The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Coastal Services Center offers a number of training programs to help you achieve your coastal management goals. Some of the classes are available at the Center's training facility in Charleston, South Carolina, while other classes are taught off-site. A few classes are available over the Internet. All classes are designed specifically for coastal resource managers.
If you have a training need that isn't listed here, please contact the Center. New courses are developed and existing courses are improved in response to customer input, so your comments and suggestions are always appreciated.
Training programs fall into one of three tracks: coastal management training, geospatial technology courses, and building process skills.
Coastal Management Training
Coastal Management Framework*
This on-line course helps practitioners understand how to address complex issues by incorporating scientific knowledge and multiple perspectives within the legal and administrative framework.
Hazards Training
This region-specific workshop focuses on risk and vulnerability assessments to be used by local and state coastal resource managers.
GeoSpatial Technology
Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
This spatial data tool continues to produce tremendous rewards for the coastal management community. The Center offers a variety of courses in this subject matter, including GIS for Managers, Introduction to ArcView, and Intermediate ArcView.
Information Technology for Coastal Managers
Helping coastal managers understand the fundamentals of GIS, remote sensing, and other spatial technologies is the goal of this short, lecture-based course.
Metadata Training
A standardized documentation system is making data sets easier to share and use. Metadata fundamentals and tools are covered in this course.
Remote Sensing for Spatial Analysts
This course helps technicians learn the benefits and limitations of remote sensing and provides examples of ways to use remote sensing in a GIS environment.
Process Skills
Conducting Training Needs Assessments
This course helps coastal educators improve their products and services by teaching them how to conduct a needs assessment.
Information Survival Skills*
This training will improve the skills managers need to effectively find, assess, and manage coastal information and data.
Collaborative Processes*
This training program will enhance the participant's ability to design, lead, or participate in a collaborative process.
Public Issues and Conflict Management
Participants in this course learn how to facilitate public meetings, address conflict, and work with the media.
* The Coastal Management for Practitioners course is comprised of these classes.
Please visit our Web site or call the Center at (843) 740-1200 to see a class schedule and have your questions answered. Classes are limited to employees of state and local coastal resource management programs.
