Train-the-Trainer: A Model for Travel Training Services Presented by: Julie Rosekrans Donna Stinchcomb

Central Maryland Regional Transit

Train-the-Trainer:

A Model for Travel Training Services

Presented by: Julie Rosekrans

Donna Stinchcomb


•501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 1989

•Manages public transportation services in Howard County, Prince

George’s County, and Anne Arundel County, Maryland

•Administers a four-county Connect-A-Ride system

• In FY 2011, CMRT transported approximately 1.6 million passengers



Project Background and Inception

•Born in February 2011

•Two full-time Travel Trainers and an Outreach Coordinator

•Extends into six of Maryland’s counties and the City of Baltimore

•The train-the-trainer model is a success due in part to the large community partners and stakeholders that support the project

•Funded through New Freedom funds: therefore, trainings are free

•Realized more people could be reached via a train-the-trainer approach


Scope: Central Maryland


CMRT’s Travel Training Program


About CMRT’s Train-the-Trainer Program

• Mission:Empowering individuals with disabilities and older adults

to explore fixed-route transportation options via a train-the-trainer approach

• Objective:Train paid and unpaid staff of non-profit and human

service agencies, government agencies, senior centers, secondary and post-secondary schools, and other

community transportation and disability advocacy groups


The Train-the-Trainer Approach

•Different from one-on-one and small group trainings

•One trainer can train medium-sized groups of people during train-the-trainer workshops and follow-up field exercises, or group bus rides

•Usually intended for human services and disability professionals who can be travel trained and then train their clients

•Can be a very effective way to reach more people

•Requires a large degree of organization to stay on top of tracking numbers, ridership, paratransit cost savings, etc.


Community Buy-In

•Coordinate with state and local agencies

•Synchronize with human service agencies in multiple regions

•Work with public and private schools

•Share successes and challenges


Community and Outreach Events

•Spreads the word about your program to potential clients in the community and connects you with training leads and potential partnering organizations

•Maryland State Fair, County Fairs, Disabilities Expos, ADA Celebrations, Community College Fairs, Earth Day Celebrations, Housing and Youth Expos, Transportation Conferences, etc.

•School councils, fairs, policy meetings, etc.


Establishing and Maintaining Training Relationships

•Advisory Board with at least one individual from each region that meets quarterly

•Training follow-ups at one, three, six and twelve months

•Follow-up training for new staff members and retraining

•Rider of the Quarter

•Newsletter and press release coordination

•Travel Training website and social media


Success Stories

•Bus stop additions and schedule rerouting to accommodate mobility devices (Humanim)

•Improved accessibility in communities

•Increased ridership on fixed-route transportation


Success Stories

•School system curriculum for Baltimore City & Howard County Schools

•IMAGE Center Travel Training – MTA New Freedom contract for one-on-one training

•Continuing Education Units (CEU’s) have been granted to trainees

•To date, 781 paid and unpaid staff have been travel trained by CMRT’s train-the-trainer program


Types of Trainings

1. Systems Orientation

2. Train-the-trainer Workshops

3. Field Trainings


Systems Orientation Training

•What transportation options are available?

•How much do they cost?

•How can they be safely accessed?

•Basic emergency plan

•Often leads to classroom training

•1-2 hours in length


Train-the-Trainer Workshops

•What is travel training and who is it for?

•What skills does a trainee need to access public transportation both safely and independently?

•ADA rights and Emergency Plans

•Mode of transportation, how to get there, how to pay, etc.

•Pedestrian safety

•Boarding, Riding and Deboarding

•4-5 hours in length


Field Trainings

•Key component of train-the-trainer workshops


Challenges

•Tracking numbers and data: it is easy to track who has been trained in a workshop, but tracking how many people they go on to train, how often their trainees are riding, and what the savings are to paratransit services have been difficult to accurately track

•Some staff have never been on fixed-route services or are afraid of public transportation

•Overextended staff, budget cuts, “not my job” mentality

•Staff/client and parent barriers


Training Stats

July 11 - Sept 11

Oct 11 - Dec 11

Jan 12 - Mar 12

Apr 12 - June 12

July 12 - To Date

0

100

200

300

400

500

Staff


Questions?


Thank You!

Julie Rosekrans, Travel [email protected]

Anne Arundel, Howard and Prince George’s Counties

Donna Stinchomb, Travel [email protected]

Baltimore City, Baltimore, Carroll and Harford Counties

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

Documents

Train-the-Trainer: A Model for Travel Training Services Presented by: Julie Rosekrans Donna Stinchcomb