Kansas schools have a unique opportunity to connect agriculture and consumer education by incorporating locally grown ingredients into school meal programs. This session explores how grain sorghum, one of Kansas’ most resilient and versatile crops, can serve as a nutritious, Kansas-raised ingredient in school cafeterias while supporting agricultural literacy and local supply chains.
Participants will learn about sorghum’s nutritional benefits and why this Kansas-grown grain is a strong fit for school meal programs. The session will highlight the many forms sorghum can take—from whole grain, milled into flour, or even popped—and examples of outreach initiatives that show how schools can introduce sorghum to students through food service, classroom learning, and partnerships across the local food system.
Attendees will leave with practical ideas for incorporating a value-added grain into school meals, strategies for connecting students to Kansas agriculture, and resources to support farm-to-school efforts in their own communities.
Senior Director of Communications, Kansas Grain Sorghum Commission
Maddy Meier is the Senior Director of Communications for Kansas Sorghum, where she leads storytelling and engagement efforts that elevate the voice of Kansas sorghum producers and promote market development for the crop. From working alongside her family’s row crop and cattle operation... Read More →
Tuesday July 21, 2026 9:45am - 10:35am CDT RC 14511190 Quivira Rd, Overland Park, KS 66210
Come learn about the Build Up Kansas and its NCCER Trades and Ag Tech/Mech curriculum aligned with the KSDE/KBOR Construction and Design Pathway and Agricultural, Food, and Natural Resources (AFNR) Standards. This opportunity is endorsed by the National FFA Organization and the National Council for Agricultural Education. Construction and Design offer three levels of trades education, in Core, General and Advanced Carpentry. In addition, the Ag. Tech resources offer three levels of training covering content in Construction Tech/Safety, Welding & Fabrication, and Heavy Equipment Operations. In addition, three industry credentials can be earned for each NCCER level completed by students in both pathways.
Over the past 4 years, AGC-BUK has provided NCCER resources FREE to 200 plus Kansas schools/districts/colleges. These resources include NCCER training, books/on-line learning platform, testing, and industry credentialing. In addition, YES … it’s still FREE!
CTE Education Coordinator and NCCER Program Trainer, Association of General Contractors and Build Up Kansas
PJ Reilly is a lifelong CTE educator and CTE adminstrator. He is in his 43rd year of service to Career and Technical Education in Kansas. He retired in 2023 and went directly to work for AGC and Build UP Kansas as their CTE Coordinator and NCCER school training. For the past 3 years... Read More →
Tuesday July 21, 2026 9:45am - 10:35am CDT RC 18111190 Quivira Rd, Overland Park, KS 66210
Literacy is already happening in your CTE classroom—this session helps you make it intentional and impactful. Explore how key ELA standards naturally align with CTE tasks and learn simple, high-leverage strategies to support students in reading technical texts, writing with purpose, and communicating their thinking. Through real examples and quick application, you’ll walk away with practical tools and a ready-to-use plan you can implement tomorrow—no extra prep required.
ELA Program Manager, Kansas State Department of Education
Mary Lonker has spent 30 years in English Language Arts education, teaching both middle and high school students. She taught 8th grade English as well as over 20 years of high school English, including a decade in AP Language and Composition, and is certified to teach AP Seminar... Read More →
Tuesday July 21, 2026 11:00am - 11:50am CDT RC 18111190 Quivira Rd, Overland Park, KS 66210
Advisory boards are required for most CTE programs—but too often they function as compliance checkboxes rather than strategic workforce partners. This session will explore how secondary and postsecondary CTE leaders can transform advisory boards from routine meetings into meaningful collaborations that drive program innovation, strengthen workforce alignment, and create direct student opportunities.
Drawing from practical experience in rural community college CTE leadership and high school level CTE programs, participants will learn how to recruit the right members, structure high-impact meetings, leverage labor market data, and turn advisory conversations into actionable outcomes. The session will provide ready-to-use strategies, templates, and implementation ideas that can be adapted to both high school and community college programs.
If your advisory board feels stagnant—or if you're ready to elevate it to the next level—this session will provide practical, replicable tools to make it happen.
Agriculture Division Chair, Perkins Co-Coordinator, Faculty, Fort Scott Community College
Sara Sutton is the Agriculture Department Chair, Perkins Co-Coordinator, and faculty member at Fort Scott Community College. A proud graduate of Fort Scott Community College, she also earned her bachelor’s degree in Agriculture from Kansas State University, a master’s degree in... Read More →
Tuesday July 21, 2026 1:30pm - 2:20pm CDT RC 15711190 Quivira Rd, Overland Park, KS 66210
Industry-recognized credentials are becoming increasingly important in Career and Technical Education programs as schools work to better prepare students for employment after graduation. This session will explore the value of the OSHA 10-Hour safety credential as a foundational certification for students entering a wide range of career pathways.
Participants will learn how OSHA 10 helps students develop a strong understanding of workplace safety while also reinforcing professional habits that employers expect. The session will highlight how safety training supports workforce readiness, increases student confidence, and provides students with a credential that is recognized across multiple industries including construction, manufacturing, healthcare, and logistics.
Attendees will leave with practical ideas for implementing OSHA 10 within their programs and strategies for connecting safety training to broader workforce preparation goals.
Justin Williamson is a Sales Executive with CareerSafe, where he works with school districts, technical colleges, and workforce development programs across the country to expand access to OSHA safety training and workforce readiness credentials. With 17 years of experience in ed... Read More →
Tuesday July 21, 2026 2:30pm - 3:20pm CDT RC 18311190 Quivira Rd, Overland Park, KS 66210
