2025 Utah Rural Schools Conference

2025 Utah Rural Schools Conference

Only Purchase One Ticket for Each Individual Attendee
Full URSA 2025 Session Schedule will be published here NO LATER than June 1. Please check back soon!

10:30am MDT

Conference Credit PCHS

11:00am MDT

What to do in Summit & Wasatch Counties TBD Conference Wi-Fi Information AND Tech Support/Help Desk PCHS Exhibitors & Partners Hall Exhibitor Hall Presenter's Lounge PCHS Conference Registration and Badge Pick-Up PCHS

12:00pm MDT

Conference Welcome & NUES URSA Awards Auditorium

12:10pm MDT

Keynote: Honoring the Ask – Respecting What it Takes to Engage in Coaching AuditoriumKatie Dewey Hill

1:10pm MDT

Conference Information PCHS

1:30pm MDT

Analyzing Acadience Reading Data Room #132Teresa McEntire • Dallas Brooks Earn Credits, Endorsements, and APPEL Competencies with Utah Microcredentials! Room #147Amy Coray • Daron Kennett Empowering Student Sensemaking: A Student-Driven Approach to Learning Room #232Lora Gibbons High Engagement Writing Room #148Buffy Camps How to Ukulele Your Way to Classroom Success Room #237Chris Woods Rhythm, Rhyme, and the Hip-Hop Canon Room #144Elyse Arrington You've Got To Move It! (Incorporating Movement in Secondary Classrooms) Room #241Mary Saylor Accuracy & Automaticity: Science of Reading for Upper Elementary Students Room #137Jake Downs AI for Administrators Lecture HallDavid Long • Cody Spendlove Beyond the Page: Elevating Students with Digital Resources Room #235Chris Haught Bucking the National Trend: Competency-Based Licensing Impacts Teacher Shortages Room #134Malia Hite Burnout or Resilience Part 2: Addressing the challenges of educators in today’s schools and classrooms? Room #143Dr. Dale 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 The National EdTech Plan in Action: Improving Technology Use in Utah Schools through Shared Successes Room #133Amber Wright • Rick Gaisford • Melanie Valentine The Power of Feedback: Using Data and Reflection to Enhance Instruction Room #131Kelbie Jackson The Role of Prevention and Intervention in school behavior Room #234Heidi Mucha Using Nearpod to Support Multilingual Learners Room #135Braxton Thorley What's New and Exciting in Adobe Express? Room #231Rob Bentley Centering On Students: PCBL In Action from Modern Classrooms In Utah Room #233Michael Hakkarinen Science of Reading Foundations: Building Student’s Executive Functioning Skills Room #142Jared Lisonbee • Cristina Barrera • Katrina Herd Best Practices for Using Scrible in the Classroom Room #138Kayla Towner Building Better Bots: Elevating Teaching with AI Room #242Emma Moss • Jonathan Stewart Navigating the Landscape of School Mental Health: A Comprehensive Systems Approach Room #145Trevor Olsen • Chathuri (Chat) Illapperuma-Wood • Matthew T. Smith Polleneighbors Room #243Heather Paulsen Six Leadership Moves for High-Impact Professional Learning Systems Room #141Andrea Rorrer • Cori Groth • Kody Colvin Using TBRI and Connection to Teach Content and Standards Room #136Amie Huggins

2:30pm MDT

Refreshment Break PCHS

2:50pm MDT

Adding in AI for Accessibility with Google Tools Lecture HallEmma Moss • Kelli Cannon Elevating Classroom Management Room #237Kenneth Applegate Pedagogy First: Guiding Principles for Using AI to Empower Students Room #131Nicole Johnson • Braxton Thorley Water Wise: Engaging Science, Inspiring Stewardship Room #146Milo Maughan • Jill Flygare • Chris Miller Won't you be our neighbor? Free educator resources from PBS Utah Room #241Melanie Pehrson-Noyce • Annie Frazier A Legislation Update on Education Law Room #132Quinn Kellis Building Your Ed Tech Roadmap: Using the National Ed Tech Plan as a Guide Room #133Amber Wright • Rick Gaisford • Melanie Valentine Designing Support for students with Executive Function Skill challenges Room #147Sheryl Vernon • Lauren Ezzell • Katie Clark From Potential to Proficiency: Driving Systemic Change Room #244Marci Houseman Leading the Way to Improved Literacy Outcomes-The Principals Pivotal Role Room #143Christine Elegante • Denice Maedgen Reaching Every Student: How Utah is Using Early Warning Systems to Support Student Success Room #134Nicole DellaRocco Roles and Responsibilities for Faculty and Staff for ALL Learners Room #148Tony Pellegrini • Jenna Olson Suicide Prevention in Schools Room #135Holly Todd Survey Says! Educator Job Satisfaction Room #144Meghan Everette • Julie Lundell The Big Six: Designing a District-Wide Technology Strategy Room #231Jared Covili The Power of Connection: Influencing Others Through Authentic Relationships Room #238Travis Henderson • Ryan Harris The White Whale of Reading: Effective Comprehension Instruction Room #137Jake Downs Unlocking Digital Literacy: Empowering Teachers for Today's Middle Level Classroom Room #234Kathy Bekkemellom Utilizing the New Focused Graduation Pathway to Keep Students Engaged Room #232Stephanie Patton Writing with Purpose: Build a Collaborative and Supportive Community of Writers Room #235Jenny Blauer Full Class Missions: Bridge the Gap Between Learning and Application for RISE Success Room #233Brooks Heder

7:45am MDT

What to do in Summit & Wasatch Counties TBD

8:00am MDT

URSA 2026 Video Presentation Auditorium

8:07am MDT

SESC & SEDC URSA Awards & Keynote Welcome Auditorium

8:30am MDT

Keynote Speaker: Jim Knight Auditorium Exhibitors & Partners Hall Exhibitor Hall

9:45am MDT

Empowering Coach-Teacher Collaboration: Elevating Impact with AI Room #145Amy Wood Not Your Grandmother's Spreadsheets: Deep Dive Into Google Sheets Room #135Kaley King Rural STEM Learning Pathways and Effective Educator Support: Strategies for Success Room #137Milo Maughan • Michelle Berg The Pressure is on: Using SEEd to Design Highly Effective 3D Lessons Room #143Jan Hermansen • Kaylei Jones • Westen Miller Vector Self Portraits Room #235Sarah Feik What's Next in Google Workspace? Essential Updates for Every Educator Room #131JoLynn Torgerson AI and Privacy: What Every Teacher Needs to Know Room #241John Lyman • Nicole Sanchez • Jeremy Zabriskie Amplify Classroom Voices with Adobe Podcast Room #147Rob Bentley Commemorate America250 with National History Day Room #136Wendy Rex-Atzet • Tatiana Chudy Elevate Your Institution's Competative Advantage with Family Engagement Room #238 From Past to Press: Teaching News Literacy Strategies through Social Studies Historical Thinking Room #134Jodi Ide • Gretchen Zaitzeff How Nature and Movement Can Impact Educator and Student Wellness Room #144Sarah Roundy • Teri Davis Introducing K-2 Computer Science using Robotics Room #242Nathan Wilson Leaving the Classroom for Leadership: Lessons in First Year School Leadership Room #231Doug Stump Let Them Count Room #237Jaci Keetch Maintaining Privacy Through the Whistleblowing Process Room #133Nora Kurzova • Mark Meyers Pathways to Success: Positive School Experiences Supporting Students with Disabilities Room #142Andrea Rorrer • Crystal Emery Raising Up Readers: Scaffolding Grade Level Text for All Room #234Jennifer Throndsen School Improvement In Successful Schools: Making Good Schools Great Room #232Quinn Kellis Taming the AI Dragon: Practical Gemini & Notebook LM for Educators Lecture HallClint Stephens Trigonometry in Motion Room #141Josh White SchoolAi: Using AI in the Classroom Room #233Jeff Couch Understanding Weather: Heat, Water, and Air Room #146Thomas Quayle • Jason Trump 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 #243Dr. Cynthia White • Meagan Johnston Thank You for the Feedback Room #132Paula Carlson • Melissa Metcalf • Shelley Halverson Tier 1 Text: Scaffolded Reading Techniques to Engage Every Student Room #148Breyanna Evans • Rachelle Packer InstaTeacher: Teacher Leadership in the Age of Social Media CommonsJamie Marble • Kelbie Jackson USBE AI in Education Showcase - Teacher-Created Lesson Plans in All Grade Levels & Curriculum Areas CommonsPresenters TBD

10:45am MDT

Networking & Refreshment Break PCHS

11:10am MDT

Bringing Characters to Life Using Adobe Character Animator Room #144Rob Bentley 3 Dimensional Science: Evaluating Pool Chemistry Room #237Kaitlyn Mecham AI for a Rise and Something to Aspire to! Lecture HallJason Snow Collective Efficacy: Empowering Teachers and Boosting Student Success Room #235Katie Jones Data-Driven Storytelling: Creating User Friendly Dashboards in Looker Studio Room #135Kaley King Rural STEM Learning Pathways and Effective Educator Support: Strategies for Success Room #137Milo Maughan • Michelle Berg Scrible 101: Free Research and Writing Platform for Newbies Room #233Shilpa Duvoor What's Next in Google Workspace? Essential Updates for Every Educator Room #131JoLynn Torgerson A Love Affair With Picture Books Across the Standards Room #143Teresa Pugmire Building Foundations: Strategies for Successful Early Learning Instruction Room #142Jared Lisonbee • Cristina Barrera • Katrina Herd Celebrating Educators: Creating Meaningful Recognition Practices Room #242Kristin Van Brunt Digital Skills, Analog Tools: Unplugged Coding for Kids Room #147Kelli Cannon Exploring Cultural Responsiveness: Practicum Experiences in Rural Educational Settings Room #136Laureen Graves • Heather Kennedy 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 Leading Deeper Learning with Deeper Purpose Room #232David Boren Lessons in Leadership from the Culture Code Room #231Dani Sloan Power Tools: Differentiate For All Your Learners Without Teacher Burn-Out Room #234Dari Thacker Sine Curves and Spaghetti Room #141Josh White Strengthening Leadership Capacity Through Communities of Practice in Utah Room #133Quinn Kellis • Kody Colvin Taking a Unified Approach to Meet School Prevention Requirements Room #238Cathy Davis • Clarissa Stebbing 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

12:20pm MDT

1:40pm MDT

Next Up in Postsecondary Transition: We’ve Got You Covered! Room #144Crystal Emery • Deanna Taylor AI for a Rise and Something to Aspire to! Room #131Jason Snow Building a STARfleet: Mentoring for Teacher Retention Room #235Katie Jones Connecting to Best Practice: Small Moves for Big Effects Room #242Meghan Everette Elevating ELA Engagement with Adobe Express Room #241JoLynn Torgerson Elevating Your Art Instruction: Adobe Fresco Room #234Steve Weller Scrible 102: Scaffolding Research and Writing in ELA & Social Studies Room #233Shilpa Duvoor Unlocking Authentic Expression: How AI Empowers Writers Lecture HallNaomi Watkins • Davina Sauthoff Building STEM Leadership and Integration: Lessons from Utah’s SEI Cohort Room #135Kellie Yates • Kody Colvin Discovering what your students really know when “asking” the right questions Room #132Jennifer King Energize and Elevate Teaching and Learning for All! Room #137Kathy Einhorn Leading Off the Grid: Innovation and Leadership in Rural Schools Room #231Jenna Olson • Jenny Atcitty • Heather Amado Leading with Hope: Building Resilient Communities Room #141Holly Todd Playful Pathways: Teaching Science of Reading Using Developmentally Informed Interactions Room #143Jared Lisonbee • Cristina Barrera • Katrina Herd Professional Development Credit Options Room #237Joey Foote Reel Rights: Curating, Streaming, and Copyright Essentials for Schools Room #134Gretchen Zaitzeff Student and Child-Centered: Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Model Lives in Rural Schools Room #147Darren Parry • Pam Powell • Sarah Allen Teaching Ethnic Studies in Utah: New Requirements, Trusted Materials Room #133Wendy Rex-Atzet • Etiana Coley-Mells Teaching through Modeling: DigCit in Action Room #136Dani Sloan Writing instruction for grades K-2 Room #142Christine Elegante • Courtney Bills Transform Your Canvas in 3 Minutes: Boosting Student Engagement and Reducing Failure Rates Room #238Jared Chapman Addressing Key Challenges in Educational Leadership: Insights from SUU’s Administrative Leadership Masters Project Room #232Tony Pellegrini Kinesthetic Astronomy Room #146Thomas Quayle • Jason Trump Math the Matters: Reaching Every Student Room #148Molly Basham • Mike Spencer • Melissa Garber Supporting Language Development through the Creative Process Room #243Mindy Curtis • Elizabeth Brown CATALYST - Coaching and Alignment Toward Adaptive Leadership Yielding Systemic Transformation Room #138Andrea Rorrer • Cori Groth • Quinn Kellis Rock Band - The Secret to Building Meaningful Music Programs in Rural Schools CommonsChris Woods Lead From the Classroom to the Community CommonsFangaafa Tuifua USBE AI in Education Showcase - Teacher-Created Lesson Plans in All Grade Levels & Curriculum Areas CommonsPresenters TBD

2:00pm MDT

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

2:20pm MDT

Engineering Design with Sphero Blueprint Room #144Nathan Wilson

2:40pm MDT

Refreshment Break PCHS

3:10pm MDT

Self-Determination is on the Menu! Room #144Deanna Taylor • Julianne Hunter • Stephen Kwiatek Try Walking In My Shoes Room #133BethAnne Chidester • Hillary Palmer Won't you be our neighbor? Free educator resources from PBS Utah Room #134Melanie Pehrson-Noyce • Annie Frazier Beyond the Page: Elevating Students with Digital Resources Room #242Chris Haught Building Bridges: Practical Strategies to Empower Teachers To Help All Language Learners Succeed Room #147Talia A. Casares • Patricia Zavala Compassion and Hope in Action Room #141Holly Todd Enhancing Science and Engineering Practices Through Mind Mapping Room #235Emily Perkins • Michelle Kantaris From One Spark to a System: Scaling MTSS in Remote Schools Room #231Jenna Olson • Jenny Atcitty • Heather Amado From Silos to Synergy: Integrating Instructional Ecosystems Room #132Nathan Auck How to Improve Fluency through Partner Reading-Paragraph Shrinking Room #143Melinda Meccariello • Dina Wise Movement Integration for K-6 classes Room #234Ashley Boyack No Cap: Finding the "Joy Snacks" in Ed Tech Integration Room #241JoLynn Torgerson On the Edge of AI: Exploring Emerging Innovations Lecture HallEmma Moss • Jonathan Stewart Practical Classroom Management: Addressing the Current Behavioral Changes Room #145Lauren Ezzell Radical Candor for Educators Room #136Dani Sloan • Katie Blunt Raising Resilient Kids In A Tech Heavy World Room #238Nate Webb Strategies to Reignite Your Joy of Teaching! Room #137Kathy Einhorn Strengthening Paraeducator Capacity: A Collaborative Professional Learning Model in Rural Utah Room #135Kody Colvin Taming the AI Dragon: Practical Gemini & Notebook LM for Educators Room #131Clint Stephens Utah Out-of-School-Time Needs Assessment--Findings and Next Steps Room #237Lisa Wisham Writing Instruction in Grades 3-6 Room #142Denice Maedgen • Courtney Bills Supporting Your Students With Derivita Room #233Duane Call

5:30pm MDT

Evening Activities PCHS

8:00am MDT

What to do in Summit & Wasatch Counties TBD

8:30am MDT

CUES URSA Awards and Keynote Welcome Auditorium Exhibitors & Partners Hall Exhibitor Hall

8:40am MDT

Keynote Speaker: Sayre Posey AuditoriumSayre Posey

9:45am MDT

CUES Training Extravaganza 1 Room #242Brandon Harrison Bringing Stories to Life with Robotics and Balloons Over Broadway Room #235Emily Perkins • Michelle Kantaris Building Dignity in Schools: Exploring the Dignity Index Room #146Karren Pyfer Connecting to Best Practice: Small Moves for Big Effects Room #143Meghan Everette Exploring Earth & Sky: Navigating Stellarium, SOS Explorer and Universe Sandbox Room #147Thomas Quayle • Jason Trump Navigating the Information Jungle: Strategies for Teaching Information Literacy Room #142Kayla Towner Unlock Creativity in Your Classroom with Adobe Express Room #234Lisa Perry AI and Privacy: What Every Teacher Needs to Know Lecture HallJohn Lyman • Nicole Sanchez • Jeremy Zabriskie AI for Administrators Room #131David Long • Cody Spendlove Connecting with your Community Room #136Kole Krahenbuhl • Kelly Winn Diffusing Defiance- Navigating Resistance Effectively Room #145Katie Clark From Comics to Comprehension: Why Graphic Novels Belong in Every Classroom and School Library Room #134Gretchen Zaitzeff • Davina Sauthoff Google Demo Slam: 2025 Room #137Kelli Cannon How to Solve the AI Plagiarism Problem: Process over Product Room #233Shilpa Duvoor Illuminate Learning with Lucid Tools for FREE Room #241Clint Stephens Learning to Learn: Teaching that Supports the Science of Learning Room #237Jeremy Smith New Teacher Retention: Influence Your Young Teachers to Stay Room #238Pamela Pedersen Superpower to Success: Leading People, Teams, and Yourself in Today’s Landscape Room #232Adam Mendler The Power of Feedback: Using Data and Reflection to Enhance Instruction Room #144Kelbie Jackson Updates from the School Safety Center Room #135Ashley Pistello Customized Learning: ELA and Health Education Integration Room #148Jodi Parker • Christine Elegante Elevate Learning and Leadership with the CLEAR Feedback Framework Room #138Andrea Rorrer • Cori Groth • Kody Colvin CYA: The Most Important Skill for Personal and Professional Fulfillment Room #141McKinley Withers Elevating Your Literacy Instruction with the Arts Room #132Elizabeth Brown • Amy Hickenlooper SEL for Adolescents: A toolkit of practical strategies and resources for diverse learners Room #243Esteban Benites-Moreno The Exploratorium Room #133Sharla Arnold • Cassie Walker

10:45am MDT

Refreshment Break PCHS

11:00am MDT

CUES Training Extravaganza 2 Room #242Brandon Harrison Adding in AI for Accessibility with Google Tools Room #131Emma Moss • Kelli Cannon ELL as a Foreign Language Room #231Maggie Grindstaff Integrated Singing Games for the Elementary Classroom Room #147Katie Hejazi-Far PBL Reimagined - Unleashing Student Potential through EdTech & Community Impact Room #232Lora Gibbons Pedagogy First: Guiding Principles for Using AI to Empower Students Lecture HallNicole Johnson • Braxton Thorley Self Care: What is it? Room #145Sheryl Vernon USETS - Your toolkits of One-Pagers Elevating Science Room #134Milo Maughan • Michelle Berg Utah Science Assessment Updates Room #234Samantha Tinkey Adventure Awaits: Guiding Students with Disabilities to Postschool Success Room #135Crystal Emery • Deanna Taylor Creating a predictable environment for optimal behavior In our schools and classrooms Room #237Elizabeth Howcroft Creative Writing Made Simple Room #233Becca Wilhite Engendering Hope in Teachers and Students: Using the Skills of Improv and Storytelling in Education Room #146Jacob Earnest HELP! My Students Can't Write...Advancing Thinking Through Writing K-5 Room #137Amy Mahoney Keep It Together With Google Keep Room #241Clint Stephens School Attendance and the Effect on Risk and Protective Factors Room #143Phillip Bertoch Scrible: Elevate Student Research and Writing in Your K-12 Classroom Room #235Chris Haught Singleton PLCs: We Survived, and Thrived! Room #238KC Olson The Adventure Awaits: A Teachers Guide to unlocking their Leadership Potential. Room #142Kelbie Jackson • Courtnee Justice

2025 Utah Rural Schools Conference

From $50.00