In-Depth Sessions

Tuesday, September 17, 2024
8:00 AM - 12:00 PM

In-Depth Sessions will take place the morning of Tuesday, September 17th to beat the afternoon heat.  Upon return to the hotel, attendees will go straight to their Regional Business Meeting and Awards Luncheon.

The following in-depth session will be offered during Annual Session. In order to participate in these sessions, pre-registration is required.  

In-Depth Session Title

Session Details

Program Area

Description

Discover Your World Inside Biosphere 2

Offsite/Bus Required

Facility is about 60 minutes from hotel. 

Dress: business casual/comfortable 

Cost: $75 (separate registration required)

Sustainable living This guided experience of Biosphere 2 will lead you along the public tour path as well as the Technosphere and Lung with an experienced tour guide.  You will have the opportunity to learn about its remarkable 30-year history and be introduced to the amazing, world-class research as you explore the human habitat and wilderness Biosphere 2. 

From Farm to Kitchen and Back Again

Offsite/Bus Required

The Center is about 30 minutes from hotel. 

Dress: business casual/comfortable 

Cost: $75 (separate registration required)

Food, Nutrition, and Health The Controlled Environment Agriculture Center (CEAC) is a multidisciplinary education, research, outreach, and extension program of the University of Arizona on controlled environment agriculture. CEAC is the production of plants and their products, such as vegetables and flowers, inside controlled environment structures such as greenhouses, vertical farms, and growth chambers. By using CEAC, we can produce high-value crops at maximum productivity in an efficient and environmentally friendly way.

At Tucson Village Farm you will learn about an innovative seed-to-table program designed to reconnect young people to a healthy food system, teach them how to grow and prepare fresh food, and empower them to make healthy life choices. And, learn about innovative approaches to seed-to-table gardening and cooking education, nutrition education, and physical activity opportunities. 

Under One Sky: Climate Change in our Own Backyard

Offsite/Bus Required

The Center is about 25 minutes from hotel. 

Dress: business casual/comfortable 

Cost: $75 (separate registration required)

STEM At the Univeristy of Arizona Flandrau Science center and Planetarium you will explore the role of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere, the natural temperature variations that the Earth has experienced over millions of years, and how humans are affecting our planet today. The film, Climate Change in Our Backyard, illuminates the story of how and why our climate is changing. From the remote mountain shack in the Colorado Rockies, through ancient bubbles in Antarctic ice, and into our own homes. Join in a discussion of how Cooperative Extension can help educate our clientele about climate change.

History, Culture, and Science of a Tucson Treasure

Offsite/Bus Required

The Hill is about 15 minutes from hotel. 

Dress: comfortable/ sneakers

Cost: $75 (separate registration required)

Culture and STEM Learn about the rich cultural, historic, and scientific significance of Tumamoc Hill, located just outside Tucson's downtown area. This three-mile out and back hike is a rigorous activity with an elevation gain of 700 feet. Witness the local residents as they climb the switchbacks of this historic location and see the University of Arizona laboratories and field research taking place on location. Bring water and appropriate clothing/footwear for hiking a paved trail.

Jesty, Floral, Crisp, and Bright: The Bounty of the Harvest

Offsite/Bus Required

The Vineyard is about 60 minutes from hotel. 

Dress: business casual/comfortable 

Cost: $75 (separate registration required)

Economic Development Learn about the wine industry in Southern Arizona, its history and current economic impact to the region. Visit a vineyard and winery (during harvest season) and learn from the experts. Enjoy a wine tasting experience with opportunities to purchase a taste of Arizona to bring home.

Food Safety and Knife Skills for Food Demonstration

Offsite/Bus Required

The facility is about 20 minutes from hotel. 

Dress: business casual/comfortable 

Cost: $75 (separate registration required)

Food, Nutrition, and Health This session will provide professional development on how to ensure food safety during food demonstrations and fill the gap between food safety knowledge gained when obtaining a traditional food handler's card and knowledge needed to conduct safe and effective food demonstrations. In addition, this in-depth session will include a hands-on knife skills training, to increase practitioners self-efficacy with the kitchen and in food demonstrations. 

Built for Kindness

Onsite at Hotel

Dress: business casual/comfortable 

Cost: $55 (separate registration required)

Wellbeing  The science is clear - kindness is vital for human health and well-being. Kindness can be expressed through interpersonal interactions and organizational leadership, policies, and practices. But as much as we want to be kind as individuals and organizations, we often struggle to communicate kindness consistently. Jeannette Maré, founder of Ben’s Bells Project and Director of the UArizona Science of Kindness Community Collective, will explore the challenges and opportunities we encounter in every interaction as we strive to create closer relationships and kinder communities. Jeannette will reflect on her experiences with kindness in the face of devastating grief, share insights from her work with Ben's Bells, and discuss the emerging body of research on the science of kindness. Using humor and storytelling, Jeannette inspires and equips participants to incorporate the life-changing practice of kindness into their daily lives, starting right now.

LIFE MEMBERS ONLY: Turn Your Idea of a Museum Inside Out!

This session is open to Life Members ONLY.

Offsite/Bus Required

The Museum is about 20 minutes from hotel. 

Dress: business casual/comfortable 

Cost: $90 (separate registration required)

 Culture and STEM The 98 acre Desert Museum is a fusion experience: zoo, botanical garden, art gallery, natural history museum, and aquarium. It entails 21 interpreted acres with two miles of walking paths through various desert habitats including 242 animal species and plants from 1,200 taxa — 56,000 individual specimens. Beyond merely an attraction, the Museum's conservation and research programs are providing important information to help conserve the Sonoran Desert region.