Floral design artists anxious to earn the floral industrys coveted new
Certified Floral Designer (CFD) designation are being reminded by the American
Institute of Floral Designers (AIFD) that the deadline to submit an application
for this years evaluations is April 15.
To be eligible to be evaluated, a design artist must first successfully complete
one of five education pathways. Included in the education pathways is one that
recognizes a designers past experiences (three years or more in floral
industry). Other pathways are: completion of courses that meet learning
objectives as established by AIFD and offered by approved private floral design
schools or state floral association certification programs, completion of a
series of online and hands-on courses offered by AIFD and completion of
undergraduate degree or studies in approved programs.
Once an interested floral designer has completed an education pathway, he or she
may then enroll into AIFDs two-part Professional Floral Design Evaluation (PFDE)
system.
The CFD candidate will then receive a copy of “The AIFD Guide to Floral Design:
Terms, Techniques and Traditions” and will be instructed to go online to take
the first part of the PFDE: an online test based on educational objectives and
knowledge that can be obtained from the AIFD reference tool. They must
successfully complete the online test by April 30.
After successfully completing an education pathway and scoring 80 percent or
better on the online test, the candidate is then fully eligible to participate
in the second phase of the PFDE a hands-on design session in which he or she
demonstrates his or her design proficiencies. The next live PFDE session will
take place on July 1, 2010 in Boston one day prior to the opening of AIFDs
National Symposium “Revolution”. Advance registration is required and must be
received by May 1.
During the live evaluation, candidates will have four hours to create five
specific designs which will then be evaluated by seven distinguished AIFD
members. AIFD provides each candidate with all flowers and hardgoods necessary
to complete the designs.
To enroll to earn a CFD or to just learn more about this new floral industry
recognition program, go to
www.aifd.org/NewMembership/Accreditation.htm.
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