Discussion Board: Pros/Cons of Different Types of Facilities S19
This discussion board is set up to allow you to comment on the Pros/Cons of Different Types of Facilities. Please post two benefits and two challenges for each of the facility types that you chose to reflect upon. When you have completed your post, please take time to read through the comments of others. Compare their notes to yours and jot down any information that you feel may be useful to you as you begin to look at venues for future training.
Click “Post Reply” once you have finished sharing your benefits and challenges.
Community Colleges/Schools: Pros: People are familiar with these settings. They are use to being around schools and feel comfortable in them. Free parking and is wheelchair accessible. Wifi is usually available.
Places of Worship: Pros: Usually large meeting areas for larger crowds. Cons: Some people may not feel comfortable using a church for a meeting area.
I like that you pointed out about handicapped accessible. I feel at times we do not take the time to make sure some meeting places accommodate those in need of assistance.
You made to major points that never came to mind, the wheel chair accessible and wifi. These are two major factors to consider.
Libraries could be free of charge but have limited access
Hotels have many amenities but may be expensive
Common Meeting places pros and cons list:
Child Care Center –
Pros – The environment can be used as an educational tool with many trainings. Supplies and props would be readily available for ECE trainings. Weekends are typically always available.
Cons – Lack of adult seating. They may have a conference room, but may not have a large enough room to host a training.
Place of Worship –
Pros – plenty of adult seating, rooms for break out sessions. Possible access to the church nursery or Sunday school rooms to use as examples.
Cons – Possibly making someone feel uncomfortable due to the religious location.
Community College/ School :
Pros – Plenty of classrooms and adult seating. Access to technology that could be used for presenting.
Cons – College campuses and parking may be intimidating for older people . Serve older children and lack a preschool classroom. Perhaps a fee for renting space.
Hotels
Pros – Plenty of space and rooms to accommodate groups of all sizes. Access to technology.
Cons – Fee for room rental and will need to transport all supplies for examples and props.
Libraries –
Pro -minimal rental fee for room space and access to an abundance of children’s books.
Cons – Many small counties only have 1 library space and rooms may be limited.
Community hall –
Pro – Tons of space and seating.
Cons – will need to set up tables and chairs and bring all supplies and props that are needed for the training. Large spaces– hard for voices to travel without microphone.
Great List! I have not had experiences at some of the locations on the chart. So your list is filling a few gaps for me. Thanks!
very thorough notes. Thanks, I learned from it
Community Colleges/Schools:
+classroom environment
+resources (white board, projector)
-fees to access
-locations convenience for participants
Places of worship:
+quiet
+good parking, easy to locate
-prepping room with table, chairs, etc
-not everyone comfortable in places of worship
I didn’t think about some not being comfortable at a place of worship. I like the idea of using a college classroom for the resources that are available.
Community Colleges/Schools -Ideal Settings, Spacious -Overcrowded, difficult to book
Meeting Halls/ Community Centers -Ideal Settings, Spacious – difficult to book, expensive
Hotels: Pros- comfortable seating, bathrooms, snacks and plenty of space. They are literally designed for this! Cons- may be quite expensive, may have to book significantly in advance, may or may not have projection capability
Child Care Centers: Pros- materials are easily available, familiar to almost all participants, sharing of ideas, available in evenings and on weekends on short notice Cons- very small furniture, if not of high quality could model iffy early childhood environments, evening meetings could interfere with cleaning, probably no projection capabilities
Libraries- Pros- designed for such meetings, projection available, free or low cost Cons- possibly hard to book?
I agree with Child-care centers not being the best place to hold meetings/trainings due to space of room and furniture. I also feel that deep cleaning could be taking place at the time of the meeting and interfere. I know that in my facility all spraying for pests, etc are done Friday evenings to avoid any contact with children for 48 hours.
I have to also agree that using a child care facility may not be the most comfortable location due to space as well as size of furniture, but like the relevance to learning.
Child Care Centers: Convenient for the providers, but may not be the best for providers to attend before or after hours, or weekends; some may also not have the best setup for technology if that’s required for the training. You also have an issue with child care for the teachers in attendance.
Community Colleges: already have a classroom/technology set up; negative is that some people don’t learn as easily in that traditional setting, may be uncomfortable, may be difficult for attendees to access.
Hotels- pro: large rooms, parking and tables and chairs (adult size) available, technology use.
con: expense, no space for hands on.
Child care center- pro: potentially no cost, hands on learning potentially available.
con: limited to evening or weekend hours, limited adult table s and chairs, limited technology.
I think your notes about adult-size furniture are important. It is so uncomfortable to ask adults to sit in kid-sized chairs for more than an hour.
Places of Worship
Pros: These spots are typically open to the community, could potentially be free of charge, spacious, with plenty of room, safe and welcoming environments.
Cons: Depending on the place of worship you choose, you could be alienating potential participants from taking your course. Everyone may not feel welcome. Potential costs.
Child Care Center
Pros: Super convenient for participants to attend, likely free of charge, access to materials, ability to see learning in action.
Cons: Not a great space for adult learners, could be too small or too cramped. May not have the hours available that you’re looking for.
I really like the way that you address places of worship. Your language is denomination neutral. Words matter!
Hotels:
+Located near interstates making them easily accessible for people traveling to your training
+Staff will set room up, i.e. arranging furniture
+Plenty of available parking
-Expensive
Libraries:
+Meeting spaces often free
+Neutral site- most people don’t have negative views or experiences; libraries generally welcoming
-Often have limited parking
-May not allow food or beverages
-May not allow “for profit” events
Libraries
Pros – Comfortable seating, audiovisual available, no cost, ample parking
Cons – Dependent on library’s hours. Some are open only until 5 on certain evenings, have to book in advance (competing with other community clubs, groups, etc.)
Child Care Centers
Pros- Convenient for participants getting off work, variety of materials that could possible be used
Cons- Furniture is not designed for adults, limited time for use (no weekends), very little if any audio visual
Libraries- Pros-Free/ very clean , handicap accessible, free parking
cons/ limited space, no refreshments allowed, time frames
Hotels- Pros- Aesthetically pleasing , well equipped, handicap accessible, parking
Cons- $ Money
Child care center pro: Convenient and comfortable for the staff of the center.
Child care center con: Convenient and comfortable for the staff of the center. As much as this can be a positive sometimes this sense of familiarity result in a lack of professionalism . . . teachers can be easily distracted with side conversations with their coworkers, “off the cuff” comments can be inappropriate or get the training off track, teachers may bring lesson prep work and focus on that task while “listening” to the presenter . . .
Hotels pros: Close where you are staying and don’t have to get out and travel. cons: to many people around ad rooms may be dark with no natural sun light, and may be expensive
Libraries pros: bright, open and has computers and internet if you don’t have any. cons: to many people doing other things to distract you
I like Community Colleges/Schools the best due to them already being a class setting. The disadvantage is they are not always in a central setting for everyone.
My second choice would be hotel settings due to their space and convenience.
Child Care Centers: Pros- Opportunities for hands on experiences. Convenient for participants. Cons- Uncomfortable seating and tables. May interfere with cleaning routines.
Community Collages/ Schools: Pros- Set up for learning experiences, WiFi available. Cons- Could possibly be too big for participants to find their way around. Could be costly or a busy school with lots of students around.
Community Colleges/schools: Benefits- May be a familiar and comfortable environment to participants and adult size tables and chairs. Challenges: Scheduling may be difficult due to the facility having other events and space available may limit the group size.
Hotels: Benefits: Typically has conference and board rooms and adult size tables and chairs. Challenges: Could be expensive to have to rent a space and limited scheduling
Child Care Centers: Benefits: Materials may be available for use that may support the training. Challenges: Limited adult tables and chairs and group size can be limited.
Libraries: Benefit: Resources such as TVs, projectors, internet access. Challenges: limited group size and limited scheduling due to other events.
Meeting Halls/Community Centers: Benefits: adult seating and tables and good space. Challenges: may have a cost and limited group size.
Places of Worship: Benefits: comfortable seating and adult size tables. Challenges: religious setting may be uncomfortable for some.
Hotels: Pros- 1) Comfortable adult furniture
2) Adequate room arrangement
Cons- 1) Large room, cannot hear comments from the participants
2) Oftentimes, technical- wifi/equipment issues and limited parking spaces/fees
School/Classroom: Pros- 1) Affordable cost or free training
2) Accessible location (car, bus)
Cons-1) Overcrowded, limited space
2) Oftentimes, technical wifi/equipment issues
Child Care Centers:
Pro: -Familiar to participants; add to comfort
-Access to training materials on-site
Con: – Often limited meeting space and furniture to accommodate adults.
– Participants are challenged to be fully present at the training
Hotels:
Pro: – Can accommodate large groups
– One-stop shop- can get location, food, tech, etc all from one vendor
Con: – Expensive
Libararies: pros – meetings rooms are typically free of charge, access to internet, ease of use for audio visual.
cons – public library typically doesn’t have a large parking lot. Meeting room size may limit how big of a group size you can accommodate.
Child care center – pros – readily available to staff that work at that location. can attend right after work so reduced commute time or potential of paying mileage for staff using personal vehicles to travel to training.
con – depending on center hours training may occur during business hours so children may still be in the building or other staff cleaning which can be distracting for those attending. Also “kids” size tables and chairs obviously not comfortable for adult seating.
School Cafeterias- Pro:Easily accessible to teaching staff, and possibly good seating.
Con: Echoing sound system, not appropriate for small sized group training’s.
Classrooms: Pro: Materials on hand for trainees to use, and possibly free to use.
Con: Overuse of one teacher’s materials, and sizing of seating, (especially in a preschool program) not appropriate for adults.
Child Care Center
Pro: The staff would not have to travel and it would be cost effective.
Con: The seating arrangements would be uncomfortable for the staff. The center may have limited. space.
Meeting Halls or Community Centers
Pro: Some community centers do not charge for use of the facility if you live or have a business in the area. There would be adequate space to do fun activities.
Con: Staff may not have transportation. Computers/WiFi may not be available at these facilities.
I have enjoyed reading everyone’s suggestions. I have made some beneficial notes.
Educational Cooperatives: Pros–Amenities are nice (comfortable chairs and accessible bathrooms) and can often times be obtained for free of charge. Cons–These locations are typically booked months in advance so securing space may be a challenge. If you have new childcare staff they not be familiar with these locations like those professionals who work in a public school setting and attend training in that location frequently.
Church: Pros–Typically churches will give a free venue and can accommodate large groups of people. Cons–Many people may not be church-goers so may not feel comfortable attending at that location. Respecting diversified cultures is also difficult for some participants if the church has a certain set of beliefs.
Community Colleges/Schools:
Pros- Ample space/seating for participants and should have access to technology
Cons- Cost could be an issues. There could be other people in the building during the presentation time and parking could be limited.
Libraries:
Pros- Cost is usually free or very minimal and the room usually has ample table space for writing
Cons- space could be small and you may have a difficult time reserving the room.
Hi!
Great points on both locations. I have never seen meeting rooms at our local libraries so that was one that surprised me. Most people who offer training in my area do hotels. I am about to start getting a list of places I could train together now, that will make it easier in the long haul, I think. I think I will create an excel sheet with all of this information and start reaching out now! 🙂
Child Care Center: Pro-Potentially Free, Convenient for local workers, hands-on materials accessible. Con- Space is sometimes limited, furniture might not be appropriate, times might be limited due to children in the facility.
Library: Pro- Free spaces, Adult furniture, Wifi access. Con- Potential Distractions, limited space
Libraries: Benefit: Lots of parking and adult furniture. Several resources such as projectors, tv and good wifi. Challenges: The group size could be limited.
Meeting Halls/Community Centers: Benefits: The community is familiar with the parking and location of the building. The Challenges are limited wifi and booking in advance is usually required.
Hotels: Benefits: Most have large rooms and are also handicap accessible. Rooms are quite and good parking for participants. Challenges: Costly to book and should be done in advance time
Places of Worship: Benefits: Large room with comfort and furniture that is comfortable. Challenges: Some participants may feel this is against their religion.
Hotel ~
+Large Space
+Good Parking
-Expense
-Often chilly
Libraries~
+Resources available
+Free
-Rooms smaller
-May not allow refreshments
Community Colleges/Schools
+Large rooms
+Technology hookups most likely available
-Depending on the time and day, there could be a lot of extra people roaming around which could intimidate some participants
-Rooms are often cold
Child Care Centers
+Easy to use their classrooms and equipment as examples and case studies
+Most of the participants are already there at the end of the day
-Often small meeting spaces and lack of adult furniture
-Having participants in the place where they work and are familiar with could lead to them not taking the training as seriously
These were the same pros and cons I used! However, I didn’t take into consideration that they may not take the training as seriously. This is a great point! I also didn’t think of rooms being cold at a community college, but that is so true! haha! Great thinking!
Public Library
Pros:
-It is free to reserve one of the meeting rooms.
-It is a neutral space with enough adult seating and tables to accommodate our staff.
Cons:
-We generally have to reserve far in advance.
-Parking is limited-we have to park somewhere else and walk.
Our Early Childhood Center
Pros:
-It is free and has enough space to accommodate our staff.
-It is where our offices are located.
Cons:
-Some of our classrooms are located at this center while others are 20 minutes away.
-Teachers who have classrooms in this center generally are preoccupied in their rooms and often take longer to join the meeting and come back after breaks.
Common Meeting places pros and cons list:
Child Care Center –
Pros – People will not have to travel. Could be held immediately after closing to prevent weekend and too late of house. Comfortable setting for the workers. Access to resources. Free to use space.
Cons – Size of location. Adult size seating/resources.
Place of Worship :
Pros – Could have a large open area. Usually has access to technology.
Cons –Could be uncomfortable to some. Would have to book in advance to ensure space. Could cost.
Community College/ School :
Pros –Lots of space. Used for educating adults. Access to technology/wi-fi. Most likely free.
Cons – Location. Could be hard to book depending on timing and classes the college offers.
Hotels
Pros – Meeting spaces. Common for adult use. Usually access to business center/technology.
Cons – Fee to rent. Have to book way in advance.
Libraries –
Pro –
Cons –Unless there was a meeting room I don’t feel this would be a great resource because of limited hours, space and sound level.
Community hall –
Pro – Big spaces. Availability to rent tables and chairs for everyone (or have them for free). Could be convenient locations & parking.
Cons – Fee for renting. Need to set up in advance to ensure space.
Also thought of…
Other business like some hospitals will let you use their education rooms for free.
Child Care Centers
Pros- known location, participants are familiar with the building,
Cons- child-size chairs, lack of available technology
Places of Worship
Pros- can be cost effective, plenty of parking
Cons- may make some people uncomfortable or not want to attend the training, inconvenient hours of availability
Great point about the possible lack of technology.
Community Colleges have great parking and with our partnership usually doesn’t cost that much. The downside is that the rooms are small and the technology isn’t always as equipped as an auditorium.
We use a convention center for our Pre-Service. It has several rooms but it can be a nightmare If you have videos or music they are divided by partitions. The perks of course is that provide a snack/
Community Colleges/Schools
Benefits
-Lots of space
-Breakout sessions can be in classrooms while bigger gatherings could meet in gym or cafeteria
-Access to technology on site
-Free parking
Challenges
-Fees for renting space
– Rooms maybe too small to accommodate the group size
Libraries
Benefits
-Free to use
-Technology avaiable
-usually centrally located
Challenges
– Rooms may not be large enough
-may have to pay for parking
-dates may not be available
Hotels:
+ allows for large crowd
comfortable environment and seating
traveling staff can stay in rooms
— may have to pay for parking
probably expensive
Library:
+ plenty of books to use
free or for a min fee
free parking
__ may have limited time slots available
food probably not allowed
Child Care Centers
Pro – Provide atmosphere that could support training content
Pro – Easily accessible location for staff if travel time is limited
Con – Lack of adult size seating
Con- May not be the best learning environment for the adult that works at the center since the individual has already spent their work time on site
Churches
Pro – Large meeting space for large groups
Pro- Access to audio-visual equipment, screens, wi-fi
Con – Training space competes with other community events and could be hard to book
Con- Could be a fee or donation needed to use space
Child Care Centers:
Pros- 1. Convenience. Daycare teachers could meet in a designated classroom immediately after work and not have to travel for training.
2. The classroom itself could be used as a visual aid. If the trainer is going over state/STARS standards, they might see something out of compliance in the classroom that they could use as an example. Being in their own child care center would make it easier to apply what they’re learning.
Cons- 1. Depending on the time of day, there could be children/parents moving through the building which could cause a distraction.
2. After working a full day, the teachers might have a hard time separating their minds from the events of the day, which would impact how much of the content they’re absorbing.
Hotels:
Pros- 1. Plenty of space for large groups
2. Neutral location for participants.
Cons- 1. Conducting a training in a hotel with a large group of people may lead to some barriers for participants like me that are hard-of-hearing.
2. Costly
Hotels: + Adult-sized furniture
+Quiet environment (limited distractions)
-may feel awkward at a hotel
– Parking may be an issue/if highly frequented
Library: +Quiet environment (limited distractions)
+ Unlimited supply of resources
-Quiet environment (fear of being too loud for library patrons)
-May have rules against food/drinks within the room
Libraries: Pros-typically a central location, sufficient space, ample parking and usually free; Cons-Advanced scheduling may be needed, refreshments may not be allowed.
Child Care Centers: Pros-familiar to attendees, materials readily available, easy to schedule; Cons-Limited space/furniture size, availability of tech hook-ups, interference with evening maintenance and custodial services.
Hi
I love the local community college. It is centrally located, has all kinds of classroom spaces (including computer labs), access to working technology and parking is free and available. Sometimes community colleges may not be safest places to be after dark. Measures to ensure people get to their cars safely may be a concern. I also love libraries. Again, a variety of spaces and technology is available.
Doing something on-site at a child care center can be hugely beneficial for the staff who don’t have transportation or perhaps need child care during the training. It’s hard to set up a “professional environment” when adults are seated in 14″ chairs or on the floor. Also, because staff are in their typical environment, they may not take things as seriously.
Hotel
Pro: spacious, can stay overnight if need be – Con: expensive
Child Care Center
Pro: can practice things learned during the training in the classroom – Con: may not have a conference room and if the training took place in the classroom, there may not be enough adult seating.
Colleges:
Pro: large rooms, update building and technology
con: Cell phones,
Place of Worship:
Pro: established location, Christians feel comfortable
Con: fear of religious component for some and can be old buildings
Community colleges/ schools: pros are most are free, and they have great seating. Cons would be being able to book a room, parking if school is in session.
Hotels: pros are large rooms for movement and they will furnish the seats and tables. Cons it can be costly and traffic to get to a larger hotel may not be ideal.
Child care center- Pro: familiar with center Con: probably have been the whole day
Hotels – pro: typically, nice facilities con: people are unfamiliar with hotel and surrounding areas.
In the past I have used community colleges and high school gyms. Both of those worked well if properly communicated and organized. Both of these locations charged minimal fees for the use of their facilities.
Child Care Center: Real life application of content within classrooms. Easy of access to child care staff. Could have lack of technology to support presentation and inappropriate furniture for Adult learning.
Community College: Access to technology and adult furnishings, but can be tricky to locate classroom where training is carried out!
Whoops…..You also may have to compete with other organizations in order to access space at Community Colleges.
Pros
Child care centers are relevant to learning and depending on the topic, the trainer can use classrooms in their teaching and as examples for learning. Learners can also move from room to room (if center is okay with it) to experience different room types.
Libraries typically have resources available like projectors, white boards, and different room sizes to facilitate any size group. They are also quiet and have private meeting rooms.
Cons
A child care center would only be available after business hours which can be a pro or a con because the participants would most likely be off work for the training, but may not be available due to personal conflicts. Another con would be that participants could probably use a break from their work setting.
Library availability, meaning setting up a time in advance is going to be necessary, commute for some participants, and cost of renting the space.
Place of Worship
Benefits: Quiet, Possibly different rooms to break off into
Challenges: Not everyone feels the freedom to teach what they want or act a certain way in a worship center and some participants may not feel comfortable going into a church.
Child Care Center
Benefits: Free, Staff comfortable in their own setting, Can use materials
Challenges: Staff is too comfortable in their own setting, staff needs a break from the center.
Library :
Pros: We have a large library that will fulfill all the training needs, with adult sized furniture, convenient location and good facilities with a sink, restrooms nearby, a/v materials, ADA compliant, good parking, free/low cost, etc.
Cons: Sometimes noisy groups will be next door. Since it is a facility for the public, there may be a group of families with children who are noisy or a library program that is very active, like Zumba and you have very little control over that.
Child Care Center:
Pros: Very convenient for providers. Easy to see how lessons could be implemented in real time and space.
Cons: Too familiar which may lead to unprofessional behaviors. Furniture too small and facility is uncomfortable for adult learning.
Child Care Centers are often the most convenient place for short 1-2 hour training for staff of that center. After working a full day, traveling to a different site plus the training time can make for a very long day. I think be intentional about the type of training offered in a center is important. On the con side are seating/ comfort of the participants and lack of a professional training environment can devalue the training.
Community college classrooms set the stage for learning and have many AV resources. Easy access to bathrooms and ample space for activities. Cons are the cost associated with renting the classrooms, AV issues and lack of parking on a busy campus.
Child Care Centers are often the most convenient place for short 1-2 hour training for staff of that center. After working a full day, traveling to a different site plus the training time can make for a very long day. I think be intentional about the type of training offered in a center is important. On the con side are seating/ comfort of the participants and lack of a professional training environment can devalue the training.
Community college classrooms set the stage for learning and have many AV resources. Easy access to bathrooms and ample space for activities. Cons are the cost associated with renting the classrooms, AV issues and lack of parking on a busy campus.
I didn’t think about just limiting the training at a child care facility it doesn’t have a comfortable setting with adult seating. Parking can some times be an issue at any facility so it is important to keep that in mind with the size of the training we will host.
A child care center is an ideal place to host a training because it is not only on site for employees but has plenty of props that will allow for hands on learning and demonstrations. Most facilities do not have enough space for participants to be comfortable nor is there ever enough adult seating and tables available.
Libraries are local and comfortable with plenty of space and adult tables and chairs. Availability and no food or drinks allowed can be challenges or problems.
High School :
Pro- Larger Space, Sound system usually provided
Con- Not personable, limited to what we can hang up and display, not ideal for everyone traveling
Main Office:
Pro- Central location that all staff know how to get to, have free reign over building, not open to public
Con- Smaller space
Conference rooms:
Sometimes the long tables are not conducive to group activities and leave little opportunity to move around the room for activities.
On the other hand, round tables can leave half of the group with their back to the presenter..
There are many advantages (Pros) to having a training at Library mainly because its FREE and Wheel Chair excess and Free Wi-Fi as well.
The disadvantage (Cons) would be the hours of operation and if the room that is being utilize for the training may be double booked or already reserved in advance.
The other location being discussed was College(s) that would be an idea location to have a training the Pro(s) would free space being utilized with unlimited hours to schedule ahead of time or even days prior to training, the Cons would be over usage of cell phones which would be quite distracting during as actual training.