Interest Groups

Best practices on creating chapter interest groups including student interest groups, geographic interest groups, and special interest groups

Buffalo Niagara: Open Mic Night for Learning Professionals SIG

The Buffalo Niagara Chapter created a special interest group (SIG) for facilitators. The SIG hosts an open mic night where facilitators can try different classroom techniques, activities, ice breakers, lectures, and more, then receive immediate feedback from the group. At the event, presenters are given a 15-minute block of time. Once the presentation has concluded, attendees fill out a feedback form and share their thoughts directly with the presenter. Whether presenting or attending the most recent open mic, all participants shared they were uplifted by either receiving valuable feedback from peers or learning something in the process of work shopping an activity, lecture, and so forth, respectively.

YEAR: 2020

MID NEW JERSEY CHAPTER: Increase Engagement With SIG Synergy

SUMMARY: The chapter was struggling to meet the diverse programming needs of its membership. Several groups wanted to attend programs on specific topics that would not appeal to the membership as a whole. In order to meet these needs, the chapter established two new special interest groups (SIGs) on facilitation and technology and focused the chapter’s general events on networking and building generally applicable skills. As a result of this shift in strategy, the chapter produced more relevant and higher quality programming for its entire audience. It also created more targeted and meaningful volunteer opportunities for its membership.

YEAR: 2019

MAINE CHAPTER: Professional Development and Networking for Consultants

SUMMARY: Chapter leaders identified a need for networking and professional development opportunities among its members who work as consultants. The chapter created a consultants’ special interest group (SIG) to meet these needs and designated a board liaison to ensure that the SIG remained aligned with the chapter’s overall strategy. The SIG has improved consultants’ satisfaction with the chapter, increased chapter membership, and heightened consultants’ awareness of the resources available through both ATD and the chapter.

YEAR: 2019

GREATER CINCINNATI CHAPTER: Framework for Mini Hands-On Events

SUMMARY: The Greater Cincinnati Chapter developed a consistent meeting format that took a hands-on approach to learning. During its three annual meetings, the chapter’s Dayton Geographic Interest Group (GIG) will invite a subject matter expert (SME) to share information about how they implemented a learning solution within their organization. The SME guides groups of participants through a structured activity where they are asked to develop a solution to a problem. The workshops enable participants to focus on building tools and plans that are readily applicable to their organizations, and, as a result, event attendance has continued to increase.

YEAR: 2019

ORANGE COUNTY CHAPTER: Project-Based Learning and Development

SUMMARY: The Orange County Chapter’s training and technology special interest group (SIG) enables members to develop their e-learning development skills in a safe, project-based learning environment while supporting a local nonprofit. Over the course of a year, the SIG held meetings to discuss the course development process, create storyboards, and collect feedback from the nonprofit OneOC. The end result was an online tutorial that enabled OneOC’s clients to quickly recruit and onboard volunteers. OneOC awarded the chapter with a Spirit of Volunteerism Award and has also connected with the chapter to identify facilitators for upcoming programs. One SIG participant even landed a new job because of her involvement with the project.

YEAR: 2019

NEW YORK CITY CHAPTER: People Science SIG

SUMMARY: The chapter held a human capital analytics event that was so well-received that the board decided to set up a special interest group (SIG) to cater to those interested in the subject. The SIG is co-led by a college professor who runs his own analytics and a corporate analytics manager, and addresses such topics as turnover, learning analytics, organizational effectiveness, and engagement. To allow for meaningful conversation, the SIG meetings are capped at 35 participants, which has led to sold-out meetings since the group’s inception. The chapter has also benefited from suggestions on data cleanup and data capture as the SIG uses the aggregated chapter data as a training tool.

YEAR: 2018

LONG ISLAND CHAPTER: SIG for the Industrial Organizational Psychology Student Association of Hofstra University

SUMMARY: To engage master’s students from Hofstra University with the Long Island chapter, the board worked with an adjunct professor to reach out to the Industrial-Organizational Psychology Student Association on campus. Because the student organization already existed, they only had to get it approved at the organizational and program level. The students in the organization had to say they wanted to be a part of the Student Interest Group (SIG) and the program director (director and chair of the department) had to agree. The chapter helps secure speakers for their events, and can work with the group for space as needed for full chapter meetings and events. The SIG has been around for about seven months and the chapter is working to establish future SIGs.

YEAR: 2018

METRO DC CHAPTER: Career Services Portfolio

SUMMARY: The chapter created and improved its Career Services portfolio in order to provide value for its members, increase member engagement, and help "match up" members interested in new opportunities and independent consultants with local employers/hiring managers/businesses.

YEAR: 2014

NEW YORK METRO CHAPTER: On-site Practitioner Series

SUMMARY:The New York University Student Special Interest Group (NYU SIG) leadership team desired to create opportunities for more junior "aspiring" members of the profession to network with and learn from seasoned L&D practitioners. Through this series, the members meet at the featured employer’s site, receive a briefing by the senior L&D manager in charge, hear remarks from mid-level and front-line unit personnel, and tour their training space.

YEAR: 2013

MISSISSIPPI CHAPTER: Incorporating GIGs Into Chapter Activities and Administration

SUMMARY: The Mississippi chapter holds a joint meeting with our GIGs each June. The joint meeting rotates among the chapter/GIG locations. The chapter also added to the By-Laws to incorporate GIG administration. Approval of the by-laws concerning financial matters eased chapter relations with the GIGs.

YEAR: 2011

LOS ANGELES CHAPTER: Special Divisions Leaders Toolkit

SUMMARY: The Los Angeles chapter has had multiple special divisions since 2005. Each special division has a leader and there is a board position specifically to support all of the special divisions. With this many players, a toolkit was created to make the ongoing administration as simple as possible for special division leaders.

YEAR: 2010

AUSTIN CHAPTER: Special Interest Group Webinar

SUMMARY: The Austin chapter's healthcare SIG is made up of a specialized group of professionals. In an effort to take advantage of expertise in other parts of the country the chapter held a webinar as their SIG meeting. They found a presenter who created a terrific human anatomy DVD to demonstrate a product and speak about its development via webinar.

YEAR: 2010

GREATER ATLANTA CHAPTER: SIG/GIGs – Heartbeat of the Chapter

SUMMARY: The Greater Atlanta chapter has seven (7) active Special Interest Groups (SIGS). Each of these SIGs tailors their six events annually to the interests of learning professionals within their specific learning environment. Greater Atlanta also currently has 3 active Geographic Interest Groups (GIGs). Each SIG/GIG has 3+ volunteers that coordinate the speakers, locations and topics for that group. This approach allows for a shared workload and built-in networking opportunity.

YEAR: 2009

GREATER ATLANTA CHAPTER: Yahoo SIG/GIG Leaders Group

SUMMARY: The Greater Atlanta chapter created a Yahoo Leaders Group as a way to bring together all of the 30+ volunteers that make up the 10 Atlanta SIG/GIGs. The leadership team for each SIG/GIG can log into Yahoo and access the ASTD Atlanta SIG/GIG Leadership Group. Members of this group can post comments, ideas, pictures and past event presentations.

YEAR: 2009

MID-NEW JERSEY CHAPTER: Sales Training PDN 2009 Business Plan

SUMMARY: The Mid-New Jersey chapter developed a set of goals and a structured plan of action for the Mid-NJ Sales Training Professional Development Network (a.k.a. SIG).

YEAR: 2008

MIDLANDS CHAPTER: Formal Approach to a Geographic Interest Group (GIG) partnership

SUMMARY: The Midlands chapter formed a GIG partnership with Low Country (Charleston, South Carolina area) to reach out to members who previously did not derive benefit from their local and/or national membership due to distance. The chapter’s vision is to provide local chapter benefits to their GIG until such time as they have sufficient membership to form their own ASTD chapter.

YEAR: 2007

LOS ANGELES CHAPTER: Special Interest Groups and Special Divisions

SUMMARY: Los Angeles Special Interest Groups [SIGs] and Special Divisions (SDs) were created by the chapter to address a growing demand by their membership to better address their diverse needs.

YEAR: 2006

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