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2025 Utah Rural Schools Conference

Welcome to URSA 2025 at Park City High School!

1:30pm MDT

Bucking the National Trend: Competency-Based Licensing Impacts Teacher Shortages Room #134Malia Hite Burnout or Resilience: Addressing the challenges of educators in today’s schools and classrooms? Room #143Dale COX • Meghan Everette Equal Opportunity in Education Room #238Holly Bell Mild to Spicy- Turning Up the Heat on Math Rigor Room #146Jenna Keyes • Paula Carlson • Stephanie Folkman Centering On Students: PCBL In Action from Modern Classrooms In Utah Room #233Michael Hakkarinen Vector Self Portraits Room #245Sarah Feik Best Practices for Using Scrible in the Classroom Room #138Kayla Towner

2:50pm MDT

Suicide Prevention in Schools Room #135Holly Todd Utilizing the New Focused Graduation Pathway to Keep Students Engaged Room #232Stephanie Patton

9:45am MDT

Rural STEM Learning Pathways and Effective Educator Support: Strategies for Success Room #137Milo Maughan • Michelle Berg Elevate Your Institution's Competetive Advantage with Family Engagement Room #238 Pathways to Success: Positive School Experiences Supporting Students with Disabilities Room #142Andrea Rorrer • Crystal Emery Discover Hidden Gems in Utah’s Online School Library Room #138Kayla Towner Empowering Rural Schools Through the Statewide Online Education Program (SOEP): Navigating Opportunities and Challenges. Room #243Meagan Johnston Tier 1 Text: Scaffolded Reading Techniques to Engage Every Student Room #148Breyanna Evans • Rachelle Packer

11:10am MDT

3 Dimensional Science: Evaluating Pool Chemistry Room #237Kaitlyn Mecham Rural STEM Learning Pathways and Effective Educator Support: Strategies for Success Room #137Milo Maughan • Michelle Berg A Love Affair With Picture Books Across the Standards Lecture HallTeresa Pugmire From Comics to Comprehension: Why Graphic Novels Belong in Every Classroom and School Library Room #241Gretchen Zaitzeff • Davina Sauthoff Important Lessons in School Safety from a Behavioral Health Perspective Room #134Scott Eyre Power Tools: Differentiate For All Your Learners Without Teacher Burn-Out Room #234Dari Thacker Learning How to be Diagnostic. Evidence-Based Interventions Made Easy and How to Intensify Them for Each Tier. Room #145Sheryl Vernon

11:30am MDT

Mindset Shifts: Actionable Growth Mindset Techniques Room #144Dani Tuttle

1:40pm MDT

Next Up in Postsecondary Transition: We’ve Got You Covered! Room #144Crystal Emery • Deanna Taylor Connecting to Best Practice: Small Moves for Big Effects Room #242Meghan Everette Unlocking Authentic Expression: How AI Empowers Writers Room #132Naomi Watkins • Davina Sauthoff Building STEM Leadership and Integration: Lessons from Utah’s SEI Cohort Room #135Kellie Yates • Kody Colvin Playful Pathways: Teaching Science of Reading Using Developmentally Informed Interactions Room #143Jared Lisonbee • Cristina Barrera • Katrina Herd Professional Development Credit Options Room #237Joey Foote Student and Child-Centered: Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Model Lives in Rural Schools Room #147Darren Parry • Pam Powell • Sarah Allen

2:00pm MDT

Early College Q&A Room #144Christy Schreck • Cathy Gray

3:10pm MDT

Self-Determination is on the Menu! Room #144Deanna Taylor • Julianne Hunter • Stephen Kwiatek Building Bridges: Practical Strategies to Empower Teachers To Help All Language Learners Succeed Room #147Talia A. Casares • Patricia Zavala Movement Integration for K-6 classes Room #234Ashley Boyack Teaching with Heart: Fostering Compassion and Hope in Every Classroom Room #141Holly Todd Utah Out-of-School-Time Needs Assessment--Findings and Next Steps Room #237Lisa Wisham

9:45am MDT

Building Dignity in Schools: Exploring the Dignity Index Room #146Karren Pyfer Connecting to Best Practice: Small Moves for Big Effects Room #143Meghan Everette Connecting with your Community Room #136Kole Krahenbuhl • Kelly Winn From Comics to Comprehension: Why Graphic Novels Belong in Every Classroom and School Library Room #134Gretchen Zaitzeff • Davina Sauthoff Updates from the School Safety Center Room #135Ashley Pistello CYA: The Most Important Skill for Personal and Professional Fulfillment Room #141McKinley Withers

11:00am MDT

ELL as a Foreign Language Room #231Rachel Grindstaff Integrated Singing Games for the Elementary Classroom Room #147Katie Hejazi-Far Adventure Awaits: Guiding Students with Disabilities to Postschool Success Room #135Crystal Emery • Deanna Taylor Engendering Hope in Teachers and Students: Using the Skills of Improv and Storytelling in Education Room #146Jacob Earnest School Attendance and the Effect on Risk and Protective Factors Room #143Phillip Bertoch