2026 Utah Rural Schools Conference has ended

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2026 Utah Rural Schools Conference

Welcome to URSA 2026 at Southern Utah University! All sessions will be in buildings on the upper campus (east end). Here’s the Campus Map if needed.

WiFi: eduroam or SUU-Conference, password "summertimefun"

PLAN AHEAD - Tentative Future Conference Dates
July 7&8, 2027 - Price, UT
July 17-19, 2028 - Richfield, UT

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8:00am MDT

🎒 Explore the Exhibitor Hall & Educational Partners CC Great Hall - R. Haze Hunter Alumni Center, Great Hall (200 Level) Conference Registration, Badge Pick-Up & Text Alerts Opt-In AU - Auditorium Foyer Presenter's Lounge & Workspace CC Rondthaler Room - R. Haze Hunter Alumni Center, Rondthaler Room (200 Level) Conference WiFi and Tech Support Information ED Level 2 Foyer, East - Emma Eccles Jones Education Building, Level 2 Foyer

8:30am MDT

Becoming Better Grownups: Rediscovering What Matters and Remembering to Fly AU - AuditoriumBrad Montague

9:45am MDT

20 in 20: Rapid-Fire Strategies for Classroom Engagement ED 215 - Emma Eccles Jones Education Building, Room 215Emma Moss A Kickstart with Gemini: Demystifying the Tech - USBE + Google Sponsored Session ED 104 - Emma Eccles Jones Education Building, Room 104Chris McCaffrey Canva Reimagined: Unlock the Magic ED 102 - Emma Eccles Jones Education Building, Room 102Kayla Towner Making Sheets Work For You ED 203 - Emma Eccles Jones Education Building, Room 203Stacey King Beyond the Brain Games: Mastering the Next Frontier of Utah Students' Career Readiness CC Red Hills Room - R. Haze Hunter Alumni Center, Red Hills Room (200 Level)Paul Ashby Brad Montague Breakout Session AU - AuditoriumBrad Montague School Leadership Theory vs. Practice: Doing what should be done while doing what has to be done SC 129 - Science Center, Room 129Quinn Kellis Why Some PLCs Pop and Other Don't: Small Shifts That Lead to Big Results SC 128 - Science Center, Room 128David Boren Utah School Safety in 2026: Understanding the Updated Legislative Landscape CC Whiting Room - R. Haze Hunter Alumni Center, Whiting Room Room (200 Level)Ashley Pistello 10 Minute Movement ideas for Language Arts k-6th grade CC Charles Hunter - R. Haze Hunter Alumni Center, Charles Hunter Room (100 Level)Ashley Boyack Beyond Aspire Plus: Navigating the Transition in High School Assessment CC Shooting Star - R. Haze Hunter Alumni Center, Shooting Star Room (100 Level)Teresa McEntire • Samantha Tinkey Facilitating Career and Technical Education Pathways for Students with Disabilities in Utah CC Yankee Meadows - R. Haze Hunter Alumni Center, Yankee Meadows Room (100 Level)Crystal Emery Ignite Your Spark: Fueling Self-determination GC 409 - General Classroom Building, Room 409Julianne R. Hunter Stop Doing All the Work! Simple Adaptations for Your Classroom GC 106 - General Classroom Building, Room 106April Stevenson Taming the AI Dragon: Practical Gemini & Notebook LM for Educators ED 202 - Emma Eccles Jones Education Building, Room 202Clint Stephens Commemorate America250 Utah with History, Civics, and Heart GC 306 - General Classroom Building, Room 306Rebecca Kirkman • Wendy Rex Atzet The Power of Student Voice: Enhancing Literacy Through Oral Language GC 109 - General Classroom Building, Room 109Denice Maedgen Supporting Multilingual Learners in the ELA Classroom SC 122 - Science Center, Room 122Dr. Jennifer Throndsen Printable Potential: Using 3D Printing in the Classroom GC 201 - General Classroom Building, Room 201Becca Robison zSpace AU - Auditorium FoyerBrandon Harrison New Teacher Retention: The Experiences That Shape Career Decisions AU - Auditorium FoyerPamela Pedersen Policy Implications for Principalship: "An Unfunded Mandate" AU - Auditorium FoyerBethany McGarry Going for Gold: The New Gold Medal Schools Framework AU - Auditorium FoyerJodi Paker Basic Self Care: What do you need to know ED 204 - Emma Eccles Jones Education Building, Room 204Sheryl Vernon School nurse to student ratio and Utah legislative ratio recommendation AU - Auditorium FoyerMary Kathryn Curcio Stoddard Teaching Communication to Replace Challenging Behavior AU - Auditorium FoyerRhea Palkhiwala • Dr. Audrey N. Hoffmann Kinesthetic Astronomy 4th grade GC 311 - General Classroom Building, Room 311Jayceen Craven Walker Patterns & Partnerships GC 407 - General Classroom Building, Room 407Heather Paulsen

10:06am MDT

Community Access to Care for First Episode Psychosis ED 215 - Emma Eccles Jones Education Building, Room 215Kylie Frandsen

10:27am MDT

Partnership Power! Bringing Poetry to Life with Statewide Competitions from the Division of Arts & Museums ED 215 - Emma Eccles Jones Education Building, Room 215Reilly Jensen • Justin Ivie

10:45am MDT

🤝 Meet Our Partners: Exhibitor Showcase and Refreshment Break CC Great Hall - R. Haze Hunter Alumni Center, Great Hall (200 Level)

11:10am MDT

Task management using Trello ED 215 - Emma Eccles Jones Education Building, Room 215Christijan Draper AI as a Design Variable AU - AuditoriumDavid Long Google AI as a Catalyst for Creative Inquiry - USBE + Google Sponsored Session ED 104 - Emma Eccles Jones Education Building, Room 104Chris McCaffrey AI on the Ground: Research Meets Rural Realities ED 202 - Emma Eccles Jones Education Building, Room 202Kody Colvin We can help your students learn more about engineering. CC Charles Hunter - R. Haze Hunter Alumni Center, Charles Hunter Room (100 Level)Morgan Boyack Scam Academy - Teaching Students to Outsmart the Algorithms CC Shooting Star - R. Haze Hunter Alumni Center, Shooting Star Room (100 Level)Dani Sloan Strengthening Science Vocabulary Through Interactive Hands-on Games K-12 CC Red Hills Room - R. Haze Hunter Alumni Center, Red Hills Room (200 Level)Michelle Ferro M.Ed. Managing Change as a New School Administrator SC 129 - Science Center, Room 129Doug Stump Everything that Matters Begins with Trust: How to Create It, Sustain It, and Restore It SC 128 - Science Center, Room 128Dale COX Building Better People with Lessons from History... Through the Lens of the Holocaust CC Vermillion Cliffs - R. Haze Hunter Alumni Center, Vermillion Cliffs Room (100 Level)Leigh Routman Engagement Strategies for the Middle Years 6th-8th Grade GC 106 - General Classroom Building, Room 106April Stevenson • Melodie Garcia Intro to PCBL: Guiding Principles & Strategies for Improving Learning ED 102 - Emma Eccles Jones Education Building, Room 102Kayla Towner Portrait of Secondary Transition for Students with Disabilities: A Roadmap for Educators, Students, and Families CC Yankee Meadows - R. Haze Hunter Alumni Center, Yankee Meadows Room (100 Level)Crystal Emery Beyond the B.E.A.C.O.N.: Lighting the Way for AI in Education SC 122 - Science Center, Room 122Becca Esplin Chaos Coordinators: Frontload the Calm, Teach the Tough CC Whiting Room - R. Haze Hunter Alumni Center, Whiting Room Room (200 Level)Kristin Hellmann • Dana Blazzard Positive Childhood Experiences in the K-12 Setting ED 203 - Emma Eccles Jones Education Building, Room 203Phillip Bertoch Easily Supporting Students Through Emotional Regulation & Relationships With Real-Time Skills GC 409 - General Classroom Building, Room 409Nick Marsing • Celeste Marsing The Science of Learning in Utah Math Classrooms GC 109 - General Classroom Building, Room 109Jennie Earl

11:52am MDT

Igniting STEAM ED 215 - Emma Eccles Jones Education Building, Room 215Kathleen Riebe

12:10pm MDT

Lunch - Food Truck Roundup at the Auditorium! AU - Auditorium Parking Lot (Outside)

1:50pm MDT

Supporting Students with Complex Needs ED 215 - Emma Eccles Jones Education Building, Room 215Rachel Jacobsen • Rhea Palkhiwala From Data to Insights: Monitoring Student Achievement Over Time via Utah RISE CC Yankee Meadows - R. Haze Hunter Alumni Center, Yankee Meadows Room (100 Level)Brooke Anderson Writing Formative Assessment Clusters GC 201 - General Classroom Building, Room 201Jared Wright • Dallas Brooks • Samantha Tinkey Great Grading! CC Charles Hunter - R. Haze Hunter Alumni Center, Charles Hunter Room (100 Level)Tony Campbell • Jared Wilkinson Digital Resilience: Strategies for Managing Social Media and Student Focus in Grades 6–12 ED 102 - Emma Eccles Jones Education Building, Room 102Davina Sauthoff From Prompt to Page: Building Better Canvas Content with AI CC Whiting Room - R. Haze Hunter Alumni Center, Whiting Room Room (200 Level)Crystal Stott Modern Classroom tips from teachers who love it. GC 409 - General Classroom Building, Room 409DawnRae Smith • Machelle Maxwell Prompting, Not Cheating: Building Authentic Literacy Skills in the AI Era - USBE + Google Sponsored Session ED 104 - Emma Eccles Jones Education Building, Room 104Chris McCaffrey Top Ten Ways to Differentiate in Canvas ED 203 - Emma Eccles Jones Education Building, Room 203Jason Snow Moving Rural Education Forward: How CATCH Journeys Are Transforming PE and Health in Utah Schools CC Vermillion Cliffs - R. Haze Hunter Alumni Center, Vermillion Cliffs Room (100 Level)Laura Seay From Fragmented to Focused: Strengthening Your School’s System of Support SC 129 - Science Center, Room 129David Boren Leading High Leverage Practices in Schools SC 128 - Science Center, Room 128Quinn Kellis Teacher's are Leaders Inside and Outside of the Classroom ED 204 - Emma Eccles Jones Education Building, Room 204Stephan Seabury Today's Middle School Student GC 106 - General Classroom Building, Room 106April Stevenson • LaToya Paea You've Got To Move It! (Incorporating Movement in the Secondary Classroom) CC Shooting Star - R. Haze Hunter Alumni Center, Shooting Star Room (100 Level)Mary Saylor Rediscovering Health Through Rural and State Partnership SC 122 - Science Center, Room 122Halee Ficklin • Mary Kathryn Curcio Stoddard 3D in 8th Grade Science - Oxidation in Action in Utah GC 311 - General Classroom Building, Room 311Maggie Grindstaff The Reclaimed Classroom: Leading AI for Teaching and Learning ED 202 - Emma Eccles Jones Education Building, Room 202Kayla Towner • Kody Colvin • Matt Winters Evidence-Based Instruction Available to Your Area from The UURC GC 407 - General Classroom Building, Room 407Breyanna Evans • Megan Gale Art Tools and Teacher Tricks GC 306 - General Classroom Building, Room 306Liz Brown

2:11pm MDT

Virtual Field Trips: Instructional Resources ED 215 - Emma Eccles Jones Education Building, Room 215Heather Kennedy

2:32pm MDT

Simulating Moon Phases using your hand ED 215 - Emma Eccles Jones Education Building, Room 215Jayceen Craven Walker

2:50pm MDT

⚡ Quick Stop: Visit the Exhibitor Hall for a Refreshment Break! CC Great Hall - R. Haze Hunter Alumni Center, Great Hall (200 Level)

3:10pm MDT

Supporting Student Learning and Creativity with Google Vids ED 215 - Emma Eccles Jones Education Building, Room 215Rob Bentley Your Custom AI Toolbox: Save Time by Building Reusable Gemini "Gems" - USBE + Google Sponsored Session ED 104 - Emma Eccles Jones Education Building, Room 104Chris McCaffrey Becoming Digitally Deliberate GC 109 - General Classroom Building, Room 109Talmage Erickson Personalized Education with Limitless Possibilities | Advancing Specialized Services in Rural Communities. CC Red Hills Room - R. Haze Hunter Alumni Center, Red Hills Room (200 Level)Jamie Webb Reaching Every Student: Using Early Warning Systems to Support Student Success CC Vermillion Cliffs - R. Haze Hunter Alumni Center, Vermillion Cliffs Room (100 Level)Kaylee Dunn Literacy, Mental Health, and School Engagement for Students with Learning Disabilities CC Yankee Meadows - R. Haze Hunter Alumni Center, Yankee Meadows Room (100 Level)Paul Black Scaffolding Tier 1 Phonics Instruction CC Shooting Star - R. Haze Hunter Alumni Center, Shooting Star Room (100 Level)Dr. Jennifer Throndsen Developing Master Teachers SC 128 - Science Center, Room 128Doug Stump Statewide Online Education Program: Essential Insights for Administrators & Counselors SC 129 - Science Center, Room 129Meagan Johnston Teachers are leaders and should be the shapers our profession ED 204 - Emma Eccles Jones Education Building, Room 204Stephan Seabury Collaborative Roots: Building Parent-Teacher Trust to Transform Student Outcomes ED 203 - Emma Eccles Jones Education Building, Room 203Shannon Neeley • Sydney Whatcott Leaving Children Behind: Grade Retention in the 21st Century CC Whiting Room - R. Haze Hunter Alumni Center, Whiting Room Room (200 Level)Pam Powell Middle Level Educators Unite GC 106 - General Classroom Building, Room 106Kristy Stevens • Carla Winterholler Navigating Sensitive Materials and Collection Development: Updated Strategies for School, Library, and Classrooms ED 102 - Emma Eccles Jones Education Building, Room 102Davina Sauthoff 3D Science lessons- Gravity and Inertia GC 311 - General Classroom Building, Room 311Kristine Erickson • Westen Miller Implementing the Success Sequence: Key to Updated Health Education Standards SC 122 - Science Center, Room 122Jodi Parker Virtual Field Trips at the Springville Museum of Art SC 127 - Science Center, Room 127Peyton Richards • Cheynie Wray Demystifying Mastery: The What, the Why and the How of Proficiency Scale Construction CC Charles Hunter - R. Haze Hunter Alumni Center, Charles Hunter Room (100 Level)Nathan Auck

4:00pm MDT

Evening Activites Cedar City, Utah