This session is intended for agriculture teachers who are new to teaching, new to agricultural education, or new to the state of Kansas. We connect you with Team Ag Ed members, ensure you are included in our district and state communication channels, and answer questions you have about being an agriculture teacher in Kansas.
I am a associate professor of Agricultural Education at Kansas State University. I help lead the Beginning Educator Support Team (BEST) program for early career agriculture teachers.
Sunday July 19, 2026 2:00pm - 6:00pm CDT RC 14511190 Quivira Rd, Overland Park, KS 66210
Learn how to move beyond traditional course catalogs to create a more intentional, student-driven enrollment experience. This session will demonstrate how Iola High School successfully increased buy-in for CTE pathways by merging a new interest-based recommendation system with a redesigned community engagement model. Participants will walk away with actionable strategies for facilitating deeper career conversations between students and parents, ensuring that every course choice is a purposeful step toward a clear future goal.
CTE Coordinator / Academic Counselor, Iola High School
With a career rooted in the lab and the classroom, Dana is passionate about helping students navigate their future. He currently serves as the CTE Coordinator and Academic Counselor at Iola High School. My background includes teaching everything from robotics to physics, and I still... Read More →
Monday July 20, 2026 2:00pm - 2:50pm CDT RC 18111190 Quivira Rd, Overland Park, KS 66210
Most programs stop at graduation. We don't. Learn how Great Jobs KC uses a 5-pillar ecosystem (Intake to 1-Year Post-Employment Coaching) to achieve a 75% persistence rate and an average salary increase of 176%.
Using recent Mathematica Evaluation data to prove that tuition-free training is only half the battle. That providing on-going Scholar support through one-to-one coaching and robust community services leads to better outcomes and stronger employees.
Takeaways: The "Scholar Advocate" framework: Moving beyond academic advising to life-barrier removal (transportation, tech, child care).
Using data to track success, not just completion.
Training in a holistic manner with mandatory life skill workshops leads to more well-rounded employee for area employers.
Strategies for building an "Employer Network Team" that guarantees a pipeline, not just a job board.
Senior Director of Workforce Development and Scholar Success , Great Jobs KC
As the Chief Operating Officer, Jimmy Swift is responsible for overseeing our core programs, our adult workforce development program, Great Jobs KC tuition-free job training, and our KC Scholars Scholarship Program, which includes 11th Grade Traditional Scholarships and Adult Learner... Read More →
Join us as we explore strategies to recruit and support special populations in your CTE pathways. You'll have the opportunity to see specific strategies being used at Maize Career Academy to successfully promote participation in all CTE pathways available at Maize USD #266 and Maize Career Academy.
This high-energy presentation delves into the synergy between Career and Technical Education (CTE) and the ADHD brain. While neurodivergent individuals often face underemployment due to a lack of engagement in traditional academic settings, CTE offers a game-changing alternative. By prioritizing hands-on learning and industry-recognized credentials, CTE paves the way to high-wage, high-demand careers that align with neurodiverse strengths. Attendees will explore recent research on access and supports, learn strategies for guiding students through career clusters and pathways, and discover effective methods for student leadership and work-based learning. This session is highly interactive, featuring an Executive Function Match-Up activity, collaborative sharing of educational methods, and a competitive quiz game with prizes!
Dr. Chris Foster, a public school teacher for over 25 years, is certified in multiple subject areas, allowing her to switch things up when she needs a change of pace. She especially loves teaching CTE courses - college and career readiness is her jam! Her personal ADHD journey began... Read More →
Tuesday July 21, 2026 9:45am - 10:35am CDT RC 23211190 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
Have an idea you’re excited about but no clue where to start? Big events can feel overwhelming, and small projects can feel like they don’t matter—but every action can create lasting impact. In this session, we’ll explore practical strategies for moving from idea to implementation, whether you’re hosting an event, planning a project, or launching a new initiative. I’ll share collaboration-focused approaches I’ve used to start new events this year, and you’ll have time to map out concrete next steps for your own impactful initiative.
Assistant Principal/CTE Coordinator, Hays High School - USD 489
Becky Hickert has served her community as an Assistant Principal and the CTE Coordinator at Hays High School, USD 489, since 2021. She began her career at Junction City High School, USD 475. During her 20 years in public education, she has worked with thousands of students as a math... Read More →
Tuesday July 21, 2026 11:00am - 11:50am CDT NMOCA 217 Hudson AuditoriumNerman Museum of Contemporary Arts at Johnson County Community College St, 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
This session will review the administrative requirements found in the Kansas Secondary MOA Program Guide. This session will target those districts selected for audit in the coming school year.
Is your high school accessible? We will review specific requirements for your school and will connect you with common issues in Kansas schools. This will be an interactive session during which we will look at building elements at Johnson County Community College to get a better idea about how to review your own schools.
