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 (PDF) if needed.

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

PLAN AHEAD - Tentative Future Conference Dates
July 7-9, 2027 - Price, UT
July 17-19, 2028 - Richfield, UT

1:30pm MDT

Sing It. Draw It. Learn It!

Wednesday July 15, 2026 1:30pm - 3:50pm MDT

GC 201 - General Classroom Building, Room 201

🧠 Format Alert: This is an immersive, 2-hour deep-dive workshop designed for intensive, uninterrupted coverage of this topic.

Discover engaging, practical strategies for integrating visual art and music into the elementary classroom to deepen student learning and creativity. This interactive session will explore hands-on activities, cross-curricular connections, and standards-aligned lessons that blend sound, color, movement, and expression. Participants will leave with ready-to-use ideas that foster collaboration, critical thinking, and joyful learning while supporting academic content across subjects. Perfect for K–5 educators looking to bring meaningful arts integration into their teaching practice.

Participants MUST HAVE one of the following platforms/devices in order to participate in this session: None

Participants MAY FIND IT USEFUL to have one or more of the following platforms/devices during this session: None

Speakers

Liz Brown

BTS Arts Integration Coach, NUES - Northeastern Utah Educational Services

Liz Brown is a BTS Art Integration Coach for NUES. She was the 2025 Utah Art Educator of the Year for the National Art Education Association and the 2024 Art Educator of the Year for the Utah Art Education Association. She is passionate about arts integration and children getting... Read More →

Kim Montano

Beverley Taylor Sorenson Program Manager, Westminster University

Kim Montano has been teaching music for 20+ years, with experience in public school, private studio, university, and Montessori settings, and has a wide range of experience from preschools to drumlines. She currently works as the Program Director for Arts Education at Westminster... Read More →

Wednesday July 15, 2026 1:30pm - 3:50pm MDT
GC 201 - General Classroom Building, Room 201 152 South 300 West, Cedar City, UT 84720

Other, Beginner - limited to no experience; no prerequisite skills required.

Session Format 2 hour In-Depth exploration workshop
Grade Level PK - 2, 3-4, 5-6
Audience Teachers, Instructional Coaches, Library Media Specialists
Subject Area Performing Arts / Visual Arts, Music

3:10pm MDT

Statewide Online Education Program: Essential Insights for Administrators & Counselors

Thursday July 16, 2026 3:10pm - 4:10pm MDT

SC 129 - Science Center, Room 129

Are you maximizing the potential of the Statewide Online Education Program (SOEP)? This session is designed for administrators and counselors looking to use the SOEP as a strategic lever. We will discuss how to use SOEP enrollment data to guide master scheduling and staffing decisions, allowing your LEA to offer high-demand courses.Key topics include an in-depth look at the funding model, Small Schools grant opportunities, and essential operational "need-to-knows." We will specifically address how LEAs can protect their budgets by mastering the acceptance and rejection windows in SEATS—including how to navigate over-enrollment and credit caps. Additionally, we will cover the critical management of "No Grade" and "Incomplete" grades as they relate to UHSAA eligibility and fiscal responsibility. By leveraging SOEP data, administrators can turn the program into a roadmap for increasing student seat time and expanding academic pathways, providing access to niche electives and advanced coursework that might otherwise be unavailable in smaller or rural settings

Participants MUST HAVE one of the following platforms/devices in order to participate in this session: None

Participants MAY FIND IT USEFUL to have one or more of the following platforms/devices during this session: None

Speakers

Meagan Johnston

SOEP Program Manager, USBE - Utah State Board of Education

Meagan Johnston is the Program Manager for the Statewide Online Education Program (SOEP) and a dedicated advocate for student choice and equitable access to education. With 21 years of experience in the public education system, Meagan has taught in both the traditional and online... Read More →

Thursday July 16, 2026 3:10pm - 4:10pm MDT
SC 129 - Science Center, Room 129 370 West 200 South, Cedar City, UT 84720

11:10am MDT

Partnership Power: Expanding Classroom Horizons with Division of Arts & Museums

Friday July 17, 2026 11:10am - 12:10pm MDT

GC 109 - General Classroom Building, Room 109

The Utah Division of Arts & Museums is your state agency dedicated to advancing Utahns’ quality of life through arts and museum experiences and cultural opportunities.

We offer a wide array of programs and resources to support schools and educators across the state. We can help provide arts learning opportunities that align with learning objectives and standards, support multilingual learners, integrate with STEM subjects and other courses across the curriculum, and contribute to growth and professional development for learners of all ages with unique opportunities for educators and school administrators.

Join us to learn more about opportunities like our Living Folk Arts Education Series which can bring hands-on art experiences from working artists directly to your students at no cost. Or our Teaching Artist Rosters which can connect you with skilled artists from almost any discipline that can work with your school to design exciting learning opportunities. Our Teacher-Initiated Projects program offers one-on-one arts training directly to teachers who just want to learn a new skill. And that’s just to name a few.

We are here to introduce these programs and help you find ways to put them to work in schools and communities like yours.

Participants MUST HAVE one of the following platforms/devices in order to participate in this session: Not Applicable

Participants MAY FIND IT USEFUL to have one or more of the following platforms/devices during this session: Not Applicable

Speakers

Reilly Jensen

Arts Education Program Manager, Utah Division of Arts and Museums

Reilly is an arts educator, teaching artist, and archaeologist with a focus on community and heritage collaboration. She holds an M.F.A. in Community-Based Arts Education from the University of Utah, an M.A. in Middle Eastern Studies, and a B.S. in Anthropology. Her research explores... Read More →

Justin Ivie

Arts Education Coordinator, Utah Division of Arts & Museums

Justin Ivie is an accomplished theatre artist and a familiar face on Utah stages with hundreds of acting credits at companies all around the state. He is also a director, stage manager and theatrical designer.

Justin has been with the Utah Division of Arts & Museums since 2022 whe... Read More →

Friday July 17, 2026 11:10am - 12:10pm MDT
GC 109 - General Classroom Building, Room 109 152 South 300 West, Cedar City, UT 84720

Other, Beginner - limited to no experience; no prerequisite skills required.