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
Discover how SchoolAI can revolutionize classroom learning across all subjects. This session will explore the dynamic role of AI in education, demonstrating how it can make lessons more engaging, personalized, and effective. You'll get hands-on experience with SchoolAI's innovative tools, learning how to integrate them seamlessly into your teaching practice. By the end of this presentation, you'll be equipped with practical strategies to use AI to inspire and support your students' learning journey.....starting right now!
Papers can often feel like a disorganized mess of open tabs and lost citations. Scrible—free for all Utah public and charter schools—is a powerhouse platform designed to scaffold the entire research and writing workflow. Whether you teach 5th-grade ELA or 9th-grade History, Scrible provides the scaffolding your students need to master close reading, organize their thoughts, and cite sources correctly. In this hands-on session, stop by to learn how to manage the chaos of research projects in one simple platform. You’ll hear success stories from Utah classrooms and walk away with a toolkit for tracking student progress and building media literacy skills that stick!
Secondary Career & Tech Educator, Iron County School District
DawnRae Smith is a Family and Consumer Sciences and Gaming Concepts teacher who brings 10 years of history teaching and special education experience to the classroom. For the past two years, she's implemented the Modern Classrooms Model, focusing on practical, realistic approaches... Read More →
Shilpa has over 20 years of experience in education as a teacher, school leader, leadership coach, and a customer success leader in edtech startups. Shilpa met Victor Karkar, CEO and co-founder of Scrible, and helped pilot early versions of Scrible in her classes! She is now the Head... Read More →
Reflect upon the meaning of the Declaration of Independence in the context of both diverse American historical experiences as well as its global resonances. Encounter and explore primary sources, lesson plans, and other curricular resources associated with the “Many Stories, One Nation” produced by Fair For All.
This session will aim to accomplish three primary objectives for an audience of middle and high school teachers:
(1) Expose participants to the multiplicity of American and global perspectives on the culturally relevant anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in 2026; (2) Provide participants with instructional materials, including a full course outline of the “Many Stories, One Nation,” two lesson plans from the curriculum, and relevant primary source documents that support teaching this topic; and (3) Engage participants in collaborative conversation that connects learning about historic injustices and neglected stories with building on shared ideas to inspire community.
This session through its emphasis on exploring the inclusive democratic principles articulated or implied by the Declaration of Independence’s statement that “all men are created equal.” It will also provide valuable insights and useful resources for teachers to connect these democratic principles to civic engagement opportunities for their students through the analysis of case studies in which these democratic principles have been applied in U.S. and global history.
You’ve been uncovering student aptitudes for years—now it’s time to put those discoveries into high gear. This session is designed specifically for Utah’s educators who are ready to evolve from "aptitude testing" to "active planning." We will dive deep into the new Brightpath game-changers: the CCR Planner for personalized 4-year course mapping, Family Connect for bringing parents into the loop, and the Work-Based Learning (WBL) module for managing local employer connections. Join us as we explore how these tools create a seamless journey from the first "Brain Game" to industry-recognized CTE certifications and high-fit career placement. It’s time to strengthen your legacy and give your students a competitive edge!
With over 20 years in education, Paul brings expertise in Special Education, administration, and professional development. His passion for guiding students towards optimal career paths has flourished in his 2-year tenure at YouScience, where as the Customer Success Manager, he collaborates... Read More →
Rural schools often face unique challenges, lean staffing, geographic distance, and limited access to specialized instructional support, while being asked to deliver strong outcomes for every student, just like their suburban counterparts. Technology can help bridge some of those gaps, but only when thoughtfully aligned to real classroom and leadership needs.
In this session, former Utah principal Eric Price shares the problems he worked to solve for teachers and students, what he looked for when evaluating instructional solutions, and practical leadership principles for using technology to strengthen instruction, improve visibility into student learning, and better target support, without adding complexity for already stretched educators.
Looking for engaging ways to help students understand science vocabulary? Experience interactive games and classroom activities that connect vocabulary to science concepts in meaningful ways. Explore differentiated approaches that boost engagement and deepen comprehension. Leave with ready-to-use ideas you can immediately implement in your classroom.
Session Outcomes:
1. Understand why we should use direct instruction to teach science vocabulary
2. Review effective and not-so-effective strategies for vocabulary development
Michelle Ferro, M.Ed., is a Senior National Academic Specialist at Accelerate Learning with over 20 years of experience in education. Her career spans roles as a district science coordinator, classroom teacher, instructional coach, and curriculum developer. Michelle is deeply passionate... Read More →
What if your rural district could offer a world-class physical education and health curriculum — without the burden of building it from scratch?
Rural Utah schools face a unique set of challenges: limited staffing, multi-grade classrooms, stretched budgets, and the expectation to meet state standards across every subject area. Physical education and health education are often the first to be deprioritized — yet research consistently shows that student wellness is foundational to academic achievement, attendance, and social-emotional development.
CATCH Global Foundation’s PE Journeys and Health Ed Journeys were designed with exactly these realities in mind. These research-backed, standards-aligned curricula are built for flexibility — whether you have a dedicated PE teacher or a classroom educator wearing many hats. Lessons are ready-to-use, developmentally appropriate for K–8, and structured to reduce planning time while increasing student engagement.
In this session, attendees will explore how CATCH Journeys:
• Align with Utah state standards for PE and health education
• Support teachers in delivering confident, effective instruction
• Integrate seamlessly into existing school schedules — even in small or multigrade settings
• Use evidence-based strategies tied to improved student health outcomes
Walk away with hands-on experience using the curriculum, practical implementation strategies, and the confidence that your students’ physical and emotional wellness is in good hands.
Rural and geographically isolated districts face unique challenges in delivering high-quality special education — meeting increasingly complex IEP requirements, maintaining compliance, and supporting students with limited access to specialized personnel. In this session, Jamie Webb, Director of Special Education for the Wayne School District, shares innovative strategies to drive positive student outcomes despite staffing shortages and geographic barriers. Drawing from her work leading Special Education, Jaime will explore how districts can build sustainable systems of support through collaboration, community partnerships, and a strong mission-driven approach.
Attendees will learn how creativity and teamwork can strengthen service delivery and create personalized opportunities that motivate, energize, and empower students to reach their individualized goals — building limitless possibilities for students in rural education settings.
How can rural districts proactively identify students who need support before they fall too far behind? In this interactive session, attendees will explore how Utah schools are using Early Warning Systems (EWS) to connect academic, attendance, behavior, and well-being data into a comprehensive student support process. Participants will learn practical strategies for implementing a cyclical, team-based approach to identifying at-risk students, assigning interventions, monitoring progress, and driving meaningful outcomes.
Through real-world scenarios and examples from Utah districts, this session will demonstrate how educators can use student data to uncover patterns, support MTSS implementation, reduce chronic absenteeism, and strengthen intervention planning. Attendees will also see how districts are leveraging secure AI tools to streamline student support workflows, generate personalized intervention plans, and improve collaboration among educators and families.
This session is designed for district leaders, student services teams, counselors, MTSS coordinators, principals, and educators looking to build more proactive systems of support for students in rural communities. Attendees will leave with actionable ideas, implementation strategies, and examples they can bring back to their schools immediately.
