportunity to share/show ideas from different classes right there. The challenges with having training at your center include longer hours for the staff members without the ability for a break between teaching and training, not enough space, food has to be brought in, rearrangement of space in order to use adult chairs and tables, and no tech support.
I’ve attended training in both hotel and daycare centers. The hotel settings are large and spacious. They have plenty of room for nice set-up. The daycares sometimes depending on the size of the facility and how many participants may be small.
I like the daycare settings it give your participants a better opportunity to see and observe their surrounding when you are speaking on certain subject areas.
Hotels and daycares they are all nice based on the number of participants that are attending.
If you have to travel and everything is in the hotel it can be nice . But there again you have the extra added expense. Then you also have the travel time to and from to take into consideration.
I like to know how many sessions are being held and the number of participants in attendance. Ive attended sessions and the settings were not the best, but the trainer was so good , I was most happy with my experience and learned a lot from the trainer because she had a well prepared activity.
The two physical environments that I chose to reflect on are community colleges/schools and child care centers.
Two benefits of trainings at community colleges/schools are:
1. They often have adequate seating space for the trainees since their locations are always used for large groups.
2. They have easy accessibility for the trainer to set up multimedia equipment, utilize Smart Boards, projectors and such.
Two challenges of trainings at community colleges/schools are:
1. Trainees may not easily find adequate parking or may have to walk a distance to get to the entrance of the training site, then more distance to find the training room.
2. Things that can’t be controlled by the trainer like the temperature, building maintenance during the session, or other activities taking place in the building may be distracting to the training session.
Two benefits of trainings at child care centers are:
1. The environment is inviting and may welcome children, as well.
2. Childcare centers are most familiar to those in training, so they may be able to explore the site/classrooms and get ideas that they can utilize in their home centers.
Two challenges of trainings at child care centers are:
1. Adult seating may be inadequate.
2. Rooms are smaller.
Community Centers seem to be great in my area (Louisville) because of the chairs already there and the ability to spread out if necessary. Most of my trainings have not included needing to accommodate for children, so that is a whole other issue. Many will let you utilize the space, particularly with the sensitive topics like trauma, and likely if there is a fee I am able to ask an organization to sponsor it. Of course this depends on how big these training sessions are. These areas are typically big enough to spread out for break out sessions.
Conferences of course work at hotels and hopefully have big budgets to accommodate for break out rooms.
Considering parking is always an issue and is partially responsible for stragglers, so I try and get somewhere that is easy to park.
There are pop up community work spaces all over Louisville that offer changes of scenery and may spark more intentional dialogue, in my opinion.
The two places that I have chosen to post a discussion are: community colleges/schools: Benefits: In my experience when going to trainings at community colleges and schools the trainings are often free. The seats are adult sized, tables are adult sized, bathrooms are nearby for when needed. Smart board available for usage. The challenges are: not knowing where the training may be especially when you are attending a larger campus and departments are spread out. The other challenge is travel, making sure that you allow yourself enough time to get to the training and to find the location and another problem maybe parking.
Place of worship: I used to worked for a religious agency and when trainings were hosted at a place of worship, it wasn’t unusual to have the trainings there because the place of worship was a central location near offices. At the places of worship there are adult size seat as well, and bathroom are available. Food have been provided on days of training. Challenges for the ones that may find a place of worship offensive, inform the trainer days before the training (as soon as you are informed of the location of training). With having a training at a place of worship that may also mean traveling time for ones that place of worship is not the central location to offices and depending on how big the place of worship is, parking may be an issue.
I have had training in a childcare facility and a bed and breakfast.
The benefits of the childcare facility are the people that are closing the facility can make the training due to already being there. The facility has familiarity, with co-workers during training, you can discuss relations to training within your facility.
The cons of a childcare facility are the seating is small and uncomfortable, restrooms are child size, training would have to be after facility closes or when it isn’t open, which may not work for some employees.
The pros of the bed and breakfast are- very comfortable seating, food can be prepared, plenty of room to move .
The cons of a bed and breakfast are- interruptions, people coming and going, phone ringing, may not be adequate parking.
Community colleges
Pros: Plenty of room for lunch/stretch breaks; may have food available onsite
Cons: May be difficult to locate the correct building; may be difficult to locate restrooms
Places of worship:
Pro: Likely to have adequate parking
Con: May not have needed technology
Pro/con: depending on size, all participants may or may not fit comfortably in meeting area
Libraries and local colleges are both great locations to hold trainings but can both have downfalls. A library as well as the local college will both have plenty space for large and small group work and typically have great multimedia equipment and ample internet connectivity. The local library should have ample but because it is open to public just like the college so that could lead to distractions and extra noise. The local colleges’ parking lot may be far away from the desired building causing some accessibility problems.
Hotel: One benefit to having a training at a hotel would be the large conference rooms available. There is typically rooms that are large enough to move around in and have adult size seating. A possible challenge could be parking or it being too crowded. With using a hotel it would be best to make sure that there are no big events happening around town that would make the hotel too busy.
Child care center: For those that work in the center it would be convenient and less travel time but also could make for a really long day. I think that it feels good to be out of the environment that you have spent your whole day in. If this had to be your choice of locations, then possibly using a room that is separate from daily usage. Sometimes finding adult seating could be an issue as well.
I have attended trainings at conferences centers and I have attended trainings in small office spaces.
The two main advantages of attending a training at a conference center is adult seating and more than one adult sized restrooms and plenty of parking. Two of the disadvantages to such a large arena is its often less personal and if the tables are round you sit at an awkward angle so that your back is not to the trainer.
Two advantages to attending in an office space is small group size which allows for more in-depth discussions and interactions. Drawbacks are limited room for moving around, limited parking, and restroom access.
I have attended trainings at a child care center and have found that not having adult-size tables/chairs is uncomfortable and can hinder learning. Also, when this training is held after a long day of work, participants may not show up super excited to give up their evenings. I do like the idea of training in a classroom, especially if there are materials and examples in the classroom being used.
Whenever I attend trainings in large conference rooms/hotels I find that I am always cold, and now that Im getting older, it can be hard to hear if no audio equipment is used.
I think regardless of the type of room being used it’s important to let participants know ahead of time. For example, if it is in a child’s classroom, then I can plan ahead and not wear a skirt. If it’s in hotel or confrence space then I can bring a jacket or dress in layers.
Places of worship can be beneficial by having plenty of rooms, chairs and adequate bathrooms, but for some individuals the symbols, messages, and images can be uncomfortable. There may not always be flexibility to change room setup or move furniture. Typically parking is not a major issue and accessibility is appropriate.
Community centers can vary (in reality, all locations vary) but in one training I attended the space was too large and the sound echoed quite a bit. Technology can be a friend or enemy when support is not readily available. These places usually have plenty of tables and chairs, as well as parking.
Whatever the location, a trainer should ask as many questions as possible about the space and if possible, visit prior to training day to properly plan for execution. I acknowledge this is not always possible, so one must make one’s best attempt to think of everything that might be needed and simply be flexible and prepared for most anything by having contingencies ready.
Child Care Centers:
Pros- Able to use hands on examples from the child care center. When I have had trainings in a child care setting in the past, it was nice to be able to walk around and use the classrooms for break out sessions or search and find activities. This setting is familiar to child care workers and may make them feel more comfortable to participate.
Cons- If you are not fortunate enough to have training on a Professional Development day, or your center is not apart of the school district, you have to worry about finding adequate space that does not disrupt nap time or other normal instruction for children. Holding training at a center will also disrupt child-staff ratios making it difficult for directors.
Hotels:
Pros- Various room sizes to utilize for different training scenarios which allow for trainers to choose a location. Hotels also allow for child care workers to take a step out of their work environment which may help to allow them to focus on training exclusively.
Cons- Requires travel and hotel stay expenses that some child care facilities may not be able to afford. Requires large public gatherings which will not be safe for quite some time.
Places of worship- This can be a benefit because it can be welcoming in a smaller area and may have a more laid back feel, which makes participation easier. It is also a benefit because the building may frequently not be used during the week, which makes it easier to have times to use. One drawback is that it may make people feel uncomfortable depending on the religious beliefs of the institution and the local community. A second drawback may be that being at a church or religious building may send an implicit message that encourages cross talk or side rails about religious beliefs/ideas.
Community colleges- One benefit is that the college will have classroom areas, technology, and may even have people to assist and supplies. Another benefit is that this may allow for networking with the early childhood program to allow for even more training to be offered to the community. The drawbacks are that being in a college may make some feel self-conscious depending on their history. Additionally, working with the schedule of a community college can be difficult as there are a wide variety of times that include traditional hours, nights, and weekends, as well as college events that may require the whole building.
I have attended training at community colleges/schools, hotels, libraries, and meeting halls/ community centers. They most beneficial location of training I have attended training at is at meeting halls/community centers and hotels. This is because it is easy access to bathrooms and easy access to technology needed to technology needed for the training or presentation. Also, there is accessible seating for participants and easy parking.
When training child care workers at their center or another center it can beneficial to the staff but some issues may arise like parking and adequate seating.
I’ve used a number of Facilities for group education or training, from church halls to state of the art high tech auditoriums. While latest technology can be amazing if you are familiar with it and able to use it well, there is something to be said for the intimacy of a small round table meeting or discussion. I’m thinking right now of the several meeting areas that are and have been available to use through the organization for which I work. When I first started, we had trainings and meetings in a small room with tables in a circle. Everyone had a table before them for writing or using a computer, and everyone had visibility of a large screen hooked up to a computer for running programs videos or power points. There was a VERY small kitchen just off the room and a bathroom nearby. Pros were that we could all make eye contact with one another and speaker could see us all FTF. Cons were that the meeting was right next to someone’s office, as well as a door to the parking lot, so there were some distractions and interruptions. And the bathroom was TOO CLOSE 🙂 to the meeting spot. Another distraction. Currently we are in a much larger facility and there are “modular” meeting spots available, depending on group size. What I love about the space is that it is well lit and private, with few distractions. The computer set up is very easy to use and there are multiple screens so everyone can see well. The kitchen access and bathroom location are convenient but not in a place so as to be distracting to the group. A con for me is that the tables are elongated (rectangular) and all facing forward in the room MOST of the time. The speaker can see faces, but the participants can’t see each other as well. Sometimes we move a table or two aside in order to create a “circle within a square “. This can work as long as the group is not too large. The way the rooms are parceled out sometimes makes you feel very closed in when you are in the middle meeting area.
I favor doing trainings at Child Care centers, especially if they have adult chairs available because during the trainings I have used the center classrooms to refer to points in our training. Also, if training is done at the participant’s center, there is no travel time especially if the training is happening right after the center closes for the day.
I have had trainings in our local library and county library and people seem to not enjoy the extra travel time from their centers. It is not as cozy as a center environment as well.
I have attended trainings at all of the listed training locations. There can be pros and cons to all of them and maybe not the same from one day to the next. Pros and cons alike can be space, lighting, internet, seating, parking, bathrooms, snacks and food, climate, etc.
I have attended trainings mostly at community colleges and child care centers. There can be many pros and cons to both sites.
For community colleges, I feel that the adult space for learning is what helps with a successful learning environment, but can lack the child care aspect that might be helpful to reinforce topics.
For child care centers, I feel like it’s a great reflection area to look around to see what might be helpful to the topic of the training, but it isn’t a space for adult learners.
I think child care centers are ideal for trainings when it is about specific topics such as learning environment, curriculum, material, or anything related to what occurs in this type of facility. Plus, staff do not have to worry about transportation or adding time to their work day, if the training is held before the day closes. Now, child care center might not have an adult learning space (like an auditory or a lounge big enough for all personnel to attend a training) so it would have to take place in a classroom, which can be disrupting and uncomfortable because of the size of the room and furniture.
Libraries are also a nice place for training because it is an academic environment which invites to learn and it is quiet and free of major disruptions. Location can be inconvenient for some participants, and I have noticed that the rooms in libraries, or schools, tends to be colder than desired for most people, which is uncomfortable and may cause distraction.
Child care centers have pros such as staff does not have to travel to another location, material is available for examples, no cost to reserve a location to train in, staff should feel comfortable in their environment. Cons would be parking space depending on size of group, child size chairs and restrooms..
Pros of a motel plenty of room to park, plenty of space for group, restrooms available, adults tables and chairs. Cons would be cost- traveling to location, renting the facility, renting the technology to use, and maybe interruptions.
I have attended trainings in many environments. The two environments I have attended the most are child care settings and libraries. I have found that there are numerous pros and cons to both.
Child care settings offer a familiar environment to those attending the training. Often the training is worked around the schedule of a child care worker. Depending upon the training, the facility itself can be used as a learning tool. There are several issues with using a child care facility for training. Unless you are in a very large facility, having tables and chairs that are adult size for all the trainees can be an issue. Space for a large number of trainees can also be a problem as most centers use every space for classroom use.
Libraries are offer spacious meeting rooms with plenty of adult sized chairs and tables. The space is generally quiet and free from distractions. The issues with using a library are driving to the location and parking. Because trainings at a library can happen at any time, schedules are not always taken into consideration.
I have taken trainings multiple places but the two places I chose to talk about today were community colleges and child care centers. When it came to the community college it had some great benefits of being close to home and multiples people and the space for the actual trainings to take place was amazing. The challenges were that the parking was horrible and finding the location of the class or the trainings was difficult for some. When talking about the child care center I would say that the benefits of that space was little to no travel and we knew the space and most of the people in the class/training. The challenges I felt could also be knowing the people because sometimes that leads to distraction from the trainings.
I’ve attended training at Training Centers. The benefits: parking, on the bus line, spacious, great technology, and great arrangement. The challenges: cost of training and location.
Trainings at Places of Worship benefits: like the environment and setup. Challenges were: location, not on bus line, not enough bathrooms and access into the facility.
I have also attended training in many environments.
I personally like a small, educational settings such inside the regular classroom or childcare center. Trainings in the classroom are excellent because you can access/reference the educational resources already on hand, gain a deeper understanding of the technology already available within that particular classroom and ask questions about how to best use those resources in the classroom. Child size seating and small bathrooms are not a concern for me personally, however, this could become a concern quickly with more than 2-3 teachers attending.
Trainings in larger settings such as hotels and community centers often require travel. Materials are not readily available either. However, these locations are great for networking, mobility, and parking.
I have enjoyed many trainings in our school Library. You still have a warm, comfortable, educational environment, but also plenty of space to move around. Wifi is readily available and the tech is usually on hand to help resolve any issues that may arise. Teachers can easily leave the library and break into small groups within the classrooms throughout the school. After a certain amount of time, teachers can come back together in the library to share ideas.
Regardless, I think it’s fun for teachers to attend trainings in a variety of small and large settings!
Yes! I agree with you! I like the smaller settings for trainings as opposed to the bigger, even though both hold pros and cons. Smaller settings are more personal and intimidate, which could encourage discussion amongst participants. However, our libraries or smaller community centers here have limited parking, and hours of operation, which could be a challenge for booking and reserving space when trying to accommodate others.
I have attended trainings at colleges. Pros include: a lot of parking, good exercise (big campuses), multiple restroom facilities, Tech savvy (good connections for presentations and up to date equipment) and meals can be catered by the college.
Cons include: finding the correct building of the training can be difficult with large campuses and you may have to pay to park if there is no on campus parking.
Hotel- they are great for the space and the possible accommodations that come with this location. A downfall could be due to the hotels location, other events that may be occurring in town, etc.
Library- great meeting rooms and usually in a centralized location that is easily located (experience). A downfall to this location can be the foot traffic that occurs. Since it’s public anyone can come and go and depending on the location of the library, the space may not be as large as preferred.
Childcare center
Benefits: Familiar Setting for participants. Classroom can be used as real-life example for the training.
Challenges: Child size seating can be uncomfortable. May not have the technology on hand to present the training, or have the facilities necessary for a larger group of adults (restrooms etc.)
Community College
Benefits: Already set up for adult learners, have facilities for larger groups. Usually have the correct equipment for training as well.
Challenges: Location and parking can be an issue for participants. There can be a lot of other foot traffic as well.
I have attended trainings in banquet halls and hotels. The pros of each of these are they are spacious and have great parking! There is usually comfortable seating and accommodations to care for personal needs are often convenient.
Some deltas for these locations can also be size. Visually, some may not be able to see presentations due to the large crowd and lack of surrounding technology. With these large audiences, activities such as small groups and think-pair-shares, are limited. The temperature of these settings can also be uncomfortable.
I have attended trainings in both community centers and child care centers.
The benefits for a community center include ample parking, seating for adults, usually a large space for presenting, onsite technology (laptop, projector, sound system, etc.), and it is normally somewhere accessible to everyone. The cons are that there may be multiple events happening as the same time as the training, and that people have to attend.
The benefits of a child care center are that there are usually plenty of table/chairs, the group usually works in the center so there is no travel time, and the group sizes are normally smaller.
The cons are that the seating is usually child sized, and that there is not normally onsite technology so the room may not be set up in a way that is conducive to learning.
I have mainly attended training in Hotels and childcare centers.
The pros of hotels – plenty of space, access to bathrooms, vending, etc., good parking.
Con’s – other people coming in and out looking for their conference/conference room. Also, noise is a major variable.
In childcare facilities, there are access to materials to reference, access to centers for reference, and usually a good amount of space.
Downside: Child-sized equipment, making extra sure to not disrupt anything/leave anything behind.
I have attended trainings at child care centers and community centers.
The benefits of training at a childcare center are that employees feel comfortable there and it is free to use. A challenge of this environment is that it is usually meant to accommodate children (small tables and chairs). This can be uncomfortable. Another challenge is that the center may only be available for trainings at strange hours when there are not children present.
The benefit of having a training at a community center is that there is often a lot of seating and tables available. There may also be technology available to the trainer. One challenge with community centers is that it may be costly to rent for a training. Another challenge is that it may be difficult to find an open availability to rent the center.
I have attended trainings at hotels and childcare centers,
Benefits of hotels: No additional travel necessary, often other amenities offered, room can be configured as needed.
Cons for hotels: additional expense incurred, scheduling may not be as flexible due to other groups needing the space.
Benefits of Childcare centers: Staff present are familiar with surroundings and real-time changes can be made to environment.
Cons for Childcare centers: often only child size furniture available and few adult size restroom facilities.
I have attended trainings at Colleges, hotels and libraries. Pros are parking, snacks, audio and visual and all the technology availably with Wi-Fi onsite and seating options.
Deltas for the colleges and hotels are the size. It is hard to always see their visuals. I feel that when I am always looking at a screen it isn’t the same effect as being right in front feeling like I am part of the training.
I’ve attended trainings at a Child Care facility and at a College.
Pros for the Child Care setting: You are in the environment where you can use items in the room to help train. If the participants are employees at that program, they do not have to commute and they may feel more comfortable in their everyday environment.
Cons for the Child Care setting: If it’s during the day, you may have some participants distracted with the noise of children or parents. Depending on when you are doing the trainings, some participants may be burned out for the day.
I’ve attended trainings at hotels and places of worship.
Pros:
Hotels – usually have a conference room or other space large enough to accomodate all attendees, and furniture/amenities are appropriate, convenient and adult sized.
Places of worship – usually located in a convenient place within the community, and often have a large meeting space to accommodate size of group.
Cons:
Hotels – trainers have to bring all activities/materials with them, and sometimes can’t control the environment (too hot/cold, lights too bright, etc.).
Places of worship – facility might not be able to meet technology needs, and meeting in a place of worship can be off-putting to those of varying beliefs.
The majority of the training I have provided and received has been located in hotels. Some of the disadvantages include, travel distance, expense, inclement weather, and sometimes parking can be a problem due to additional expense. For the most part, the rooms tend to be spacious with large presentation screens and and audio-visual support from hotel staff. Other advantages of a hotel or conference center next to a hotel include the ease of having your own hotel room close by, onsite food or nearby food choices, things to do and see, as well a networking with other colleagues.
I’ve attended at both childcare centers and libraries.
Childcare Center:
Pros- items are usually easily available for easy hands-on and role-playing. They also have the benefit of putting you in the mindset of how you can apply what your learning and also helps you to see how things can potentially play out in the child’s daily environment.
Cons- The area usually isn’t large enough for many participants and then you deal with the fact that there usually isn’t enough adult-sized chairs and tables to properly facilitate the training.
Libraries:
Pros- usually enough seating for the participants to increase verus a childcare center, and also they have large rooms.
Cons-You can’t have high volume levels and unless you’re targeting a specific demographic, some feel out of place attending
I have trained primarily in child care centers and churches. The benefit to the child care center location is that it’s convenient, teachers already are familiar with parking and how to get to the training, and teachers tend to be more comfortable in the familiar setting. The centers that I have trained in also had conference rooms with adult seating and appropriate technology, so there was very little downside there. Another plus there is that because the management there is already familiar with how to use the technology, they can help the trainer if they run into difficulty. The one downside in this situation is that teachers may feel tired of being in the same surroundings they have already been in so much.
The other location, churches, have its upsides and downsides. The churches I’ve trained in often have more comfortable seating, but sometimes it is less flexible (pews that can’t be moved, for instance). I also feel like some people might be uncomfortable learning in a religious environment, and that could be distracting. The churches I have trained at also had less access to technology. In addition, because churches are public spaces, they might not be as secure. In one training I did, we had an incident where a mentally ill person came in and refused to leave; they were used to coming in to the church and didn’t understand that the church facility was being used for a different purpose that day.
I have chosen childcare centers and meeting halls/community centers as the top places I plan on presenting trainings at.
The great things about having it at the childcare center is that there’s no travel required and it’s a “safe” space for a positive learning environment. The drawbacks are that training times would most likely need to be outside of business hours, which could be difficult to schedule, and many centers do not have a room large enough to fit all staff (comfortably) to train.
The great things about training at a meeting hall or community center is that they are large enough to host groups of many sizes and also have materials to aid in training (whiteboard, microphone/speaker system, etc.). The drawbacks are that they can be costly and transportation and/or parking may be an issue.
The two places that I have attended the most trainings are at a community college and a childcare center. When thinking about these two places, they both have their advantages and disadvantages.
One advantage of having a training at your child care center is that it is convenient. Many times you are already there and the training can be done at the end of the day. Staff do not have to make other arrangements so that they can attend. Also, most childcare centers are full of materials. This is beneficial if the training has anything to do with learning environments, activities, or ECKERS trainings. The disadvantage of having it at your center is that the rooms are often very small. Furniture is child sized and not comfortable to adults for long periods of time.
One advantage to having a training at the community college is the space. There is plenty of room for tables and adult sized chairs. It can easily accommodate your entire group.. These spaces can often be reserved for hours or days depending on how long your training will take place. The disadvantage to this is that depending on your area, it may not be close to you. In my area, I have to drive over an hour to get to the trainings at the local college. Your centers may also have to close so that staff can be present.
I had always preferred trying at my center when I had group training.It was familiar to the staff and negated any drama over attending. The only training I attended otherwise was for myself at different places other than daycare but I switched to online training over the last few years before I retired
I have taken trainings in hotels and schools. Both have the pros of cafeterias/spaces reserved for serving food to a lot of people. Another pro of having them in hotels would be that you’re ready to get into training right after breakfast. The other pro to having them in a school is that there are already classrooms there for people to do break out rooms and maybe even have different trainings going on in different rooms. A con of both is that there may be other people in those locations throughout the day, so there may be limited space sometimes. Additionally, staying in a hotel that you’re also taking a training in means there’s basically no going outside. A second con of having trainings at a school could be a lack of resources for your training based on what the school is able to offer.
Most of my trainings have been done either at the center I work at or sometimes at a rented meeting room at a hotel.
Actually using the center as the location can be beneficial because you have so many resources right at your finger tips to use as props/ examples/ reference to etc. and can use real life situations from the physical environment being used. That being said I have always been most uncomfortable at those trainings because the furnishings tend to be child size and become a hassle after a short amount of time. I find my focus drifting because I can’t stay in a position for very long with out adjusting. I am bent over trying to write notes etc.
Meeting rooms are great for parking, using technology if needed with projectors etc and having adequate space as well as adult size furnishings but for me a major draw back has always been that then you are removed from the child care environment and the training can feel stale and will not have access to toys, examples, and the rest of the physical environment the center could provide.
The two places where I have attended the most trainings to reflect upon are hotels and libraries. A benefit of hotels is the comfort. They have been built with the idea of catering to large groups of adults. The meeting rooms are spacious, have ample and comfortable adult seating and tables, can be arranged prior to meeting however you request, have toilet facilities, AV equipment usually, often food and beverage offerings and staff to assist. The major downside is the cost. Another downside is the meeting room space often needs to be reserved far in advance. Libraries are similar to hotels in regards to having space devoted and created for adult meetings but on a smaller scale. The benefits are comfort, AV equipment often, adult seating and tables, specific meeting rooms that can be arranged prior, and low if any cost. Downsides are size is much smaller than a hotel in terms of capacity, there may be staff but limited in terms of providing assistance, the rooms need to be booked far in advance, food may be able to be brought in but rarely available directly through the library.
The places I have attended for trainings are my physical center and a church dining hall. A pro of having it in the physical center is that it is somewhere we felt comfortable in the surroundings and we knew where materials were when we needed them. A con was you couldn’t get everyone in the center an adult sized chair, so some had to sit in kid chairs or on the floor. A pro of the church dining hall is that there were plenty of tables and chairs and plenty of space to spread out. But a con was that the few of us who didn’t go to that church were uncomfortable with the area since we didn’t know where most things were and were unfamiliar with the space.
I have experienced training at many locations, including child care centers and conference rooms in other locations. Benefits of training in a child care center is everyone who is typically slated to attend knows the center/staff and feels comfortable there, and that they do not have to travel out of their way to attend. Cons can include comfortable seating, and the often long days when having to train after work or outside of work hours. Benefits of a conference/training room in another location is having a fresh location, with adequately sized tables/chairs. Cons could be the potential additional cost, and the fact that it may be more out of the participants’ way to travel.
Libraries and community centers have both been great training places I have attended. They are normally easy to locate and the parking is easily accessible . Each of these places are in a central area to most of the people in attendance. Community centers have ample space with adult size table and chairs. Some libraries I have been to offer smaller settings but still a good option for a more intimate training group. In my experience both community centers and libraries have the technology to show presentations and have internet access.
I have attended trainings in many different types of locations. Two locations that stand out the most are a community college and a hotel. I prefer training at a community college because there is always media and technology hook ups that make utilizing digital training platforms easier. Community colleges are also usually set up for learning and have table arrangements that support group work. The biggest issue I have experienced at these types of locations is that parking can be a nightmare and sometimes people are ticketed for parking infractions.
I have also experienced some very large trainings in hotels. It was very convenient for guests who travel from out of town to be able to leave their car in the structure and simply come downstairs for training. Hotels usually have large conference rooms that support larger groups of people. It can be challenging to keep people engaged in those large settings but it is also a great way to have many professionals together at one time.
One good place for training would be a community college or school. The benefit of this facility is that you would have applicable space for people to be able to spread out and could even host more than one training. This is also a place that could a good learning environment with little distraction and somewhere that you could provide accommodations easily. A Challenge that you could possibly face would be that the times you could reserve a college classroom or school would have to be after school hours or perhaps on the weekends which could provide problems for some who need the training to be during weekday hours. Another challenge you may face is that Community colleges are often spread out, meaning that it may be too far for participants to travel.
Another options for a training could be at a hotel. A hotel once again provide applicable space and often they have large conference rooms that can be partitioned off for smaller groups if needed. This could also provide useful for those that have to travel for trainings that are farther than they would like to drive in a day. This also would once again allow you to do multiple trainings.. The challenges that one might face could be that hotels are usually busy, which means lots of distractions. Hotels also may not be the best place to host due to the fact that you may not have the materials handy to do accessible accommodations.
Because I have just started my training journey during the pandemic, I have not attended or facilitated any in person trainings. However, I used to work in the public library system and public libraries would likely meet the needs for most trainings.
Pros: Most libraries have public meeting spaces available for reserve that can accommodate either adults or children (a variety of furniture is usually available). These spaces often have various supplies needed for trainings as well.
Cons: Not a private space. Meeting rooms are subject to availability.
One place I have trained is the Administrative Office of the Courts building in Frankfort. The facility has all of the technology you could need, and the rooms are easy to rearrange. The downsides to the facility are that you must pay for the space if you are an outside agency, and you can only have access to the space during regular business hours.
Another facility where I’ve hosted a training is a hotel ballroom. These rooms are spacious which is great for spreading out and typically have nice acoustics. The downsides are outside noise, if the room is close to a kitchen or other conference space, and the fact that you are required to make all decisions with hotel staff, which can limit your spur of the moment creative solutions to problems that may arise.
My experiences have been at child care centers & at meeting halls/community centers.
Child care centers~
Pros ~ easy to get to/familiar space for workers/no travel/comfortable location for those that work there, aka “home base” feeling.
Cons ~ space is limited/ child size seating is often all that is available/crowded depending on the number of participants/center must be closed for the day(s) of training.
Meeting halls/Community centers~
Pros ~ abundance of space/ more bathrooms available/ adult sized chairs, tables & toilets/ able to social distance/able to do stretching exercises/easier to break up in groups with more space to move.
Cons ~ could feel too big or overwhelming depending on the number of participants, travel time and or distance/ tech support needs to be brought by trainer in most cases (visuals, smartboards, screens, projectors, microphone, etc…)
Using libraries would provide a well known community location for attendees. The low noise level would be an asset to the trainer, and multi-media products (such as TV, smartboard, etc.) would be readily available.
Cons would be the noise level for the library patrons. Size of the community rooms tend to be small and usually only accomodate 8-10 people. It’s unlikely snacks and drinks would be permitted.
I love training out of town and where there are overnight accommodations. I find the participants are excited to be away from the day to day, it provides them with some experiences they may not otherwise get and they are then excited about learning. I also feel that provides the best environment all the way around. Aside from out of town I like libraries where you can give them opportunities to do projects and get up and move about the library looking for resources. The adult accommodations are usually better.
Places I am not thrilled to train are in the center itself. Participant seem to get distracted easier, they have typically already been there all day and want to go home. Often the furniture is not adult friendly. I also dislike college classrooms as they often are too big for the group size.
I have attended trainings at hotels and college classrooms. Both locations are usually handicap accessible, have technology set ups, adult restrooms and seating. The hotel training was easy to find and had available parking. The training on a college campus was a little confusing to where it was held and difficult to find parking. I would be concerned that both would charge for use of the space.
Local libraries often have a good training space that can accommodate smaller (25 or less) numbers of people. These are great training spaces in that they are community based and if doing a local training they would likely be a convenient drive for participants. A drawback to using a local library would be that child care staff would have to leave their centers in order to attend. This would limit the time trainings could be offered.
Child care centers/ preschools are another option for a place to hold trainings. This can have benefits, such as familiarity with the environment for the trainees. It would be convenient in that they would not have to drive anywhere else to receive the training. Also, when trainings are specific to one center or preschool, trainings can be individualized to the smaller number of participants. Drawbacks to these locations often include lack of a training space large enough to accommodate adults. Adults are often stuck sitting in child size seating or at a cafeteria table. There are also distractions in this space. Center managers are often not able to stay fully present in these settings because they are pulled away by other business needs and priorities.
Most trainings I have attended have been in hotels. One benefit of training in a hotel is that there is usually sufficient space for different trainings, and for people to be comfortably spread out. Another benefit of trainings in a hotel is the accommodations. It is nice not to have the stress of travel and parking just before training. Challenges I have experienced in this kind of training are in hearing. Sometimes in large rooms and poor quality microphones, it is hard to hear the speaker. Another is in temperature control in large areas. Sometimes large training rooms can be too hot or too cold, which detracts attention from learning.
I can see where training at a meeting hall or community center would be beneficial for the right sized group. It may provide space more conducive to group discussions. Challenges could be not having needed equipment already at the facility or not having as many options for room set up, depending on the size of the facility.
Benefits to using space at community college or a school, would be it may be free or at low cost for the training space, and another benefit could be the size of the space, these types of environments usually have spaces that are a variety of sizes. Challenges could be the noise level, for example colleges and or school can have a lot of people moving about, coming in and out which could cause so disruption. Also finding parking could be a challenge depending on the location, and if it’s a smaller college or school.
Benefits to using space at a hotel, could be the same as school and community colleges as far as having a variety of size spaces, and another benefit is if its a longer training were you would need to provide food, hotels usually will give you a food package option. Some challenges are the cost typical tends to be on the pricey side, Also if it’s a bigger hotel it could be a challenge for people attending to find the meeting space, lots of walking.
Some benefits of a childcare center could be that since most likely the training would be for the staff , it would be convent because they would already be at the center. Another benefit would be that if it is for the staff it would not cost to use the space. Noise level, You could hear crying ,educators teaching, and children playing. Another possible challenge is the time frame in which the training could take place.
Benefits of using the library for training space, the space is usually already setup with table and chairs. And since it is a public space you should not have to pay to use the space. Challenges, limited space and space not being allow for much privacy. Also Libraries tend to be no food or drinks, so that space would not work if you were going to provide food.
Hotels often work as great training locations because they often have large open meeting rooms that can be arranged to meet your needs. They also typically have Wi-Fi, large projector screens and tables/chairs available for use. With that comes potential challenges. Fees for renting out a Hotel are often times a barrier, as well as the lack of ability to control the temperature of the room.
I have attended trainings at hotels and child care centers. Pros of hotel is convenience and space. For most trainings, I had to travel so it was very convenient to stay at the hotel where the training was as well as restaurants/shopping within walking distance. The space accommodated a large group and provided needed technology. Cons of meeting at hotel is sometimes acoustics are not the best, parking, and temperature in training room.
Training at child care centers were after work. Pros are no travel involved and convenient for staff.
Cons are child size furniture and small rooms/limited space.
Child Care Centers:
Benefits: Participants already on location & Space does not cost any money.
Challenges: Small furniture & not enough space for all participants
Libraries:
Benefits: Neutral ground & Quiet environment
Challenges: Transportation fr participants & not large enough space for all participants
With adequate notice, trainings held in hotels, with amenities provided, are often exciting and conducive to learning. It allows the participants to separate from their jobs and homelife, to focus on their own passions, in a room with others who are likeminded. Some challenges can be transportation and childcare.
Trainings that take place in the center are definitely convenient and rule out any surprises about the facility and accommodations. However, since staff spend so much of their time in centers, it can make it feel like they have not gotten a break from that space, which makes it harder to engage in learning.
As I was reading everyone comments I have to agree that a Child Care Center and a Community Center are the two places that i find the most difficult about having a training. For the comfort and focus in a child care center and the lack of privacy and time limits and possibly poor acoustics of the Community Center.
Libraries can be a good place to host trainings. Found in most all communities and typically centrally located, libraries are accessible and generally easy to find. However, room availability dates can be challenging to navigate and sometimes there are food/beverage restrictions permitting no more than bottle water in the room.
Hotels are a good for hosting larger meetings, conferences, etc. Sessions taking place over multiple days are easily accessible for lodging participants. Also, meeting rooms in hotels can be modified to the needs of the trainings and presentations, from small classroom sizes to larger settings in the ballroom for keynotes. One major downside to hotels is the cost. It is very expensive to reserve meeting rooms and inclusion of meals for events is even more costly. Also hotel meeting rooms aren’t always the most comfortable. The seats are pretty standard and often small, and though they may be cushioned, it can still become uncomfortable after a period of time.
Holding trainings at a childcare center is beneficial to the staff because they are familiar with the setting and they will be comfortable to open up. Plus, the center is local and easy for them to access it. Holding trainings at the center is usually done free of charge, so you won’t have that fee to deal with. One drawback of this setting is the staff have been at work all day and they may be ready for a change of scenery. You may not be able to rearrange the room setting to make it more accommodating for your training. Another drawback is the table and chairs in the room is not appropriate for adults. They may be uncomfortable and likely to have some distractions.
Libraries can be a very beneficial place to hold trainings because you will have access to wi-fi, media content, overhead projectors and etc. Another benefit of holding a training at a library there won’t be a charge for using the facility either. The furniture will be more suitable and comfortable for your participants. One drawback that I see with using a library is there will possibly be others there and may make it hard for the participants to concentrate. Using this setting, you may not be able to offer childcare for the participants. In order for some to attend after hour trainings, they would need some form of childcare.
I have been to several trainings that have been held at child care centers. One benefit of having a training for educators in a child care center is the availability of materials and allowing specific knowledge on how to incorporate training information in their actual work environment. Another benefit would be the convenience of location for the attendees. A challenge would be comfortable seating and environment. Another challenge that may arise would be distracted attendees. If the training was held in their room, they may feel anxious about all the visitors.
I have attended many trainings at a convention center. The benefits of these were large rooms that could accommodate many participants and many facilities such as restrooms, snack options, etc. The downfalls of the convention center were that the rooms sometimes allowed too many participants and the acoustics of the room were not always conducive to learning.
Most trainings I have attended have been at libraries and child care centers.
Libraries
Pros: Typically easy to find within a community, ample and free parking, handicap accessible, accessible and adequate restrooms, free wifi, access to a variety of tools to use for workshop, often have differing spaces (small or large) depending on training group
Cons: Travel and time away from work to attend, often need to book far in advance
Child Care Centers
Pros: easily accessible to participants, familiar with environment, can easily plan into work day
Cons: Child size tables and seating is not suitable for all, distractions to those who are employees of particular center, does not provide a space for trainees to regroup after work prior to training
Any training location will have its benefits and its challenges. For example, providing a training course in a childcare center may be just as beneficial, as it can be problematic. It may serve as a familiar environment with great opportunity for specific examples. However, depending on the center, they may not have access to adult seating or the space available to accommodate staff in a training setting. In addition, training in the center may require providers to close the center to accommodate trainings.
Choosing a training location at the local library, may be easiest, but can still possess some potential challenges. A library can provide ample space for large groups to disperse and move about freely. Technology is usually paramount in these settings, as well. On the flip side, if your training group is smaller, it may be too large of a setting. Depending on what part of town the library is located in, parking can be a problem in some downtown areas. In other areas, parking is plentiful.
Benefits:
College/School: Classrooms are set up as a professional learning environment and seating is typically comfortable with ample work space. Parking available.
Hotels: Offer large meeting spaces arranged per your instructions. Food and lodging are available if the training requires travel and/or all day participation.
Challenges:
College/School: Depending on the time of year, availability might be limited. Parking might not be close the building.
Hotels: Cost could be high; temperature of the room is not always easily managed.
The benefits of a library (public or school one) are that they can have enclosed conference-type rooms that can accommodate ideal sizes of training participants (15-20 people). Also, if participants are coming from different neighbors, the library can make it as a nice centralized place to meet. The quietness of a library may be a of benefit but that can also be a con because if the training needs to have a certain amount of noise and verbal engagement, then that could disrupt others frequenting the library. A child care center has the benefit of being a convenient place for participants because they don’t have to travel somewhere else and can stay on site after their work day (should their training be in the evening). The downside is that the furniture size, and perhaps also the physical space size, may be too small and not comfortable for a training.
I selected hotels and meeting halls. Both of these settings for me pose both the same pros and cons.
The hotel pros would be the location. When we have to travel out of town it is the convenience of having the training located in the same place as housing. The space and comfortable seating is a plus. The cons are usually the temperature in the rooms. The presenter doesn’t always have control over the temperature and oftentimes I’m freezing and lose focus on what is being presented.
Meeting Halls are similar. They are usually easy to locate and not far from home. The rooms are spacious and comfortable as well. The multiple bathrooms are a big positive as well.
Cons are at times moving the tables around in a more conducive way for a particle training isn’t always possible along with the temperature of the room.
The two facilities that I chose were child care centers and community college spaces. Two benefits of child care centers are 1) The location for childcare workers to be able to stay in the place they are employed and 2) Some of the materials that I may use to train would be readily available. Two cons of this space are that the child-size furniture available is uncomfortable to use and there isn’t much space to move around. For the community college space, I think it provides adult furniture and classroom settings that would be accomodating for small and large groups. But, it does not provide for hands-on experience in a child’s classroom and it makes participants have to travel to the location.
I chose childcare centers and libraries.
Two benefits of training in your center are
1-pretty much everyone can get there on time, as trainings are typically held after work.
2-If the center is well stocked, then I can use the classrooms as examples and allow teachers to split into small groups throughout the building.
Two benefits of training in a library are
1-Comfortable seating (most childcare centers have child sized seats)
2- It’s quiet.
Two cons of a childcare center are
1-It gives the feeling of “being stuck at work” longer than you usually are and participants aren’t as engaged
2- seating can be uncomfortable and the bright decor can be distracting to learning.
Two cons of a library are
1-Participants must travel for training
2-There are often community events going on .
Libraries are always a great option because they are often a centralized location. While it is great to meet at the childcare center that you may be training I also believe that it gives the feeling of being stuck at work!
I believe that 2 great options are community centers and local libraries.
Community centers
Pros- Amply space and adult sized amenities.
Cons- May have to travel to and from. Community centers are more prevalent in urban settings. Also my require a fee to use space. Often a lack of Technology.
Local Libraries
Pros- Amply space and adult sized amenities. Rooms with doors. Technology usually available.
Cons- May have to travel a ways to and from.
I chose Hotels as one of the options for a training location.
Hotel
Pros: Nice, large rooms. Comfortable seating. Flexibility of room size/arrangement. Sometimes, light meals and/or snacks can be provided by the hotel as well, limiting participant travel. If it is a large training, or conference, lodging available at the hotel for participants may offer additional convenience.
Cons: Cost, potential travel for participants.
I also chose Child Care Centers as an option.
Child Care Centers
Pros: Convenient location. No fees.
Cons: Scheduling conflicts, time when staff would have availability to attend.
I considered college & Library settings
Collège the classroom can be changed to how you want to present training tables for group work. Trainer should have access to internet and have visual needs such as projectors.
Con: If on a Saturday must work with M&O to get doors unlocked / If during week parking could be an issue
Libraries: Pro if training a particular area can use branch closest for participants/ Typically have meeting areas
If after hours cannot get access
The two that I have chosen are Childcare centers and Hotels.
1. One benefit of using a childcare center is that it is usually local and people are familiar of where it is at. Therefore, the building is more accessible for people with transportation issues or cannot drive far distances.
Another benefit is that the childcare rooms can be divided up for small groups. I recently attended a training that was at a childcare center and each room had activities in them. People were able to rotate and participate in each of the activities. Then we all met in the common area to reflect on what we had done.
2. One con of using a childcare center is that there isn’t much availability. Since there are children in the centers during the day. Participants typically have to use their evening times to attend the trainings. Additionally, not a lot of availability to practice and set up for trainings when children are in the building.
1.Hotels provide lots of space for bigger trainings. They usually have lots of seating and tables that can be arranged to fit the needs of the event. Additionally, they tend to have a large staff that is able to move items for the space.
Another pro to using a hotel is the use of lodging. If a training is multiple days the participants can stay at the hotel and conveniently attend at the designated times.
A con to using a hotel is that it usually at a high cost. There may be stay costs, renting conference room costs, food costs and more.
Another con to using a hotel is that the trainers have to be aware of the hotel policies and make sure all participants are following them as well. If a hotel is not happy with how participants used their property it can lead to a bad reputation for trainers.
I have completed trainings in a Community College training room and in a Theater. Two benefits and two challenges for each of the facility types that you chose to reflect upon.
One benefit of the Community College trainings: there was retractable walls that help having multiple trainings in the same area. Another benefit, the smaller rooms felt inviting.
One challenge was the trainer from another room was loud and it made it hard to focus. Another challenge, in one of the trainings, the trainer didn’t take the size of the room in account, we didn’t have a lot of space which made it uncomfortable.
The other training I done in the Theater.
One benefit was having a lot of room to feel comfortable. Another benefit was the dim lighting of the room was calming.
One challenge, the space was too large for the amount of participates. They was spread out to far, which made it difficult to hear for whole room conversation. Another challenge, was the echo of the room. It was hard to focus, when it came time to small group conversations because there was too maybe people talking and the room echoed.
I chose Child Care Centers and Libraries:
Pros for child care Centers: 1. It’s a space people already feel comfortable in 2. It’s a convenient place for people to get to.
Cons: 1. Finding enough adult seating can be an issue. 2. having adequate technology hook up is often a challenge in a child care center.
Pros for Library: 1. It’s free to schedule space there. 2. it’s a quiet calming atmosphere
Cons: 1. it may be a space people aren’t as familiar with. 2. It may be hard to schedule a time because it’s a space shared by the community.
I chose to reflect upon two facility types: childcare centers and hotels. Both of these facilities have benefits and challenges and I think that it’s important to note that one size does not fit all when it comes to training.
Training in a childcare center can be quite beneficial, especially when the trainees are educators at that facility. Being in their own space allows educators to examine and reflect upon their physical environment during a training session. This can be incredibly valuable, depending on the content of the training. However, this can be a hindrance for other participants who are not employed at that center. Those participants may feel out-of-place. Additionally, child care centers usually do not have enough adult-sized seating and tables to comfortably accommodate a full staff training.
Another training setting is a hotel. Hotels are excellent choices for large scale trainings such as national and regional conferences because there are usually several large meeting spaces that can accommodate large numbers of people as well as a variety of different training sessions and topics. Training at a hotel can also contribute to educators’ enthusiasm about the content because they are in a new and exciting space- especially if there are restaurants or other amenities nearby! The challenges that face hotel-based trainings include logistical complications due to large-scale planning and the high cost of hosting a training at a hotel.
I have attended many great venues for Professional Development Trainings. The most recent one I attended was in a very large convention room. The pros of these particular venue was that there was plenty of space for people to sit comfortable at their own tables. Another pro of the venue was that it was able to accommodate a large number of people therefore making content more available to others.
Two cons of this venue was that since it was large it was often times hard to hear because of side conversations and temperature control was very difficult.
The two training locations I have chosen are Hotels and Schools
I have completed trainings in hotels/Arena and loved every bit of it. The hotel was in my hometown, and was downtown with other places in walking distance. It was a great place to be during the summer while on break. The hotel had spacious training rooms, a few large conference rooms for us all to fit in and some smaller rooms for different training classes for when the large group broke up into smaller groups. Having the trainings at a hotel allowed the teachers to feel like they were getting a break from work, able to get away from the centers and explore a new place and sights. There were restrooms near by, restaurants near by for breaks.
Parking for the hotel/arena might have caused some challenges or problems for some due to them having to walk a little further than normal. I didn’t think it was too bad unless it was raining.
My agency recently had training for a week in a high school. The benefits of having training at a school is the many classrooms for smaller session trainings. There’s plenty of bathrooms to access, a cafeteria to have morning meetings, breakfast and lunch.
The challenges or problems having it in a school, there’s no place near to walk to during breaks for sight seeing. Some might feel it is child like being back in a high school for trainings, it’s not as fun or exciting.
Two training locations I have used in the past:
Childcare center – participants don’t have to travel anywhere and the other benefit is they are familiar with their environment.
Down side: adult seating and familiar can be too familiar and thus boring. Makes for a long day in one place if you do an evening training.
If there is a lounge and some adult seating, that would be ideal. I even thought perhaps teachers could bring in their own folding chair (and I could bring in a few). I also think that if participants are up and moving, the familiar setting is more easily tolerated.
County extension offices:
This has been a great place to host trainings. They are spacious and have great restroom spaces. They also usually will let me pick up a key on Friday and there’s a drop box I can leave the the key in when I’m done on a Saturday. We have even used the facility while they are present during a normal work week. The downside to that, though, is I have to remind participants to be quite when in the lobby or leaving the building. Also, they don’t always have a great deal of parking spots.
Hotels may provide flexibility of the space or have larger meeting spaces, working internet and adequate parking and food would be allowed within the space. However, hotels may come with a higher cost for the training and the furnishings within the space may be limited (round or banquet tables only).
Libraries often have time slots that you must register for which could limit times of trainings and I have found that food and drinks cannot be provided within the space. I have also found that unless explicitly asked for, technology for projection may not be available. However, there are multiple sizes and configurations of space as well as available internet.
There are pros and cons that come with each training location, so the trainers must consider these before choosing a location. For example, a trainer may select to use a child care center which may be easy to access/get to for the trainees and usually provides free parking, but may also not have enough adult-sized seating or bathrooms or may not have access to technology required for the training. Another example is when considering a place of worship as a training site, the pros may be that there is amble comfortable seating and free parking, but it should also be considered that trainees might not be comfortable in a sanctuary of a church if they have had bad experiences or the available rooms may not be laid out in a way contusive to optimal learning.
Although I have always enjoyed trainings that have taken place in childcare centers or small board rooms, it is often not large enough to seat the number of people registered for the training. They have adequate facilities, however, they may not provide technology that is dependable to use. Additionally, their hours may not be conducive for the training offered. These suggestions may offer a nice price tag, but they will not always meet the needs for the training.
Although I have always enjoyed trainings that have taken place in childcare centers or small board rooms, it is often not large enough to seat the number of people registered for the training. They have adequate facilities, however, they may not provide technology that is dependable to use. Additionally, their hours may not be conducive for the training offered. These suggestions may offer a nice price tag, but they will not always meet the needs for the trainer.
I have been to trainings in all kinds of facilities. I think having adequate space and tables to work on were two factors that made a big difference in how well the trainings went. Churches and places of worship as well as local libraries are places I have attended trainings that had definite pros and cons.
Libraries:
Pros
1. Cheaper to utilize
2. There is normally space for things like smaller trainings
Cons
1. May have curious patrons not affiliated with the training
2. Sometimes the spaces are too small.
Churches
Pros:
1. Space
2. May be cheaper to utilize
Cons:
1. Sometimes don’t have enough or any tables
2. Some people may be uncomfortable with being in a church depending on their affiliation and religion.
I have had trainings in colleges and universities. The pros are the physical layout and technology available are designed for longer lectures and presentations. Cons are times could vary and may not be best for certain individuals schedules.
Also, I have attended trainings at daycares. Pros are you know that the individuals present have recent childcare related experiences which can result in good discussions. Cons are related to the physical environment of the facility because many childcare facilities are not set up for presentations or trainings.
I have attended trainings at both meeting halls and child care centers,
Meeting Halls are beneficial because they hold a large amount of people. There are be many rooms as well for multiple trainings to occur at once. One drawback from meeting halls, at least in my case, would be that staff may have to travel farther to the location.
Child care centers are beneficial for short trainings. They are convenient for the staff. They will have all of their supplies handy. However, it is not ideal for long trainings because the seating is usually small and limited.
Trainings at universities have both benefits and challenges. Their facilities are often very comfortable (adult seating) and have current technology. As far as challenges, participants are usually required to get parking permits and training facilities may not be located near designated parking areas.
Trainings at child care centers have both benefits and challenges. Resources and materials are easily accessible for visual aids and hands on activities. Participants feel at home and comfortable in their surroundings. As far as challenges, even though participants are “comfortable” in a familiar environment, they may not have access to adult size seating for long periods of time. They may also prefer to get away from their day to day routine and be inspired by a new and fresh atmosphere.
I have held trainings in church fellowship halls. They have the space and the adult seating needed. They are handicap assessable and parking is not a problem. Some times the technology is not the best. I have done training is a college class room and in a college cafeteria that had side rooms. The side rooms were not the best because you could hear other presenters in the other rooms. The class room worked well do to plenty of space and the technology was good. Some times going to the head start is good due to convenience for the group. Other times they want/ need a break from the class room and want to attend elsewhere.
I have attended trainings only at hotels, conference centers, and at a church. I have listed pros and cons for hotels and churches below.
Hotels:
Pro – Usually offer various size rooms to meet various needs.
Con – Can be a little noisy depending upon what other events are occurring at the time of your training.
Churches:
Pro – Usually provides a quiet environment.
Con- May not have adequate space for your training.
Trainings at Universities/schools have the benefit of having spacious & multiple rooms and resources/materials that could be used readily (smartboard/technology, office materials, printers, etc.) Some challenges of having trainings at universities would be having to reserve a room, due to availability as well as making sure protocol is conducted correctly (e.g. signing in & out of office, placing items used in appropriate classrooms, etc.)
Trainings at Hotels would have the benefit of having more choices of rooms to conduct the training as well as giving the trainer and attendees a more spacious place to move around, especially if the trainer has planned activities for them to do. Two challenges would be if you had some attendee’s leave, the trainer may not notice and another would be Hotels are busy. There’s a lot of traffic happening inside and that could be a disruption to the trainer & attendees.
Trainings at a Childcare Center would have the benefit of (depending on the topic being presented) showcasing current things that are happening in childcare classrooms and another would be easy access to materials (curriculum, office supplies, etc.) Two challenges would be smaller space and could be busy with parent/child pickups, if training is occurring during the day.
Trainings at Libraries have the benefit of being in a community based site and having readable resources for attendees to check out, if they are wanting more information on the topic being presented. Two challenges would be having to reserve a room and making sure the training is quiet enough for others that are visiting the library.
Trainings at a Meeting Hall would have the benefit of an open concept area for all that are attending and being in the community. Two challenges would be possibly paying to use the space and not as much technology or access to materials.
Trainings at Places to Worship would have the benefit of use of multiple rooms and allowing training to happen in a atypical place. Two challenges would be some attendees may be hesitant to attend, as not everyone is religious and another would be making them uncomfortable and not feeling present during the training.
I have attended trainings at hotels and libraries. Pros and cons are stated below.
Hotel Pros:
-Nice big conference room with comfortable tables and chairs
-Sound system so you can hear the presenter well
-Technology readily available and free wifi
-Meal is usually provided or you are close to food options
Hotel Cons:
-It is usually cold. Not sure why, but I always bring a sweater!
-Sometimes the room feels too big and a bit sterile
Library Pros:
-Free wifi and readily available technology
-large conference rooms
-Clean bathrooms
-Usually a comfortable temperature
-You can browse the books during breaks!
Library Cons:
-Food options depend on the location (some have cafes/vending machines and others do not)
-Some libraries have rules against food and beverages in their conference rooms
-Could be loud/chaotic next to a children’s department
I have attended trainings in small conference rooms and hotel conference halls.
Small conference rooms allow for collaboration, open ended questions and a better understanding of the topic due to the intimate setting and possible hands on learning demonstrations. The training would feel more like a conversation. Unfortunately, small conference rooms can be intimidating if you are completely new to the topic and asked to contribute to the conversation.
Large hotel conference halls are less intimidating, and you can feel more relaxed to just listen. On the negative side, hotel conference rooms don’t allow for open dialogues, and it is harder to gain clarification on a topic if you misunderstand a concept.
The benefits of having a training at a local community hall located inside a bank is the availability of visual aids and private/safe wifi. The room is spacious with adult tables and chairs. It has plenty of parking space and bathrooms that are located close to the room. Some cons to this room are once again the size. Although it can hold a big group there are limitations to how many people can comfortably fit at the tables. Also, you have to schedule the event so there is a risk that the place could be full and in use.
The benefits of holding a training at a childcare facility is that it is a comfortable atmosphere for the adults attending, materials are available there if you want to give teaching examples and there is no need to travel and worry about parking. The cons are child size tables, chairs and bathrooms.
The venues I chose to reflect upon are hotels and child care centers. Some of the benefits and drawbacks of each are listed below:
Hotels
-Pros: improved morale of participants, flexibility in logistics, and inclusion of participants
-Cons: cost, feasibility, and scheduling
Child care centers:
-Pros: accessibility, central location, and
-Cons: space, AV and other equipment, and comfortable seating
Community Colleges/Schools:
Benefits- there’s a lot of space for people to feel comfortable and it’s a good learning setting
Cons- it can be noisy outside of the room and it may make people feel like they’re in school
Libraries:
Benefits- there is also a lot of room and can facilitate a learning environment
Cons- we tend to associate a library with quietness and others may come in and out of a library
I have only completed a training at a child care center. The benefits of this was being able to see the inside of the center and learning more about the center. The cons of this was it having to be in the evening after the center has closed because we weren’t able to do it during business hours due to children being there. It was a great learning experience.
As an educator, many of the trainings I attend are held in schools. These are great training sites for several reason – they are centrally located, equipped with the things you need for a training and well-maintained. Most are at low-or-no costs. One drawback may be the availability of getting the school reserved due to other activities going on there. I have also attended trainings at churches and those seem to work well. Again – many will let you use for free or at low cost. Churches are well maintained and comfortable. They have a more comfortable feel than the school.
I have attended trainings in several different places such as churches, school auditoriums, classrooms and meeting rooms in a Library. When attending a meeting at my local library it is nice because of the location. Also, it’s nice because you can hear the instructor well and the training size is usually small. A negative is there isn’t much up to date technology, which is nice to have when presenting. Another training location is a school auditorium, and I don’t really see any positives with this location. Some negatives are its hard to hear if the microphone is not working correctly, cannot see what is being presented and large number of participants.
The two most common places I have taken training is at a college campus or at my own centre.
The pros of the college is the space and ability to gather a lot of people from different areas together. This I always find helps me bring new ideas back, not just from the presenters but also from those I have met.
The cons can be the travel to get there and if popular trainings are over booked I sometimes do not get the most out of the time spent there.
The pros of doing training at my own home centre is that it is a comfortable place and my guard is down which helps me be more open to sharing during training. Another pro is that I tend to work close to home so travel is much easier for me.
Cons of this is lack of adult space, including a room big enough to accommodate all staff as well as adult furniture. Another con is that this type of location is usually just with your core staff and you are not getting the outside ideas from professionals you do not know.
The two most common places I have taken training is at a college campus or at my own centre.
The pros of the college is the space and ability to gather a lot of people from different areas together. This I always find helps me bring new ideas back, not just from the presenters but also from those I have met.
The cons can be the travel to get there and if popular trainings are over booked I sometimes do not get the most out of the time spent there.
The pros of doing training at my own home centre is that it is a comfortable place and my guard is down which helps me be more open to sharing during training. Another pro is that I tend to work close to home so travel is much easier for me.
Cons of this is lack of adult space, including a room big enough to accommodate all staff as well as adult furniture. Another con is that this type of location is usually just with your core staff and you are not getting the outside ideas from professionals you do not know.
I have attended trainings at the child care council, child care centers, churches, high schools, and conference rooms in hotels. I prefer to attend trainings in larger spaces like the conference room at a hotel because it allows the participants to have more space and not feel as crowded together. It almost meant that there were adequate facilities and parking, and the space was well maintained. It also helped that it was well prepared for the A/V needs because they host these events often and were used to providing microphones and a projector.
The downside to doing it there is that many more people attend so it can feel less personalized and can be more difficult to ask questions of the presenter. They are also typically held on weekends rather than in the evenings after work, so it starts to eat away at an employees personal time.
When I attended a training at a local church it was close to the childcare center at which I worked, which meant that it was fairly convenient to everyone attending. It was also held in an auditorium style room, so the seats were comfortable and the facility was nice. The difficult part was that the seats folded down like a movie theater, which meant that if we wanted to write anything down or take notes we had to hold a notebook on our lap and that made it more difficult. It also made it harder to speak with those around us because it meant leaning across someone. One of the reasons I go to these trainings is to network and meet other professionals, and sitting in an auditorium seat made that really difficult.
I have mostly attended trainings at universities and conference centers for NAEYC and DEC conferences. The cost of parking at big city conference centers is prohibitive. Trainings at universities usually means free parking for attendees, but the trainer/facilitator needs to work with the university parking office to get free parking for attendees. Both venues usually offer technology help and appropriate adult sized seating.
The two I chose to discuss are libraries and childcare centers.
Libraries have free parking and most of the time some of them have a large room that is free of charge to have meetings or trainings. The library I live close to has personalized rooms, so it doesn’t disturb others in the library. On the downside, you would definitely have to do your research on the libraries in order to find one that would fit your needs. Also booking in advance would need to happen in order to make sure you grab the space needed.
I have attended a few trainings at childcare centers. I honestly believe these are the best settings to be in. You are able to utilize hands on materials without having to pack up and tote many things. Another benefit is being able to use the facility as a model or etc. throughout the training! On the downfall, some childcare centers don’t have the space to hold a large group of people. Sometimes parking may be an issue. Lastly, when trainings are done at childcare centers, they usually only offer the training to coworkers who are employed at that location.
The two training places I chose were the public library and the local board of education.
Both are comfortable as far as climate control, furniture for adults and size of training room. The cons for both can be parking is difficult during the day. However the board parking is better after 4:00. If we did the training after 4:00 pm, the daycares would not have to close early.
Both facilities are up to date on technology and it is easy to use.
I posted my answer
I currently am training on a more individual level. When training on a group level I am going to start by training in their childcare centers. The pros to that are ease of access and the ability to practice skills in the environment that the skills will be utilized. A con may be finding time to provide training that is convenient for everyone. IN the future I would like to offer a community training for several childcare centers at a central location. Pros would be an opportunity to network with other providers, being able to train multiple locations at the same time, and facilities would be geared to adults. A con would be practicing the skills outside of the natural environment doesn’t always generalize as well.
One pro of holding training at a daycare the location of the training can fit the educational topic that aids in visuals, and hands-on learning and can allow for an assessment to be done like assessing the playground safety equipment. The second pro of holding training at daycare is time management for staff right, having the training to start right after the closing of a daycare.
One con of holding training at a daycare center is a lack of focus due to being in a participant’s classroom thinking about things that need to get done. The second con of holding training in a daycare setting is the lack of adequate spacing for adults to space out and do activities.
One pro of holding training at a business conference room is the area is set up to provide food (if needed for late evening training right after work), drinks, enough bathrooms, and the capability to use electronics. The second benefit is adequate parking to accommodate the participants.
One con of holding training outside of daycare is the possible time the room is available.
The second con of holding a training outside of daycare is the lack of hands having a setting tailored to daycare for examples and hands-on activities related to a classroom o, diaper changing station.
The two places I enjoy the most for trainings are hotels and city centers.
Both are very large comfortable spaces. Hotels also have smaller rooms incase you want to break out into breakout rooms. I also personally enjoy when I am staying in the hotel that the training is held at, that way I can go to my room on breaks. City centers are very spacious. They most of the time have comfortable seating. They also normally have several food options for breaks as well.
Cons for both places is always parking.
Every location has attributes that impact the quality of any training. One thing that has always been tough for me is when I cannot hear a presenter well, so I really look for locations that provide for the basics of being able to hear and see the presentation clearly. Additionally, I think all learners attend better when they are comfortable.
I compared hotels vs. childcare centers/classrooms:
Hotels have the benefit of typically have features that are comfortable (good parking, plenty of restrooms, easily accessible, etc.) and they are typically set up for effective meetings. However, not every area has adequate hotels to serve this purpose and at times the cost of using a hotel is prohibitive to the trainers.
Daycare rooms have the benefit of being on-site of the staff to be trained and if an opportunity to utilize the classroom to extend training arises, it can easily be done. But a daycare or classroom is typically not comfortable for adults and there are often interruptions to training since staff remains in the building.
I have presented only at child care facilities and at resource and referral agencies’ training rooms. There are many disadvantages to presenting at a child care facility (as people have already said, insufficient adult seating which necessitated participants’ sitting on the floor, my needing to bring my own equipment). There were two advantages — which of which turned out to be a disadvantage — is that participants feel “at home” (In my experience, they felt so “at home,” it was a challenge to elicit their focus and engagement. The second advantage was that I was able to see what their classroom environments looked like.
There are many advantages to using a resource and referrals meeting room — they often even already had a “comfort kit.” They are set up for training. The only disadvantage was that I sometimes had an hour commute when I did training for small, county-based resource and referrals.
I was discouraged to read that some people in our field are still using the term “day care” — this does not reflect the professionalism of the field! Ugh!
Childcare Centers – Pros: convenient location if training teachers at that specific facility, familiarity, environment/materials for hands-on learning; Cons: child-sized tables/chairs, only use evenings or weekends, lack of technology for presenting, small, no child-care
Community Center – Pros: technology for presenting, lots of space, someone sets up tables and chairs for you, bathrooms, daytime use available; Cons: Cost, more formal setting may cause people to be intimidated, busy/difficulty getting day/time you need
I have chosen to discuss trainings at places of worship and libraries.
Places of worship usually do have rooms available for both large and small groups. They also have adult restrooms and seating in the training rooms. One con about holding a training at a place of worship is just that, it’s a place of worship. Not everyone may feel comfortable in a place of worship. An additional con is parking, not all places of worship have a lot of parking, so depending on the number of people attending, a place of worship may not be the place for your training.
Libraries are nice in that they do have adult seating/tables and restrooms. They also have access to wi-fi if needed. The libraries I have been to have screens and projectors available, so you may not need to haul your own. Libraries, can be busy and sometimes noisy. Parking can also be an issue and libraries usually don’t have a room for a very large number or participants.
I believe if a training is at a childcare center, there needs to be adult chairs and tables brought in. It is a con that adults would have to sit at small tables and chairs for a prolonged amount of time. A Pro would be that many would be comfortable in that environment and have access to materials, but the cons outweigh the pros in this instance. There could be issues with timing of training, bathrooms, parking, etc.
Another place for a training that I have often encountered is an adult education building or a room at a high school of the same community. These places will usually have wifi, adult-sized chairs and tables, multiple restrooms and parking. However, there can be difficulties if food is provided and timing of the training if regular classes are going on.
I chose hotels and community colleges/schools. I think hotels usually have really good spaces and access to areas for snacks and/or food if you are having some type of conference. However, hotels can be pretty pricey and people can get lost if you do not provide clear signage as to how to get to the specific training room.
I also like community colleges/schools. The facilities usually have lots so classroom space to chose from and they will have classroom equipment you may need like monitors for a powerpoint, or flip charts. However community colleges/schools can be hard to access. Parking is usually a nightmare and participants typically have a long walk before reaching the specific classroom.
I see the benefit of using a Meeting Halls/Community Centers: because of the rooms and having many tables. That would be true of Hotels and Libraries and Community Colleges Schools. Having everything at your Disposal is easier for us the Trainer.
In our Head Start we have rooms for training and many resources for trainers to use, and its easier for our own staff to be here instead travelling out of our area.
But I am all for having trainings in Hotels away from work.
Test
I have had trainings at a local college and Library’s.
The pro’s for local college-It was normally a good location for all the child development cneters.
Parking, bathrooms and seating arrangmetns was very accomdating.
Con-The availablity of the rooms, with other programs and agency’s using the same location.
-Scheudling around their events or programs.
Library-Same as college-Location and availability
Con-Parking and bathrooms aren’t normally good for a larger training.
-Size of room and location of room at the library being easily accessible to the public.
I have found that I most enjoyed trainings that were housed in either child care centers or places of worship.
In child care centers I felt very comfortable due to being in one daily. I also liked that it gave me an opportunity to visit other centers within my community and make some professional relationships. That being said on more than one occasion I have been to a training at a center where there was a very off-putting smell. That made it very hard to concentrate. Also sometimes centers do not have enough adult sized chairs available for all the participants,
Places of worship always seem to have their schedules very well organized and are set up for the training. They also are usually extremely clean and have plenty of adult sized chairs and big people bathrooms. On the down side I can image that they may be an uncomfortable place for people not of that denomination. Churches also often have more than one event going on at a time and can sometimes be very busy and loud.
Child care centers: Pros are that staff do not have to travel elsewhere to attend a training, they are familiar with the facility (restrooms, exits, etc.), and avoiding travel may also save time for participants. Cons include possibly lacking adequate adult-sized furniture, crowded space, and lack of separation between work/training which can exacerbate fatigue.
Hotel/conference centers: Pros include likely adequate space for participants to move freely, adult-sized furniture, and separation from the daily work environment. Cons are that such facilities likely have monetary costs, participants must travel to the training location which may be further than their workplace, and that there are no child-friendly materials, which I often rely on when conducting a training.
Conducting trainings at a local library had not occurred to me prior to reading these posts. The library I frequent does have a nice conference-type room; I assumed it was only used for library functions. The benefit of training at a library is it are quiet, has plenty of parking (usually), and is not typically very busy, which eliminates some distractions.
Hotel
Positive: Nice and spacious and was equipped with technology for us to use. It was near restaurants which made it convenient to grab lunch during a break.
Negative: The trainings were in different rooms on three different levels. Finding the correct training and with hotel guests to manuever around made it frustrating using escalators/elevators.
Community Center (Convention Center)
Positive: Nice and spacious and was equipped with technology for us to use. All is one level and can be rented for just our workplace to attend. Food can be catered eliminating people having to go out for lunch.
Negative: Most meeting rooms were partition walls meaning that sound traveled easily causing disruptions. The convention center was expensive to use in our hometown so we had to find other convention centers to use which requires travel time for employees.
I have had meetings at libraries and community centers. These are located in the middle of the county so people will not have to travel far. the library does not hold as many as the community centers, but it depends on the number I expect to attend. The challenges of these two would be the technology and the transportation. These places are in the center of the county, but several families in this area has no transportation. There are times we can supply transportation, but not all times. Technology in these two buildings is a challenge also. If we need to get on a computer, we ask for them to bring laptops, and then, in some cases, the internet doesnt connect.
My suggestions were also libraries and community centers. My challenge was not having a projector in the meeting rooms in the library but I never thought about having folks bring their own devices and using the library wifi. Also, I didn’t put on my comment that meeting at the library would be a way to encourage all participants to get a library card!
Potential Training Location:
Child Care Center
Positives:
*Convenient for most staff. The staff are knowledgeable about the location and how long travel time would be for
them and possibly have the option of staying after work to attend which would eliminate additional travel
*As a business, it should have appropriate parking and restroom facilities.
*Free of charge
Negatives
*Adult size furniture including tables and chairs
*Enough room to house everyone in one training area, classrooms are generally crowded.
*To ensure child safety, trainings would need to be presented while no children were present
Meeting Hall/Community Center
Positives:
*usually no cost or low cost
*Adult size furniture
*Parking and restroom facilities
*Multimedia assessable
Negatives
*The designated Location may not be convenient for all, participants may have to travel
*Available dates may be limited
I believe the best facilities for trainings to be at daycare centers and churches. Of course the benefits of daycare centers are endless. It’s very helpful to get into the rooms to see how they are arranged, boards displayed and the learning centers . The worst thing is the seating for adults. I have attended trainings that suggest bringing in a camping chair to sit in.
Churches are also good facilities because they have a lot of rooms. The parking is usually good.
Training Center: Work Office Building
Pros: Convenient (central location), familiar, Cost friendly
Cons: Limited spacing, limited technological options
Training Center: Hotel Meeting Rooms
Pros: High Tec Presentation Equipment, Large Space, Multiple Rooms
Cons: Parking, Location, Expense
Hotels:
(benefits) The space is typically adequate and staff helpful and accommodating- providing water and answering questions as needed
(challenges) When there are multiple trainings or events going on at the same time and the rooms are only separated by a divider it can get noisy. Sometimes there are also issues with internet connection
Centers:
(benefits) The environment is representative of what we do as early educators and is generally convenient. There are materials nearby if needed
(challenges) If you meet in a classroom most of the chairs are small, which can be uncomfortable. The overall space may be small for an adult meeting space
I have used a conference center and child care centers.
Child Care Centers
Pro: Familiar, maybe an opportunity for personal/group coaching on classroom environment.
Con: Enough adult seating, bathrooms, technology constraints.
Conference Center
Pro: Moveable tables, comfortable seating, vending machines, accessible bathrooms, technology already set up.
Con: Parking areas may be far away or not handicap accessible. No temperature control. Other sessions may be distracting with temporary walls.
Childcare center: pros- they can practice skills in their own space such as ECERS-3. Familiar with their environment
Cons:- not enough adult sized furniture, limited access to bathrooms/refreshments
Hotels: pros- adult sized seating and accessible bathrooms.
Cons: shared walls can make it difficult to concentrate on the speaker in your room. Sound can be a problem, even with a mic, if people don’t use them properly.
Community Colleges/Schools
Pros:
*Multiple Rooms to split off into various trainings
*Rooms to have large groups of trainees
*Access to technology
*Free and large group parking
Cons:
*Cost
*Availability -may not be available during certain days and times
Places of Worship
Pros:
*Large room for large group trainings
* Rooms for breakout session
*Free parking
*Cost maybe cheaper than other venues
*PA system already in place
Cons:
*Attendees may feel uncomfortable
*Technology may not be accessible
*May not be able to present certain content
The two locations i chose are libraries and hotels.
Two benefits of using a hotel is that there is plenty of space for training participants leaving more room for group participation and activities. And another benefit is that sometimes food is offered from the hotel and technology such as wifi and computer screens/ projectors which always makes trainings and breaks more efficient and convenient for both participants and trainers.
Two cons of using a hotel could be lack of privacy or confidentiality due to it being a public place and accessible to anyone. And another con could be that one can be easily distracted being at a hotel with so much space and so much going on.
Two benefits of a library are that you have a nice quiet hopefully private room in the space to conduct effective training with limited distractions being that the library is naturally a quiet and low energy space. And another benefit would include its open to the community and other people who may need the information may be able to attend as a resource.
Two cons of using a library include that their may be limited time to complete training due to other community events that occasionally happen at the library. And another con could be that the space is alot smaller due to all the books and other community needs held at the library space.
My workplace has their own confrence rooms where trainings are held. We also utilize our school locations when the children have been picked up. Two benefits of the office is that it is free and it is easy to book ahead of time. Two cons are that it is not in an easily accessible location for some and they book up very far in advance. Two benefits of the school is that they are also free and they are well known locations by staff and families. Two cons include the limited time window for use and the size of the rooms.
Hotels and Colleges
Hotel Pros: provide adequate space in their rooms. Which allows a great space for those to work in large and small groups. Technology is accessible and usually available.
Hotel Cons: not always free parking. Can be confusing where to go as some hotels are very large and busy. Also hard to keep confidentiality as the hotel is a public space. Hotels can be costly.
College Pros: Similar to Hotels, they have rooms that provide adequate space for small and large groups. Free parking. Technology is accessible and available. Likely not to cost as much as a hotel.
Cons: may be uncomfortable for some people. Also, very busy and can be easy to get lost.
Childcare Center
pros: staff do not have to travel to a different location, abundance of materials on location, staff might have the opportunity to work in the classrooms and implement new ideas from the training before children are present
cons: could be a lack of space, could be a lack of technology, could be a lack of adult seating
School/College
pros: more spacious rooms, technology used, adult seating, new environment
cons: staff have to travel, it can cost the school or program to rent the space, could be busy on campus or confusing to navigate
Schools/Educational Environments-
Pros:
Usually free
Cons:
Sometimes hard to book due to availability
Conference Centers-
Pros:
Already set up for work environments
Cons:
Cost
I have chosen a childcare facility and a hotel. Being a director I feel that when we use our facility it is beneficial for the reasons that we can be in an environment that supports room arrangement and learning about centers within the facility. We can also use this immensely for our visual learners in every aspect of our training. It is also a wonderful way to have access to so many different materials that we can use as examples within our training. I found that staff being hands on and actually correcting any mistakes within our facility during our trainings is beneficial for them later to have better understanding of centers.
Cons are that we must close early as a facility in some instances. It is also a con that many facilities may not be able to host as many participants as others.
I have also done training in a hotel. This is highly convenient for those of use who are traveling to the location for an overnight training. It is also a great way to offer a large area to accommodate many people for training.
Hotels can be a costly place to host trainings and they may also not be available for the needed dates. Hotels cannot provide us a classroom set up visual either.
I chose hotels and child care centers as training locations.
Hotels have great internet/technology connections and ample parking. Participants can even stay on site, if necessary. However, there are costs associated with renting conference space. Also, hotel conference rooms are usually very large and do not promote close engagement between presenters and participants.
Child care centers are normal environments for the participants. There they have familiar surroundings and feel emotionally secure during the training. The centers are close to home for the participants and require little drive time to the training. In child care setting though, there’s usually a lack of appropriate sized furniture for participants to work comfortably and often times internet/technology connections are limited.
I didn’t think about how having a training at a child care facility could promote a relaxed learning environment for the participants. This is a good perspective to have if you’re trying to engage learners more and create a safe place to learn by making it more comfortable.
Before reading your comment, Hycinthia Carbuccia, I hadn’t really given much consideration to holding trainings in a house of worship. After reading your pros and cons and considering the topic of the training, that might be a useful venue in the future for me. Thank you for opening my eyes to this possibility!
I have chosen Community College and hotels
Benefits of community college are the large rooms that are able to hold large numbers. They are usually easy to find and have IT people there to help as well, especially with videos.
Cons- hard to schedule sometimes due to the college classes and sometimes , staff may have to travel farther than normal to get to the college.
Benefits of Hotels- Usually close to the interstate where people may be traveling from, able to stay in a room, bathrooms easily accessible- food and drink usually included, so don’t have to go find somewhere for lunch
Cons of hotels- could be noisy from guests, especially with swimming pools- can be very costly to reserve.
I chose libraries and community centers. In Fayette County, many public libraries have meeting rooms that can hold varying numbers of people. I think they are best for smaller groups of people, but reserve the largest space so there is enough room to move around. Parking is usually not an issue. There is no fee for use. I especially love to use the public libraries for any trainings related to early literacy. We can just walk right out into the Easy Book section, gather picture books to take back to the room for analysis. The challenge or problem may be the lack of a projector or screen, so other visual aides will need to be used such as handouts or charts.
Many community centers will open their meeting space free of charge, especially if the training is targeted to the early childhood education programs and schools in the neighborhood. When you make a request, you can say that you will send special invitations to the teachers at X, Y, and Z schools. The challenge might be cleaning up afterwards. If you can carry everything back out and there will not be a cost for the center for cleaning up after you, you might be able to develop a good training location partner.
Child Care Centers have an environment that you feel more at home. You usually have your colleague’s attending the trainings and feel more comfortable. The surroundings are more comfortable. Our facility has an in service training each summer and we always do the week training at one of our Head Start sites. The participants are around the people that they work with and have a good relationship. They seem to interact more.
I have attended conferences at hotels or Convention Centers. You get to meet new people and hear their ideas and way of teaching and can get some really good ideas from them to take back to your employees and coworkers.
At colleges, there is usually lots of room and useful equipment you may need, as well as being set with enough tables and chairs. The draw back can be that they are hard to book due to availability and sometimes loud environments.
At hotels, they are large, can be arranged however you need and people will help do that and there is lots of parking. Some draw backs are sometimes they don’t have the right technical equipment you need or they can be loud.
Community Colleges/Schools- Large enough space for activity and lecture, technology issues and not having what you need readily available
Hotels- Large space and easily able to book but also have technology issues and maybe not what you need to set up
Places of worship can be used for training locations as some of them can be quite large and well outfitted with adult size furniture, break out rooms and various technologies that facilitate presentation. Additionally, aside from times of worship they may have greater availability. Things to keep in mind include your participants level of comfort in a place of worship – whether or not they are a member of that church or another, or perhaps and entirely different religion which may influence their willingness to participate.
Local libraries can also be considered as a training location. Similar to places of worship, they could be outfitted with adult size furniture and up to date technology that will facilitate presentation of your material. A downside could be size of the conference rooms, as well as an intrusive noise level for regular library patrons.
Child Care Center:
My first training in a childcare center was a decent experience. The pros were I didn’t have to drive anywhere and I was in a familiar and comfortable environment. The bonuses in this facility was teacher sized chairs and teacher bathrooms. The cons for training in a childcare center were child sized furniture (while we had adult chairs, the tables were still incredibly short) and the mental strain. I try to be an advocate for mental health, especially in teachers, and I found it to be taxing to work an 8-10 hour shift, stay late, and work through training hours. There’s no time for a mental reset and it can be difficult to change gears to focus on a training when you’re tired at the end of the day. (I much prefer trainings that happen on weekends or I request days off for trainings so I don’t feel as though I’m working 2 jobs).
Hotel trainings are 50/50 experience. The pros were there was plenty of parking, there was food available, and the rooms and facilities were quite large. The cons were the drive, the time the training occurred, and the spacing. During my hotel experience, I was a college student and this training happened to be in the middle of the day. I had to skip classes just to get to the training and it was a lengthy drive for me (living an hour from school) and I ended up late to the training. It didn’t make for a great first impression for me and kept me from participating in my other obligations. It was also difficult to hear the training. We were in a ballroom which has no microphones so it was incredibly difficult to hear the speaker. Thankfully they had a powerpoint presentation so I was able to get some of the content that way.
The two training areas that I chose were hotels and meeting halls/community centers.
Hotels are a great place to hold training because most usually everything can be found onsite. The meeting rooms are the perfect size and are outfitted with the appropriate technology that is needed for the training. The participants also have the option to stay onsite if needed for an additional cost. The cons to holding training in a hotel are the additional cost that can be associated with the space. Not only do you have to pay for the meeting room but your participants might need to pay for their overnight stay if needed. Another con to using a hotel space for training is the confidentiality piece of it. With the hotel serving so many people there really isn’t space for one on one or private conversations if needed.
Meeting halls/community centers are a great place to hold training because they are usually within the area where the training is needed. Sometimes with places like these being within the communities, there is no cost associated with using the space. The spaces are usually large enough and equipped with the appropriate furniture that is needed to seat adults comfortably. The cons to using these types of spaces are that the technology needed is usually limited due to the space being free.
The two places that I chose to reflect on are: Libraries and Community Centers, because these are two places that are usually accessible, especially in small rural areas like ours.
One benefit of Libraries is that they are open to the public and often accommodating to early childhood groups (in our area they even host a “Story Hour” that is targeted toward young children and their families). Another benefit for libraries is that they often have equipment you may need for a training such as podiums, projectors, copiers, access to internet, etc. One drawback is that if they only have one meeting space available, you would have to schedule your training based on availability instead of the best need and fit for your training. Another drawback is that they are usually only open during normal business hours, so having after hours or weekend trainings would usually not be an option.
A benefit of community centers is that they are usually open to being rented at any day/time and so the trainer could utilize the space for non-business hours which would make it easier for child care staff to attend. Another benefit for community centers is that they are usually very accommodating for large events, so there would be plenty of parking, conference space and bathroom accessibility. One drawback of community centers is that usually there is a fee associated with using their buildings (whereas libraries or other public places like schools may donate the space). Another drawback is that usually they do not have equipment available such as computers, projects, copiers, and sometimes not even internet.
I’ve attended many trainings at the conference center. The benefits of trainings there are the versatile room set up with different configurations available (horseshoe, classroom, etc.). The rooms are also able to be changed to accommodate large group, small group sizes. Parking is usually enough. A challenge to the conference center is the travel time for staff from different locations.
Libraries in area offer meeting rooms. For a medium to small group this is beneficial because there is no cost and it’s usually in a location close to everyone. A challenge to meeting at a library is the restriction of no food or drinks for some places. Another challenge would be size restriction.
The two places I chose for different training facilities were Libraries and Hotels. Some pros for both places were the open spaces that could accommodate a large amount of people, arranging the tables how they were needed for the training, and both are spaces that are typically in a city for a mutual place for different participants. Some cons for both places were the potential fee that could be associated with renting a room for the training, and if the place was hosting another event catering, parking, and common areas might be crowded.
I have attended a training at an Extension Office conference room. It was an intimate setting. Easy to hear each other. However it was hard to move around and there was no place for any break-out sessions/group discussions.
Another one was in a High School classroom. It had more room. The tables/desks rolled so it was easy to combine into groups or separate back out. However, there was a lot of echo. It was a more noisy setting.
The two places I chose were hotels and child care centers-
I have been to some really great trainings at hotels. They can generally accommodate a large number of people and several sessions at once. The training sessions that I attended occurred many years ago. We were able to acquire all of our training hours during one weekend and had the flexibility of choosing which sessions we wanted to attend. The downside was that travel was involved and it was costly to stay and to pay for the Conference.
When I chose childcare center, I thought of the center where I work. This is nice because you know everyone you are training with. It is an intimate and comfortable environment, so I think that people are more willing to share and more at ease. I think it’s important that training sessions occur on days when children are not present. We were lucky to only have children four days a week, so we were able to have in-service days Fridays or prior to school beginning. Although people are more willing to share with people they are familiar with, discussion might be more limited because everyone is from the same school and people might be distracted by other things they are trying to accomplish within their classroom, etc…
Hotel benefit is that you could be able to travel to new places that you have not been and hear from people who might have different ideas of doing things, plenty of room for adults. Challenges would be that sometimes it is hard to get engaged with the speaker as there are usually a lot of people in those trainings.
Child Care Centers benefit is that it would keep down travel, there are examples within the child care environment, and that staff might feel more comfortable. Challenges would be seating arrangements and less bathrooms, and the parking might not be ideal.
The two locations I chose to discuss are places of worship and libraries. The pros of worship centers are that there is adult seating, plenty of space and good parking. The cons would be scheduling around church events and the lack of access to technology. It would be important to consider your content and needs before reserving the space. A library space is often good for adult seating and availability of technology. There can be problems scheduling around their events and hours of operation and parking can be an issue at random times. Another positive for libraries is that for appropriate age children could possibly be brought with the parent if they are familiar with the layout and enjoy reading or can do homework independently. Another con to both of these would be if they allowed food/drink in their space. Many participants are coming straight from work and are starving, being it has been many hours since their lunch break.
Trainings at child care centers are beneficial because the childcare staff are learning in a familiar environment in which they teach in. They would have the ability to put into practice what they are learning with hands on activities in said environments. This location can also be used at no cost to the program, and would be familiar to employees as far as location goes. The cons would be lack of adult seating and/or table space, there could also be a lack of parking depended upon the group size for the training.
Conference centers are beneficial due to the size of the facilities themselves, and generally adequate accessible parking. Staff also have the ability to sit comfortably in adult seating with access to tables for note taking, etc. This also provides flexibility for small vs. large group break out sessions for the training. Cons would be cost efficiency for the program, little or no access to materials that would be used on a regular basis within the classrooms, and finding a centralized location that would be easily accessible to staff attending the training.
I have attended trainings mostly at Child Care Centers and meeting halls. Child Care Centers are great because they are familiar, and attendees know how to get there. They are also easier for set up since all the logistics are in-house and can be figured out/prepped beforehand. However, challenges include the limited space available as well as the child-sized environment. Meetings halls have more space available, and they are set-up for trainings. However, they may not be located in an easy to get to location and reserving space can be an issue.
Two places I have attended trainings is a hotel and a childcare center.
The benefit of a hotel is that the conference room is spacious and provides enough room for a multitude of people. Also the hotel already had equipment, like stage, podium, projector and microphone. The challenges and problems that may arise is parking and the busy time of the hotel and other guests staying there.
The benefit of a childcare center is that is very comfortable and very home like and familiar. It allows you to do hands on activities if related to early childhood education. The challenges and problems are that there is not enough adult furniture to provide for the adults or have to be rented to use in this space. Also, it could cause a bit of extra traffic if the training is during business hours of the center and therefore you have parents picking up children and people arriving so timing is a big key in this environment.
I have attended trainings at multiple locations. Most trainings are at hotels and colleges community centers.
The pros for the hotels is a change of scenery for staff, so that way they can get their mindset into learning the ability to feel fresh and ready to learn new ideas. The challenges are for others that getting out of their routine and out of their atmosphere into another county or state is hard for them as well as the cost.
The pros for community centers and colleges are the resources, the area and space and being donated. the cons or challenges would be getting the appropriate time for the staff to all come together.
Trainings I have attended at hotels were good experiences. I like to large rooms and tables and seating were very accommodating. Restrooms and parking available. Internet and media seemed to meet the needs of the presenter. I assume most of the cost of the training went to the facility and I would have rather the trainers received more compensation due to the obvious hard work they did in preparing the training.
I think libraries would be a good option for all the above reasons. There may be limited space but the cost might be minimal. It would be easy to manage the limited space by adhering to an appropriate capacity. However if there is a lot of interest in the training, perhaps multiple sessions could be offered. This means the trainer is repeating the same training several times, but a small group has its advantages which can have optimal results in assimilating the information.
I chose a college and a childcare center.
The advantages to using colleges is their space provided and would be easy to provide classrooms for collaboration and problem solving. It also promotes a safe and familiar learning environment. The conference rooms if available would already more than likely be set up for guest speakers. The disadvantages could be a hard to hear due to group size. Another would be if it was a training that lasted longer than a day there is no overnight stay options like it would be if it was held at a hotel.
Training at a childcare center would be beneficial due to having materials and classrooms already prepared and available for example setup and it would be familiar to early childhood educators. The disadvantages would be smaller spaces and less parking and also teaching staff would have limited chances to collaborate and get different perspectives on material depending on group size.
I have attended trainings at a variety of locations. The two I have chosen to highlight are community colleges/ schools and Libraries.
A few benefits of attending trainings at community colleges/ schools are advanced technology, space, available equipment, chairs and tables are readily available. There may also be a variety of rooms to choose from depending on the size of your audience. This may also be an affordable option. A disadvantage is your options to choose rooms may be limited thus being in space.
A few benefits of libraries are it may be free, depending on location the room choices may be big, might have access to advanced technology as well as chairs and tables. A few disadvantages are depending on the size of the library your room selection may be too small for your participants. You may have limited amount of chairs, tables. You may not have advanced technology.
Sharay,
Libraries are a great budget friendly options for many agencies to host training, I’m glad you mentioned that.
Community Colleges: Pros – Educational setting – Possibilty of free use
Cons – access to technology may be limited – May be out of range for some trainee
Childcare Centers: Pros – The center you work at could be a useful resource
– Great example of set up depending on the age groups trainees are interested in
Cons – May have limited access to center
– Some centers may not have ample space
I have chosen to highlight a childcare center and a library as I have attended trainings in both of these locations.
Childcare center: Pros- very comfortable environment for ECE adults, lends itself easily to conversation as there is a lot to observe. Cons- might not be the most physically comfortable for adults since the furniture is all child sized.
Library: Pros- an environment that inherently promotes and encourages learning, a peaceful and comfortable place. Cons- might not be the most convenient for everyone depending on location.
I have attended trainings at libraries and childcare centers.
The benefits of a local library are that is is close to most community members and it is generally in good repair, with meeting rooms and facilities. A library, however, doesn’t always have hours that are flexible enough to accommodate later meeting hours, which many childcare providers need. In addition, some rural communities will have a long commute to their local library.
Childcare centers allow staff to be in their own environment and go by their own schedule. However, childcare centers rarely have facilities that are comfortable for adults. Having everything “kid size” works for the children, but is not conducive to adult learning. I also feel like training in an area that is truly made for adults makes the staff feel more professional.
I have attended trainings in a school library and in an early childhood center.
The pros of attending sessions in a school library are comfortable seating in configurations conducive to small group work. There is also easy access to the technology needed for the presenter. If participants work at the school, it’s easy for them to arrive on time.
However, if the session is targeting participants from other schools, it can be a challenge for participants to travel to the session, especially if it’s a larger county or region. Also, the temperature control can be a challenge after school hours if the thermostat is set to turn off after hours.
The pros of a session at an early childhood center can be real world examples of student work, room arrangements and management systems. However, the presenter needs to be aware of providing good models for the participants. All early childhood classrooms are not necessarily good models:) Also, staff from the classrooms should be made aware if participants will be in the classroom.
Although some early childhood centers have space with adult seating, many do not. This can be problematic if we are asking participants to sit for an hour or more.
Hotels: the benefits are the space is usually large and everyone tends to know where the hotel is. The challenges are often cost and do folks have to travel.
Child Care Centers: the benefits are that most of your participants are already there and they are comfortable in their own environment. The challenges are that often there are difficulties with adult size table and chairs, and reflecting upon the comfort level-sometimes that can be a distraction to learning.
The two types of training locations that I have attended or done training at is a large Community Center or Meeting Hall and a child care Center.
The Child care center is beneficial due to the fact that staff is already there so they don’t have to close early to come to a training. Unless it is another childcare center that is coming to attend. The staff are comfortable and familiar with the location. The media equipment is mostly likely there, materials are there, often the director will provide food. A disadvantage is parking (if other centers are coming) , child like furniture and bathrooms, space of the centers are small so offering the training to others is limited.
The Community center that I have attended as a participant was a 2 day conference so a disadvantage for some was lodging and traveling. There was a hotel at the bottom of the hill but not everyone could stay there so some had to travel a few extra miles to have a place to stay. Food was offered but there was no choice of food and no special dietary was taking into consideration. There was breakout sessions and each session had different breaks (no scheduled break time) so noisy was a factor. Advantage of the community center was there was a wide variety of fast-food restaurants nearby. Location was excellent. It holds 10,000 people so size was not a factor. Parking was great, everything was adult size, several bathrooms were available. lights were great. A disadvantage but also an advantage was the sound. The rooms were large. If you chose to sit in the back it was hard to hear but sitting in the back was not a must it was a chose. The rooms were large enough that everyone could be close to the front of they chose to be.
The two types of training locations that I have attended or done training at is a large Community Center or Meeting Hall and a childcare Center.
The Childcare center is beneficial due to the fact that staff is already there, so they don’t have to close early to come to a training. Unless it is another childcare center that is coming to attend. The staff are comfortable and familiar with the location. The media equipment is mostly likely there, materials are there, often the director will provide food. A disadvantage is parking (if other centers are coming) , childlike furniture and bathrooms, space of the centers are small so offering the training to others is limited.
The Community center that I have attended as a participant was a 2-day conference so a disadvantage for some was lodging and traveling. There was a hotel at the bottom of the hill but not everyone could stay there so some had to travel a few extra miles to have a place to stay. Food was offered but there was no choice of food, and no special dietary was taking into consideration. There was breakout sessions and each session had different breaks (no scheduled break time) so noisy was a factor. Advantage of the community center was there was a wide variety of fast-food restaurants nearby. Location was excellent. It holds 10,000 people so size was not a factor. Parking was great, everything was adult size, several bathrooms were available. lights were great. A disadvantage but also an advantage was the sound. The rooms were large. If you chose to sit in the back it was hard to hear but sitting in the back was not a must it was a chose. The rooms were large enough that everyone could be close to the front of they chose to be.
I have attended trainings in hotels and childcare centers.
Pros to attending trainings in a hotel is that there is usually a lot of room for group time and the seating is adult size.
Pros for attending trainings in a childcare center is that many materials that you might need are available for you to use. Staff are in their own element and can find the restrooms easily.
Cons to attending trainings in hotels is sometimes the areas are too large and you can’t find your room for the training.
Cons to attending trainings is a childcare center is the small chairs.
Tomi,
I wrote the same thing about the tiny chairs, they are the worst.
I saw all the ones where people said they had attended in a library but I wondered if the rooms were large or small? If they had a fee? Were they allowed to be used in the evening?
I think that presenting in an early childhood center/daycare can have the benefit of having real life exposure to the topic you may be training on- such as being able to see a room arrangement in person. Seeing the room will help the participants be able to have a context for what they could do in their classroom However daycares and early childhood centers do not always have access to adult seats/comfortable seating or areas that allow for group work.
The second setting I like to train at is community college/schools because they typically have access to technology, adult seating that is both comfortable and allows for group work. The challenge in this setting is that sometimes traveling to the location can be difficult for participants and unfamiliar which can make navigating the campus intimidating for the participants.
I’ve presented and attended training at child care centers, and at our local child care resource and referral and training agency.
At the R&R, the benefits were rooms and a facility designed for adult training. Adult sized furniture, movable for different configurations and needs, all accessible training room and spaces, Media and technology set up for all to see and hear, bathrooms and break room, and an on site facilitator to help with tech and logistics.
The cons – location and accessibility. It was a central location in the city with ample parking, but it was difficult for some to get off work across town at 6 and get to training at 7pm.
Child care centers – location convenient for those employees. Familiar facility.
Cons: often not adult sized furniture, hard for all to see the trainer, had to bring all technology and often difficult to set up and use.
The two types of facilities that I chose are conference rooms at EKU and various child care centers in the area. Some benefits of having the trainings at the EKU facilities were plenty of parking, vending machines and water fountains on site, plenty of bathroom facilities for everyone, ample seating, audio/visual equipment, and training materials on site and provided to you by the training department when you schedule a training there. There were really no drawbacks since the facility is available in the evenings and on Saturdays as well as during regular business hours.
The main benefit of having a training at a child care facility, is that the employees are already there at the end of the day they don’t have to leave and go somewhere else. Another benefit would be having child care related items/materials on hand if you need to demonstrate things that may come up during the training, outside of what was originally planned. A couple of drawbacks to that facility would be that there may be limited space for trainees and limited adult sized seating.
Child Care Centers and hotel/convention centers. Two benefits for each is the parking will be easy to navigate and both could offer proximity to where the learners live. Two challenges will be class sizes, one might be too small and one too big, and lastly the technology/furniture might not be what you need or can work with.
The two training locations I chose were a hotel and a library. The benefits of a hotel are that there is a lot of space and plenty of parking spaces. The challenges of the training I attended were when the microphone went out it was hard to hear the trainer. Another challenge was not having tables to take notes or for those who like to doodle to keep their hands busy. The benefits of the library was there was not a lot of noise outside of the room and able to hear the trainer. The challenges in a library were it was a small space, so it was difficult to have small group activities without being distracted by the other group’s discussion.
I think I like to train in is the community college because they usually have access to technology, adult seating that is comfortable, and allows for group work.
environment
The second environment could be at a daycare because can have the benefit of real-life exposure to the topic you’re training on, like being able to see the layout of a room in person. However, daycares do not always have access to adult seating/comfortable seating or areas that allow group work.
The challenge in this environment is that sometimes traveling to the location can be difficult for participants and unfamiliar, which can make navigating the campus intimidating for participants.
​Look up details
Trainers should arrive early and well prepared for their training, have a welcoming environment and the room ready before people arrive and the sign-up sheet on the table for when people arrive.
The two training facilities I have considered are the Lexington Civic Center and our training classroom at our 913 Georgetown Street facility. The benefits of being downtown are that the rooms are spacious and can accommodate a lot of people for our Professional Development days. It is quite a large production, however, because IT and our facilities crew have to transport and set up all of our media equipment, as that is not furnished by the lessors of the facility. There is a lot of food nearby and sometimes the meals can be catered to make breaks and lunches convenient for everyone, and the staff always love being provided for. The drawback of this site is that it is not very accessible for people that may have mobility issues, as there is a lot of walking involved from the Rupp Arena parking lot and once inside the facility.
913 Georgetown Street is a nice facility for smaller trainings. It can accommodate up to maybe 50 people, and all of the needed media equipment is on hand for the presenters. Food can be more challenging for all day trainings and we often ask the adult learners to bring a lunch, as traffic can be somewhat challenging during lunchtime. There are several restrooms close to the training room and people with mobility issues can be dropped off right at the door and not be challenged to walk very far to get to a seat in the room.
I have attending trainings in both hotels and childhood centers. As you all know their is pros and cons for each.
Pro (Hotel)
-plenty of parking/large open rooms
– limited distractions
Cons (Hotel)
– Difficulty with settling up technology
– Distractions from being in a public space (e.g. noises, people walking in etc.)
Pro (Childhood Center)
– Networking with more then just the people in the training
-Being in the child care field, the discussion correlates to the classroom your in.
Con (Childhood Center)
-Small chairs
-Bathroom Facilities
The first place I have done training at are child care centers. These are nice because it feels like a more intimate and welcoming facility. they are usually easy to locate and parking isn’t usually a problem. the drawbacks of doing training at child care centers are that there may not be enough comfortable space for the amount of attendees and to set up the presentation. another drawback may be that everyone is too comfortable at the center and may not pay attention as much (i.e. get up for the “bathroom” frequently and if they are at their own center they may go off to do something else.)
I have taken a training at 4C which I felt was a very good place for training. the area was comfortable and welcoming and the setup was appropriate to promote learning. some drawbacks include trying to find the location and parking. also not exactly sure where to go into the building. I really don’t like getting lost and going to 4C caused a bit of anxiety.
The two locations for training I chose are School and Church.
Pros (School)
* It’s convenient for teachers as it is their workplace, and they know how/where to access materials
*They are comfortable in this environment; the new learning gained from training can be easily generalized to the teachers’ context when it occurs in their workplace
Cons (School)
* It may feel less professional to train in one’s workplace. Teachers enjoy a change of pace, something that is focused just on them. Training in the work environment may feel less important than it would if training took place in a more adult-centered environment.
* Less comfortable places for adults to sit and work.
Pros (Church)
* We are a preschool located inside a church building, so the church is convenient, easily-accessible, and free for us to use
* Plenty of space for participants, comfortable seating, round tables that can be used for small-group discussions
Cons (Church)
* It’s a busy place; space is not always available when we need it
* Some participants may feel inhibited or uncomfortable training in a church environment; it may feel culturally inappropriate to some
I’ve had trainings in a high school (when school was closed for summer break) . I enjoyed both the large and small rooms that we were able to attend . We were able to choose some of the trainings that we wanted. There was plenty of space and lots of parking available.
Some hotels that I’ve had trainings at have been good sources for trainings. But at others the seating was very uncomfortable and we were packed in the room so tightly. It also can get very warm with so many people attending the training.
I don’t enjoy going to a training where we have to find and pay for our own parking and also have to go find our own place to eat. (especially if we are not familiar with the area).
I have attended training in many different places over the years. I find convenient the parking & location along with the size of the place FOR COMFORT OF SPACE.
Two benefits of using a Hotel as a venue for future training is that they are easy to find and are accommodating to adults. They normally have large or small meeting rooms for conferences or trainings with adult sized chairs that are close to the lobby. They also have a surplus of parking space. Two challenges of using a hotel as a venue for training is one, it is not a controlled space and two, it requires more set up than other venue options. Hotels leave a lot of opportunities for disruptions from outside sources throughout the hotel. It also requires you to bring all of your materials and set them up in a space where they could work differently, or not at all.
I have chosen Community Colleges and Hotels to discuss the pros and cons.
The pros of having a training in a Community College are that the class setting is ideal for learning, and there is already accessible equipment provided to present the training. The cons are that it can be hard to locate classes, possibly making someone late to the training, and the commotion of people going to one class to another can be distracting.
The pros of having a training at a hotel are that it is a large, open space that can fit a multitude of people, and it is a change of environment from a standard class setting. The cons are that because of that large open space, it can be difficult to engage in the training, and typically training at hotels are extended to possibly 5 hours or more, which can be difficult to schedule around.
I have led trainings in schools and in places of worship.
The benefits of a school location is that there is often a number of large spaces to choose from. School libraries tend to have good, flexible seating and room to move around. A challenge with schools is that they are often busy places and having an uninterrupted session can be rare. Another downside to schools is that they can be sticky or messy requiring some extra clean up while setting up.
The benefits of places of worship is that they often have community rooms with flexible seating. These spaces are often offered free of charge to community members. A downside can be participants feeling uncomfortable if they are not familiar with, or practitioners of the faith represented.
I have attended trainings in child care centers, hotels, and at a conference center.
Child care center- Pros: everyone is already there, examples in classrooms. Cons: child size furniture, if any for sitting and teachers may want a change of scenery
Hotels- Pro: Place to stay and had tech support. Cons: parking can be crazy or expensive, not centrally located
Conference Center- Pro: neutral site, large space with bathrooms and tech connections. Cons- not centrally located, no tech support
The two spaces I selected are hotels and child care centers.
Hotel trainings can be good and bad. The space is usually adequate, but securing the space can also include an expense. You also can not control other events that me be taking place and then space can become an option.
Child care centers are convenient; no fee and less travel for many participants. However, lack of adult seating can be a concern. As well as, employees are in the same space and may not be invested in the training, but the environment, i.e. what hey need to be doing in their classroom.
Yes, I thought the same thing about presenting at colleges. The students may be busy with other course work or since it is in the same space, they may not be available or engaged in additional training.
I have had trainings in multiple locations and there are always pros and cons to each. The two locations where I usually go for trainings are hotels and places of worship.
*Hotels- Usually have big conference rooms to use which has great space for everyone and they have rooms you can stay in when it’s more than a one day training.
Some challenges are internet issues and the audio/sound system; not all conference rooms at hotels have one so it makes it hard to hear.
*Places to worship- Benefits are they don’t charge to use their location for trainings and Audio/sound system are great making it easier to hear the person presenting the training. Some challenges are internet issues and not enough bathrooms for participants at the training.
I have attended trainings at hotels and places of worship.
The pros of having a training at a hotel is that it provides for multiple options number of participants and room set up for an optimal learning experience . Hotels are also able to provide AV assistance so the trainer only needs to bring their laptop with PowerPoint and handouts. A con for using hotels as a training venue is it can be cost prohibited as they do charge based on the room size but also for any amenities (AV items, snacks and even water pitchers.
The pros of having a training at places of worship is that will allow the facility to be used for no cost or minimal “donation”. They also, in most cases, allow access to their media items with no charge. The cons of using a place of worship is that available space may limit the number of participants that can attend. The church may also be prohibitive in who can attend depending on the church’s beliefs.
I have attended trainings primarily in the child care facility I worked in. I have attended trainings at a facility dedicated to trainings, community centers, and a place of worship.
I found that the most relevant space for me was where I was working (child care facility) because the trainer and the participants could have hands-on experience in the classroom and conduct activities in the actual space where the skills I was learning would come to life. I also felt more confident being in a familiar space, which contributed to my learning. While this space was beneficial, I did find that I was distracted by work that was left to be done in the classroom at the end of the day and the training participants were all from the same staff so we didn’t have alternative perspectives from other child care centers. The environment helped the content come to life and make easy connections to how it could be implemented but it limited the ideas to our certain center and narrowed out thinking.
The two locations I am choosing are community colleges and schools and libraries.
Community colleges and schools – One benefit would be that you are able to reach a targeted audience, advertising, for example, to students who are seeking a specific type of degree. I am thinking in particular about students working to obtain a CDA or a transfer student who may be working toward a BS in ECE. Another benefit would be the aid in advertising you might receive from course instructors at the college. They could let their students know about the upcoming training you are providing. The draw backs could be that you are only targeting one audience and that perhaps, these students are so engaged in their regular coursework that they simply do not have time to devote to another training.
Libraries – This would be accessible to the public, and would provide a general facility for teaching, which could have all of the materials necessary for teaching a training. Also, at my library there is a coffee shop where learners could purchase refreshments to bring with them during the training. This could be a definite plus to doing a training at a library. Another plus would be that participants would have access to different learning materials, right at their fingertips, if they chose to dig deeper into the topic presented on during the session. The main drawback I can think of is that it is a public place and is often bustling with activity. There may be many distractions and children around, which would mean you would have to work to secure a meeting/conference room to teach in, and this can cost money, so budgeting for that in the cost of your session would be important.
I have chosen childcare centers to discuss pros and cons.
I would say the pros to having training at a childcare center is that if your staff is based in child-care, then they most likely will already be present at the center and will not need to travel. Similarly, many of the resources or items that you may be discussing in your training may already be present at the location, making them easily accessible during the time of the training. One con of holding a meeting at a childcare center is that if the center is in session, you may be frequently interrupted by the commotion of nearby classrooms. Similarly, staff may be pulled in and out of the training depending on the need for staff at the childcare center.
I chose to discuss childcare centers.
I would say the pros to having training at a childcare center is that if your staff is based in child-care, then they most likely will already be present at the center and will not need to travel. Similarly, many of the resources or items that you may be discussing in your training may already be present at the location, making them easily accessible during the time of the training. One con of holding a meeting at a childcare center is that if the center is in session, you may be frequently interrupted by the commotion of nearby classrooms. Similarly, staff may be pulled in and out of the training depending on the need for staff at the childcare center.
I chose to discuss the use of libraries and childcare centers.
The pros of using the library for a training location is that there is usually a nice set-up for tables and chairs and media for sharing videos or slides. Also, there are adequate bathrooms and parking. The cons of the library is that they may not allow paid trainings to take place. Also, it may not be convenient for participants to travel there.
The pros of providing trainings at childcare centers is that the location is convenient for the participants and there will be available resources and materials. One of the cons of using a childcare center is that there likely is not adequate adult seating and there may not be media such computers or projectors for sharing visual information and videos.
Holding trainings in places of worship can be a good option if there is adequate space in a recreation type room. The availability for wifi and use of technology is sometimes dicey. The parking is usually never an issue. There are usually large tables and chairs for adult seating.
Having trainings in child care facilities works well if there are spaces designed for adults. It gives the participants a chance to be where they are comfortable if they work there. If they are from other facilities, it offers them a chance to see how a different center is laid out.
I have attended trainings on line (virtually), community centers , as well as churches. For me while virtually was the most easiest for all I found out that when it came to retaining information, that was not the best for me.
community centers and churches were good but we also ran into traffic with the number of people we were trying to gather. also being in a church had quiet a bit of restrictions and made a few feel uncomfortable.
community centers and churches were good but we also ran into traffic with the number of people we were trying to gather. also being in a church had quiet a bit of restrictions and made a few feel uncomfortable.
I have hosted trainings in every kind of space. My favorites are hotel conference rooms because there is plenty of parking, I can arrange the room, good technology, and comfortable chairs and restrooms. The downside to this type of facility is the need to travel to get there. I also like using community rooms. I have found with community rooms I often have to bring my own equipment but they do have good parking and comfortable chairs and restrooms. I believe there is no perfect place for a training, there will always be pros and cons and sometimes you just have to make what you have available work. With the proper planning and organizing this can be accomplished.
I’ve been to all the different sites for trainings.
Childcare centers are beneficial because the staff maybe comfortable in the familiar space. The environment maybe contain information that is useful to the training being conducted.
The challenges maybe the seating maybe not be geared toward adults and spacious enough adults to be comfortable. The center may also have to close in order to conduct the training.
Meetings and townhalls are beneficial because they may have tools and technology that can be used. They have adult size seating and easy access to restrooms.
Challenges can be they space maybe to large for the group size that is attending. staff may have to travel a distance from home to attend these trainings.
Meeting halls / community centers
– PROs big spaces, chairs and tables available, also possible technology is ready accessible.
– CONs spaces might be too big for smaller workshops, sound proofing between meetings halls, limited availability, fees associated with using space.
Community colleges / schools
-PROs chairs / tables available to be setup, good lightning and access to restrooms.
– CONs – limited accessibility to rooms, navigating on the campus to find the right locations for new comers, fixed chairs/table setting up
The two types of spaces I have participated in the most trainings at are Childcare centers and community centers. The Negatives of trainings in a childcare center are the size of the space and they sometimes lack large room spaces. The positive of having training in the childcare center is the ability to show examples in real world classrooms as well as be able to host trainings inside centers that are already successfully using the approaches you are teaching the training about.
I have been to trainings on site at the facility. The pros to this is it is our site and the staff appear more comfortable here. However, the bathrooms are child size and being onsite–other staff may interrupt the meetings.
I have been to trainings in hotels. The pros to this is the participants are more focused on the information delivered. However, it can be a financial burden if the participant does not live close to where the training is held.
I have attended trainings in most of these facilities. Childcare centers are conducive to applying information depending on what is being taught. But you also need comfortable space to enhance participant learning. Hotels can sometimes be too overwhelming depending on size of training.
Some places listed have the ability to provide a space conducive to learning, but may run into problems of traffic or participants ability to get to the training.
The two facilities I have chosen are Libraries and Child Care Centers.
Child care centers are great as far as accessibility and having materials that can be used on hand, but they are catered for children and sometimes don’t have adequate room for adults. Timing can sometimes be an issue too unless it is shut down.
Libraries will have seating and room for adults as well as plenty of parking, but sometimes it is an issue to get a spot reserved there. I know they do not charge at my local library, but you will need to schedule it out plenty in advance. There can also be other events happening there at the same time that could possibly be a distraction.
Hotels are a great location for training as they have dedicated meeting rooms and ample parking space. Renting hotel meeting rooms can be costly, and the space may not always have the equipment needed by the trainer.
Providing training for staff at a childcare center allows staff to be “in their own space”, and more comfortable. It also means staff do not have to travel to another location. However, staying “in their own space” for training may be less engaging as staff may not focus as well which is sometimes the case with our group. Also, physical space for training may be a problem in a center.
I have attended trainings at many different types of locations. I chose to focus on hotels and libraries. I recently attended a training at a library. While it was a very nice facility and set up with technology and comfortable, it was hard to find the room because I wasn’t familiar with the library. The room was small so there was not much space to move around and there was a lot of outside noise from other patrons.
A few years ago, I attended a conference at the Galt House in Louisville. This facility was very nice and had lots of room for participants. The technology was set up great and there was food that was wonderful. The challenge was it was far from me, so traveling was difficult. It was big and very confusing as to where to go for the classes.
I have attended several trainings at the Green River Regional Educational Cooperative (GRREC) in Bowling Green. The building has several spaces that are used for various trainings, including large rooms for large group trainings. They always have materials on the tables, such as pens and post-it notes, as well as any other materials that may be needed throughout the training. I have also been in several trainings at our LifeSkills office, where I work, and we have a couple of large conference rooms that we use for these. Both centers always provide needed materials and anything else we may need throughout the day.
I have attended trainings at many of these types of facilities. Trainings held in the child care center are extremely convenient and often cost efficient. Staff do not have to travel. The down side is the child sized furnishings and limited bathroom facilities. And if it is held immediately after closing time, that means a very long day for employees.
I really enjoy trainings that are held in hotel conference rooms. The furnishings are adult sized and comfortable. They often provide at least beverages. Restaurants are close by or even at the hotel for staff to enjoy lunch. Plus, I think it makes the staff feel valued as employees if they are able to attend trainings together at a nice facility. It provides an opportunity for staff to interact outside of the child care facility. The only con I could think of is transportation, but I am sure they could car pool. I have even worked for a center that reserved tables for the hotel restaurant for lunch and then paid for everyone’s meal. It made everyone feel appreciated.
I like going to schools/child care centers for trainings because I am curious as to how other people set up their spaces. I get inspired by seeing how the environment is set up and finding new ideas. A downside is that the space may not be comfortable for adults to sit and get comfortable. Using child sized chairs, tables, and washrooms may be unsuitable for the adults.
Hotels always seem nice as the facility is set up for the work being done there. But, if the space is too large, there is a sense of it being too formal. There may not be an opportunity to have a discussion with the trainer if the number of people is high.
I like going to schools/child care centers for trainings because I am curious as to how other people set up their spaces. I get inspired by seeing how the environment is set up and finding new ideas. A downside is that the space may not be comfortable for adults to sit and get comfortable. Using child sized chairs, tables, and washrooms may be unsuitable for the adults.
Hotels always seem nice as the facility is set up for the work being done there. But, if the space is too large, there is a sense of it being too formal. There may not be an opportunity to have a discussion with the trainer if the number of people is high.
Child Care Centers: Two Pros would be it’s free and people who work in that center or area will know where to go. Transport will be easier. As for the Cons, the space might not be big enough to fit everyone, there also might not be the correct furniture, the center would be designed for little kids and the chairs might not fit heavier or taller people so that they can relax.
I have also done classes at both a facility and a venue ,I think the venues are more comfortable but less personal. I like the one on one connection of the small group,and it seems like people are more comfortable participating in smaller groups.
Childcare center considerations – have enough adult chairs and make sure you have the technology set up ahead of time if needed. Be mindful of how comfortable people are with seating and the space.
Library – the Madison County library rooms are wonderful and have ample parking and facilities.
Local restaurants or event space considerations – make sure your technology will work there. It’s nice to include a food aspect to training if it’s in the evenings.
I think there are many reasons why all three are great – it just depends on what you need as far as space and accessibility.
I like library meeting rooms they usually have a projector, space to set up, and adult size furniture. A con may be finding an available date for the training. The second choice is child care centers they are free which is good, however the chairs are child size and there are no projectors or other technology available.
Over the years I have done trainers in many differing areas and I have many opinions on them on.
I feel as well that offering trainings inside childcare facilities pose several pros such as, not having to drive, already being comfortable in their own space however I would also argue that getting into a new environment such as a new center or even a public library may increase creativity of a new space. Opening up the mind more to the possibility of the training be taught.
Large, nice venues such as convention centers, arenas, and such are also great places to train. They usually provide all needed amenities for a comfortable, professional place to train. However, cons are usually parking and sometimes attendants can feel overwhelmed in such places. With great signage and hospitality you can overcome those obstacles though.
I have organized a training which took place at a hotel within my city. There were perks and challenges to this. One of the challenges was having to transport all of the training materials to another location. The location was not as customizable as it would have been if the training took place at my agency. It was nice to have a neutral space however that had amenities to make participants more comfortable.
I have had trainings at the local library.
Benefits:
1) They usually have tech support to help you set up your technology needs.
2) The space is usually large enough that it can accommodate small or large groups.
Challenges:
1) They open later so you can’t start your meetings early.
2) Sometimes they charge you a fee to reserve or clean up.
I organized a training at a public library.
Benefits:
Central to where attendees were coming from
It had a nice large space with tables and chair to accommodate and a nice bathroom.
Challenges:
Technology issues-The smart board would not successfully connect with the laptop.
Sometimes get charged to reserve or for clean up.
A pro for having a training at a center that your staff attend is that they are able to be comfortable with the area, where the restrooms are and how to navigate the building if needed. A con is when another center that may join the same training and they will not be sure where everything is located in the building.
college extended learning campus
pros- plenty of seating, accessibility, plenty of parking, plenty of restrooms
cons- reserving rooms could be an issue, costs to rent space, have to order lunch from them
multi purpose room at agency center
pros- staff don’t have to travel, no issues reserving space, no cost for room, can get catering from anywhere
cons- space may be limited, parking could be an issue, interruptions/ distractions
Hotels offer several benefits for hosting training sessions, including access to amenities like meeting rooms and catering services, which can enhance the overall experience for participants. Additionally, hotels provide a comfortable and professional environment conducive to learning, with features such as comfortable seating and proper lighting. However, challenges such as cost and availability may arise, as renting space in hotels can be expensive and availability may be limited, especially during peak seasons. On the other hand, libraries provide a quiet and distraction-free environment ideal for focused learning, along with access to resources like books and technology that can complement training content. Despite these advantages, challenges such as limited space and noise restrictions may present obstacles when hosting training sessions in libraries. By carefully considering these benefits and challenges, trainers can make informed decisions when selecting venues for future training sessions, ensuring the best possible experience for participants.
Hotels offer several benefits for hosting training sessions, including access to amenities like meeting rooms and catering services, which can enhance the overall experience for participants. Additionally, hotels provide a comfortable and professional environment conducive to learning, with features such as comfortable seating and proper lighting. However, challenges such as cost and availability may arise, as renting space in hotels can be expensive and availability may be limited, especially during peak seasons. On the other hand, libraries provide a quiet and distraction-free environment ideal for focused learning, along with access to resources like books and technology that can complement training content. Despite these advantages, challenges such as limited space and noise restrictions may present obstacles when hosting training sessions in libraries. By carefully considering these benefits and challenges, trainers can make informed decisions when selecting venues for future training sessions, ensuring the best possible experience for participants.
Child Care Centers offer a familiar environment for staff, less travel, appropriate environment for hands on training with materials, like a class focused on room arrangement. Cons would be limited space, and adult furnishings for comfort.
Community Colleges offer great tech materials, adult size accommodations, parking. Cons would be unfamiliar, availability, and travel.
Location 1 – Child Care Center
-Pros – at the staff’s current location, allows for ease of comfort when navigating a familiar place, no issues with reserving location, no overnight stay for staff
– Cons – Space and adult accommodations
Location 2 – Libraries
-Pros – usually centrally located for staff, adult accommodations, wifi capability
-Cons – have to reserve space, parking may be an issue, depending on the size of the group, space may be an issue.
Training at childcare centers and hotel may have various benefits and challenges. Trainings given at childcare centers can provide benefits to the trainees because this is a very familiar setting in which they would be more comfortable to participate in the training curriculum and engaged to readily think about their center’s needs. Challenges may ensue due to limited space and a lack of adult seating, parking spaces. Hotels may be able to accommodate a large number of people but too costly. It also requires you to bring all of your materials and set them up in a space that is acoustically perfect for all training rooms. A lack of available technology equipment to properly present the training material may be an issue for both venues.
Childcare location
Pros The staff are familiar with the facility and it easy to navigate
Con Limited space and comfortable seating is limited
Hotel
Pro Large space and appropriate seating for adults
Cons Availability as far as time frame, Cost
I have attended trainings at a variety of places including hotels, convention centers, child care facilities, college campus, and churches. Hotels offer amenities that a childcare center may not have available. Hotels typically have large meeting rooms with adult seating and updated technology. This is especially important when presenting to a large group. The availability of large screens and a sound system can be a huge benefit to hosting/presenting at a hotel. The challenge of a hotel may be that they charge a fee for using their space. Another challenge could be location. Oftentimes hotels would require staff to drive quite a distance to attend the training. I also feel like it fun to just get away from the place you work each day. A change of scenery often is a breath of fresh air!
Childcare centers also have many benefits and challenges. Benefits would include convenience, familiarity, and no cost. Some challenges of training at the childcare center may be not having a space large enough for all adults at the same time, not having enough adult seating, and no large screen or sound system to present.
Childcare Center – Pros would be ease of staff in attending, scheduling the training, parking and familiarity of location plus many materials could possibly be available within the building. Cons would be possible lack of adult sized space for comfort, media/technology issues could be a problem, and sometimes if learners are too comfortable where they are they may not be as attentive and receptive to what is being presented.
Community buildings – Pros would be a neutral adult sized space, more room to accommodate comfortably, and probable easy access to building and parking. Cons could be having to bring all devices needed for technology, most would charge at least a clean up fee, scheduling the event and the actual location may not be convenient for learners to get there.
Location 1: Hotels
Benefits: Parking is usually plentiful, rooms are spacious (with adult-sized chairs and tables) and technology is available
Challenges: Can feel very “formal” for participants, can be difficult to travel to and carry materials into, off-site, sometimes a fee
Location 2: Libraries
Benefits: Adult-sized chairs/tables, technology is available
Challenges: Can be difficult to schedule because community uses a great deal, parking can be limited
When thinking about venues for trainings, I’d like to compare school sites (daycares included) as well as convention centers.
I’ve been to several trainings at the convention center in Morehead, and it’s honestly my favorite place to attend! The seating is comfortable, the sound system ensures everyone can hear,the bathrooms are readily accessible and in good shape. Some cons would be scheduling, as I believe this location is in high demand. Another disadvantage may be parking, depending on how many attendees there are.
I have also been to trainings in schools/daycares. The advantage of not having to travel is very convenient! Also I felt more comfortable being in my own workplace. Some disadvantages included comfort— toddler chairs are not forgiving. Also, parking could be an issue for others who may not work at my school. Also, lots of attendees having to take turns with limited adult bathrooms.
Community Colleges/Schools: I have had trainings in this setting, the the pro is that there is space to accommodate everyone, but we were in individual classrooms with poor ventilation and tight spaces. I have also had training in Hotels, the pro with the setting is they offer room to accommodate very large groups, the con is with such a large group size, it can be hard to keep the entire group engaged and hearing the speaker can be difficult.
Child Care Centers
Pros:
*May allow for greater availability of staff to attend trainings
*May aid in generalizing the training material to their work
Cons:
*May not have adequate space or access to multimedia tech to present training material
*Child Care staff may be less receptive when they feel “stuck” at work, especially after hours
Community Colleges/Schools
Pros:
*Large, furnished meeting spaces with updated technology for multimedia presentations
*Holding trainings at an institution for higher learning sets the stage for participants arriving ready to learn
Cons:
*Coordination and communication between many parties to organize and plan for the training will take extra time and effort
*Considerations for participants traveling and locating training spaces on college campuses
I chose the library and child care centers.
Library Pros:
– Free of cost large space
– AV equipment is provided
– Adult size tables and chairs
Library Cons:
– Requires you to be extra prepared with no ‘pool’ of recourses.
– Noise levels can be challenging for some activities.
Child Care Centers Pros:
– Many participants will be comfortable in this environment.
– Endless supply of recourses
Child Care Centers Cons:
– Lack of adult seating and tables
– Often smaller spaces for learning
Location 1 Child Care Center
Benefits- staff do not have to travel, depending on the topic classrooms can be learning labs for discussion, observations, hands on experiences, no cost
Challenges- may not have technology- smart board for training purposes, may not have adult seating for a large group, parking may be a problem
Location 2: Library
Benefits- change of scenery, away from phones in the office, adult seating and bathrooms, usually have lots of parking, technology would be available
Challenges- may have to pay for training space, would have to carry training materials, may be problem for schedule…plan in advance would be important
I have provided training in a number of different spaces.
I think hotels can be a great training space because often you can have a dedicated space, a tech or AV person that help with any issues and there are usually accessible restrooms and break areas. The draw backs to hotels is that sometimes you are competing for parking depending on time of day and the size of the hotel can be overwhelming with parking, finding the room and a lot of times its very cold.
I have done a fair amount of training in community centers and spaces as well, usually the parking isn’t as big of an issue, and they can be easier to get to, however the acoustics can be hit or miss. Sometimes there are big rooms, other times you are in the gym and trying to talk over people playing basketball on the next court. Another potential draw back is access to AV, there was a point in time when I always had a projector in and speakers in my car in case the community space didn’t.
Childcare Center Pros and Cons:
Pros- It opens the training up to where all childcare professionals can have the same education.
Cons- placement for staff to feel comfortable.
College Center/ Community Building Pros and Cons:
Pros- Helps more community members feel open to attending a training in a common building vs. a childcare center that others may not feel as comfortable in if they are not familiar with the site.
Cons- Potential cost to rent depending on placement.
People seem to be excited about facilities they’re familiar with but have never been to before, like a local hotel or resturant with a quite meeting space. It does make logistics a little complicated to be away from your supplies, but it can be more memorable if you put forth the extra effort to plan ahead.
I have attended a ton of trainings in different places.
For Childcare Centers, some have small chairs and are uncomfortable but the staff will be comfortable if it is where they work. I also think the library is a great choice because most people are familiar with the local library. You do not have to pay to train there, and I do like to get out of my workplace if the staff has worked all day it is beneficial to leave. Free rooms and technology are available to you as well.
I see value in conference centers if you have enough people and your company can pay to send staff to conferences.
Hotels- Pros- The space is adequate with adult size furnishing, internet access, and technology needs. Cons- More than one group having trainings, sometimes noisy and finding rooms can be confusing.
Centers- Pros- Easily accessible, have the materials on hand. Cons- Child Size furnishing, small space for adult learners.
For my senior adult learners – we have to consider factors such as familiarity – many don’t use GPS, so providing specific directions. Accessibility of the building and restrooms, audio and visual equipment, meeting time as many don’t drive at night, flooring/tables/chairs for those with specific mobility issues.
Also mine come from 10 counties, so using a location closest for the majority as some don’t drive.
I have attended trainings at a hotel, child care center and library. I appreciated that all three offered ample parking and bathrooms. The hotel and library had adult-sized seating while the child care center did not. At the time, I was much younger and did not mind being in the little chairs, but if I were to have to do a full day training now in little chairs, my back would be screaming. However, the child care center was quiet and had far fewer distractions than the hotel or library as they were public spaces. The hotel and library also had the ability to offer multi-media hookup and that was not available in the child care center. In today’s day and age, multi-media hookup is a pretty significant benefit in my opinion.
I have attended many training sessions in different types of locations.
My Pros are community colleges, schools libraries, hotels and meeting halls. I like these locations based on space, comfortable seating and tech resources availability. I feel getting staff out of their worksite can help with learning in a new environment and the opportunity to train with other because of space.
My Cons are child care centers and places of worship because although the familiar location may be easy to find but the space is sometimes limited and seating may be an issue,
I have attended many training sessions in different types of locations.
My Pros are community colleges, schools libraries, hotels and meeting halls. I like these locations based on space, comfortable seating and tech resources availability. I feel getting staff out of their worksite can help with learning in a new environment and the opportunity to train with other because of space.
My Cons are child care centers and places of worship because although the familiar location may be easy to find but the space is sometimes limited and seating may be an issue,
I have attended trainings at many different locations over the years, many in churches, and libraries. The Pros to these sites are they are large, with seating to accommodate adults, and parking is good in these places. The restrooms are easily accessible. The Cons to these same places is that as a trainer you will need to bring all of your training items in with you.
Community Centers Pros/Cons:
Pros–space availability to accommodate large groups of people, various meeting rooms for break out sessions, technology available, parking
Cons–location can be an issue if you serve a large region, scheduling to accommodate everyone, costs of renting their facility can cut into training funds
Child Care Centers Pros/Cons:
Pros–training in a space that they’re familiar with, availability of materials if needed, easy to plan around staff/center schedules
Cons–sitting in child-sized furniture would not be comfortable, parking can be an issue if offering training to other people other than those that work there, technology may not be as advanced in a child care facility as it would be in a community center
I am confused by this prompt and will return when possible
Community Colleges/Schools Pros & Cons:
Pros – multiple spaces for training, adult sized furniture, generally spacious, several restrooms, usually have audio/visual equipment
Cons – parking is sometimes an issue depending on the location (sometimes not a problem at all), it can be difficult to find the buildings/rooms unless signage is very clear
Libraries Pros & Cons:
Pros – have a designated training space with audio/visual equipment, accessible for most people if centrally located, plenty of parking, easy to find the space
Cons – limited space and restrooms, usually just one room designated for training
I have attended trainings at Community Centers and Places and Community Colleges. The pros to these trainings were the areas were very large and able to accommodate a big group of individuals from different agencies. The Con that we noticed for the Community College was in between the student’s transition there was a few minor distractions that could have been major to other individuals. Con at the Community Centers, is trying not to disrupt others who work in the building during break times. Also, both of them were paid through funds provided through wrap around from a program, but depending on the area the expenses can be costly.
Community College
Pros–large rooms, can adjust the temperature of the room, bathrooms are typically close, a tech person is usually available for any problems, table and chairs are adult friendly
Cons–parking can be farther away, buildings can be hard to find if you’re not familiar with the campus
Hotels
Pros–typically have large meeting rooms with comfortable adult seating. Technology is in place. There are plenty of bathrooms. I have even seen hotels change a male bathroom to a female bathroom to accommodate the number of women in attendance!
Cons–sometimes hotel meeting rooms are hard to get the temperature adjusted, there may or may not be space for breakout small group sessions
County Cooperative Extension Centers in my area provide great space for trainings. They typically have spaces that can be configured to meet your needs for space, tables, chairs, technology, etc. They have restrooms nearby and many rooms offer the ability to provide food and drinks easily. Many are centrally located and are familiar and convenient to the participants. Typically there is not a cost to area schools and non profits. The downside is that the scheduling can only be done one month in advance. If you want to offer a series of workshops you may have to change the room location based on other sign ups. If your trainings are offered on weekends or evenings, there is typically no one from the extension office on site. It is best to stop by in advance to familiarize yourself with the room, technology (always have backups), etc.
I have attended several trainings at places of worship. They offer both auditorium/sanctuary and classroom seating. Restrooms and kitchens are readily available, and most have technology options if you request in advance. Many places of worship have child care or preschool programs so they appreciate the opportunity to support early childhood programming. These can also be useful for touring during training or to showcase ideas. Most of the time there is not a cost or they only ask for a donation.
The downside to places of worship is that some participants may not feel comfortable in this setting if they are of a different faith or if they do not practice a religion.
I feel the benefits of a library would be plenty of space, adult sized tabels and chairs, access to bathrooms and easy to find. Most people know where the public library is lcoated. Down fall would be that you’d have to bring your own tech gadgets. You’d have to have the proper cords to connect to their board, a clicker, etc.
I feel like havign it in a place of worship might be intimidating for some, their might be limited bathrooms also, and also may not have tables if using the sanctuary. The audience may not have a space to write or take notes. A plus would be seating, sound equipment, and maybe a large display.