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
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
