NOTE: This session is a tour at an alternate location about 15 minutes from JCCC campus. The tour will begin at 2:20pm to allow participants time to drive to the location.
Explore the future of learning at the Olathe Innovation Campus. This guided tour offers a firsthand look at innovative, student-centered spaces where career pathways come to life. Participants will experience how real-world skills, industry partnerships, and cutting-edge facilities are shaping tomorrow’s workforce.
Address for Olathe Public School Innovation Campus: 450 N Rogers Road Olathe, KS 66062
Please park in the large main lot off Spruce on the southeast side of the building and enter through door A (large apple on the door)
Barbra Gonzales earned a Bachelor’s degree in Business and Fashion Merchandising from Baker University and a Master’s degree in Secondary Education from Kansas State University. She taught Family and Consumer Sciences at Olathe North High school for 21 years. While at Olathe... Read More →
Monday July 20, 2026 2:00pm - 3:50pm CDT Olathe Innovation Campus450 N Rogers Road, Olathe, KS 66062
NOTE: Participants are encouraged to wear closed toed shoes and bring a water bottle. Highly recommend participants drive to the Horticultural sciences building on campus (it's a good 20 minutes walk from the Reginier Center out to the farm).
Join us for a tour of Johnson County Community College's Open Petal Farm. Tour four acres of specialty crop production, managed under production systems that encourage the biological health of the soil, and fueld by the campus' on site composting project. Open Petal Farm serves as a living laboratory for students in the Sustainable Agriculture Certificate Program to gain practical skills in crop production systems, and soil health practices. Visit the farm website at: https://growinggrowers.org/host-farms/jccc-open-petal-farm/
Campus Farm and Outreach Manager, Johnson County Community College
Claire Zimmermann is the farm manager for Open Petal Farm and an instructor for the Sustainable Agriculture Certificate Program at JCCC. After studying agriculture at Truman State University, she has been working with Kansas City farmers, gardeners and students for over 10 years... Read More →
Monday July 20, 2026 2:00pm - 3:50pm CDT Open Petal FarmN Campus Dr, Overland Park, KS 66210
NOTE: This session will start at 2:30 to allow attendees time to walk/drive to the GEB building.
Join the Department Chairs from both Fashion Merchandising & Design and Interior Design for an inside look at the dynamic programs shaping the next generation. We will explore academic pathways, student activities, and transfer options that can prepare your students for a thriving career. This seminar will wrap up with a guided tour of our studio spaces and a behind‑the‑scenes look at the Historic Fashion Collection, a campus treasure you won’t want to miss.
Department Chair - Fashion Design and Merchandising, Johnson County Community College
Joy Rhodes is the current Department Chair of the Fashion Merchandising and Design department at Johnson County Community College. In addition to her Chair role, Joy has been teaching in the Fashion department for over 20 years. Joy has over 15 years of previous apparel industry... Read More →
Associate Professor/Department Chair, Johnson County Community College
Dr. Heather Carlile Carter is the Department Chair and Associate Professor of Interior Design at Johnson County Community College in Overland Park, Kansas. She holds a Ph.D. in Human Environmental Sciences with an emphasis in Architectural Studies from the University of Missouri and... Read More →
Monday July 20, 2026 2:30pm - 3:50pm CDT GEB 353-A12345 College Blvd, Overland Park, KS 66210
