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

JJ Tanner

Valley Academy Charter

Asst. Director / Elem. Principal

Hurricane UT

https://valleyacademycharter.com/

11:00am MDT

Conference Credit Online Form Conference Registration, Badge Pick-Up & Text Alerts Opt-In AU - Auditorium Foyer

12:00pm MDT

Conference Welcome, NUES & CUES URSA Award, Friend to Education Award AU - Auditorium

12:10pm MDT

Beyond Self Care: Leading Systemic Approach to Well-Being for Educators AU - AuditoriumGail Markin

1:30pm MDT

Putting Google AI to Work: A Practical Guide to Prompt Engineering and Productivity with Gemini - USBE + Google Sponsored Session ED 104 - Emma Eccles Jones Education Building, Room 104Chris McCaffrey Increasing Student Attendance CC Yankee Meadows - R. Haze Hunter Alumni Center, Yankee Meadows Room (100 Level)Megan Menlove

2:30pm MDT

⚡ Break Time: Snacks, Drinks & Exhibitor Hall Showcase CC Great Hall - R. Haze Hunter Alumni Center, Great Hall (200 Level)

2:50pm MDT

Using the Early Math Assessment Data SC 122 - Science Center, Room 122Jared Wright • Teresa McEntire From Generic to Gem: Building Your First Gemini Gems ED 202 - Emma Eccles Jones Education Building, Room 202Emma Moss Data Privacy Basics Live! GC 311 - General Classroom Building, Room 311Nicole Sanchez

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

8:30am MDT

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

9:45am MDT

A Kickstart with Gemini: Demystifying the Tech - USBE + Google Sponsored Session ED 104 - Emma Eccles Jones Education Building, Room 104Chris McCaffrey 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 Taming the AI Dragon: Practical Gemini & Notebook LM for Educators ED 202 - Emma Eccles Jones Education Building, Room 202Clint Stephens

11:10am MDT

Task management using Trello ED 215 - Emma Eccles Jones Education Building, Room 215Christijan Draper 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

12:10pm MDT

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

1:50pm MDT

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 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

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

Developing Master Teachers SC 128 - Science Center, Room 128Doug Stump

4:00pm MDT

Evening Activites Cedar City, Utah

8:00am MDT

🎒 Explore the Exhibitor Hall & Educational Partners CC Great Hall - R. Haze Hunter Alumni Center, Great Hall (200 Level) Conference Credit Online Form

8:30am MDT

Joanna Andres, Utah’s 2025-26 Teacher of the Year AU - AuditoriumJoanna Andres

9:50am MDT

The People Puzzle: Solved with Business Chemistry ED 102 - Emma Eccles Jones Education Building, Room 102Piper Riddle Courtside Culture - Lessons in Leadership from Basketball's Greatest Minds CC Shooting Star - R. Haze Hunter Alumni Center, Shooting Star Room (100 Level)Dani Sloan Understanding & Supporting Student Behavior: A Teacher-Centered Approach GC 201 - General Classroom Building, Room 201Amanda Powell

10:50am MDT

⚡ Break Time: Snacks, Drinks & Exhibitor Hall Showcase CC Great Hall - R. Haze Hunter Alumni Center, Great Hall (200 Level)

11:10am MDT

4-Part Model to School Culture ED 203 - Emma Eccles Jones Education Building, Room 203Amy Robinson • Stuart Hepworth