Teach » Professional Development Conference (PDC)

Professional Development Conference (PDC)

2023 Professional Development Conference coming June 25-29, 2023

General Information
2023 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCE

The 2023 Professional Development Conference will be held June 25-June 29, 2023.  Payments for exhibitors, sponsors and/or attendees can be done online via credit card or by mailing a check to Executive Director, WAAE, PO Box 87, Sauk City, WI 53583 Ph: (608)354-6450.   The PDC will be held in person for three full days Monday through Wednesday and a half day on Thursday, June 29 with workshops and meetings.  The banquet will be held Wednesday, June 28 at 5:30 pm.   There will be tours, workshops, picnic, social events, and time to visit with cohorts during this professional development event.  Stay tuned for more current information as plans progress. REGISTRATION WILL NOT OPEN UNTIL MARCH 1.
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Conference Fees and Payment

Fees For In-Person Conference:
Conference registration*: (tentative) $400 (includes WAAE dues $73 and NAAE dues $65) [ACTE dues $80 additional]
Daily registration*: (tentative) daily rate $275(includes WAAE ($73) and NAAE ($65) dues and [ACTE dues $80 additional]
Workshop Session fees: Varies by session selected. Many are offered at no additional cost.

Additional banquet ticket(s): $30 each
Instructional kits (optional): $100 with the due date of May 15, 2023

*Conference registration includes all workshop sessions, WAAE/NAAE dues, meetings, meals, refreshment breaks, and materials, with the exception of additional fees stated in the session descriptions. Meals included in the conference fee include Monday lunch, Tuesday lunch and one evening banquet dinner ticket. Breakfast is included in the hotel reservations.

Carl Perkins Funding
In most cases, Carl Perkins Funding can be used to pay for attendance at the conference. Discuss this with the individual in charge of these funds at your school.

Invoice and Payment
After completing and submitting the online registration form, there will be a link to print an invoice. If you do not receive a confirmation email or see a place on the website to print an invoice then you are not registered for the conference.  Contact executivedirector@waae.com if you need an invoice before registration opens.

Payment should be sent to the following address. 

Wisconsin Association of Agricultural Educators
PO Box 87
Sauk City, WI 53583

Payment is required by the time conference attendees arrive onsite. If not, participants will be responsible for working out their personal reimbursement with their respective schools.

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Registration

 Pay dues online:

  1. Go to your WAAE online account  at https://wisconsinaged.org/waae/
  2. Login to My Account or create a login for your personal WAAE account
  3. At the bottom of the login page choose "Conference Registration" and follow the prompts.
  4. If you are only paying dues, at bottom of login page choose "Join/Renew Membership" and it will also print an invoice for you.

If you do not receive a confirmation email or see a place on the website to print an invoice then you are not registered for the conference.

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Conference Schedule
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Sessions
Monday   10:00am to 11:00am
Advocate for your program!
Presented by: Linda Sattler, Troy Talford
Cost: Included in conference fees
Are you ready to advocate for your program? Would you like to join us for an introduction to advocacy and an online legislative experience to share with students. Then join us for this session.
Ag Across the Curriculum
Presented by: Cierra Essock
Cost: Included in conference fees
Sometimes agriculture classes don't feel like they are as important in our school as other classes. In this workshop, we will discuss ways that agriculture relates to all subject areas in our schools and how to share its importance with coworkers and administration. There will also be ideas to take it a step further and incorporate activities in our agriculture curriculum that relate to other subject areas.
Beyond the Cow--Career and Education Opportunities in Dairy Automation
Presented by: Sarah Mills-Lloyd
Cost: Included in conference fees
Wisconsin is a leading state for dairy production. What are all the new career options in the dairy industry? Come and learn about a new program available at Fox Valley Technical College in the field of Dairy Automation and explore the career options open in this field. We will showcase the new program available at Fox Valley Technical College and allow for hands-on experimentation in this growing career.
Successful Sub Plans
Presented by: Beth Babcock
Cost: Included in conference fees
As Ag Teachers sometimes it feels like we spend more time out of the classroom than in the classroom. So what do you leave for sub plans? Districts are now asking you to leave emergency sub plans, but what do you leave? We will discuss different sub plan ideas and how to make planning for a sub manageable. Bring activities that you enjoy using for your sub plans and new ideas to share.
Therapy Dogs in your School.
Presented by: Matthew Reinders, Archie the Therapy Dog
Cost: Included in conference fees
Therapy dogs and Ag Classes go hand in hand. Learn what it takes to train a dog to become a Therapy Dog in your classroom and school district. We will cover what are Therapy Dogs, proper training and certifications, and how to make them work in your district. You will get hands-on experience working with Archie the Therapy Dog. Archie is the resident therapy dog for the School District of Edgar.
Wildlife and Forestry PLC
Presented by: Crystal Retzlaff
Cost: Included in conference fees
The goal of this session is to work as a PLC team to formulate a list of the most important standards in the wildlife and forestry areas. Many of us have been asked to assess our students using standards based grading and to work with other agriculture teachers in formulating these standards. Bring your wildlife and forestry curriculum and standards if already written to use as a guide. Also bring a computer. Come prepared to think and work collaboratively.
Tuesday 1:30pm  to  
Tuesday Tuesday 06/28/2022 3:30pm
Beekeeping for Beginners
Presented by: Adam Wehling
Cost: $300.00 (Optional)
What you get: Teaching Kit, products from Mann Lake Ltd. HK121: New-Bee Beginner Beekeeping Starter Kit: assembled & painted (1-hive body, 10 frames with foundation, 1-inner cover, 1-outer cover, 1-bottom board, 1-entrance reducer, 1-hive tool, 1 smoker, 1 gal. Pro-Feeder); BM-270 Teaching Frame Inserts (set of 20)
Learn all about Honey Bees in this information filled workshop with multiple resources and teaching aids provided. Honeybees...a great SAE project, addition to Food For America, natural resource topics, grant project and more! Workshop will cover: honeybee terminology, hive components, hive management, pest management, pollinator habitat, SAE applications and careers, additional learning opportunities. This workshop is taught by Adam Wehling, Dean of Agriculture programs at Chippewa Valley Technical College and an active and successful beekeeper for 10 years
Digging up info on soil health
Presented by: Kyle Danzinger
Cost: Included in conference fees
We will look into different ways to check on soil health. We will perform infiltration tests, dig into the soil, and even check for worms. We will discuss what healthy soils look like, how to monitor them ,and briefly discuss the "why".
Forcing bulbs in the School Greenhouse
Presented by: Don Josko
Cost: $25.00 (Required)
What you get: Includes bulbs, handouts and power point presentation
Learn the art of forcing bulbs in the school greenhouse or in an outdoor forcing chamber. Students will learn the parts of the bulb, how to manipulate and schedule, and bulb growth. Bulbs will be dissected in class. Bring a knife to class!
GROWING your Plant Science Curriculum
Presented by: Tracy Heinbuch, Jeanna Burgan
Cost: Included in conference fees
During this workshop, you will learn about labs highlighting key plant processes and topics such as photosynthesis, grafting, hydroponics, and more. There will be an opportunity for you to be hands-on during this workshop. You will leave with several labs to utilize in your classroom. A part of this workshop will also be sharing ideas, so please bring a lab or activity to share that your students love doing.
Tuesday   1:30pm to 4:30pm
Land Evaluation CDE
Presented by: Jessica Schaefer, Tracy Brunton
Cost: $25.00 (Required)
What you get: copy of soil judging handbook and other soil judging supplies
Come and learn how to train a team for on of the lesser know CDE contests in our area-Land Evaluation. We will teach you how to train a team, share tips and tricks to have a competitive team and how to plan your own land evaluation contest.
Tuesday   1:30pm to 2:30pm
Growing Hydroponic Greens with Fork Farms
Presented by: Makayla Malone, Kit Collins
Cost: Included in conference fees
Learn how to use Fork Farm systems to impact your community, engage your students, and grow delicious, local hydroponic greens right in your classroom. Makayla, Howards Grove Advisor, will explain how Howards Grove has used these systems to grow fresh hydroponic lettuce for the Sheboygan County Food Bank. Kit, Partnership Leader at Fork Farms, will explain how the systems work and how to get started in your classroom.
Wednesday   9:00am to 11:00am
There are no Sessions for this time slot.
Wednesday   1:30pm to 3:30pm
Can Google Do It?
Presented by: Sally Ladsten
Cost: Included in conference fees
Explore different features available through Google Drive. This can include learning how to do some basic coding, integrating a variety of tools and resources, and evaluating resources that may be needed and how to create them. Make sure to bring a device!
Vegetative Plan Propagation With and Without A Greenhouse
Presented by: Don Josko
Cost: $20.00 (Required)
What you get: Teachers will receive handouts or power point and a propagation planter with plants and soil.
Instructors will learn the science and practical applications of herbaceous ad woody plant propagation. This will be a hands-on workshop with teachers having made a propagation planter with cuttings and or seeds that they will take home with handouts.
Thursday   8:30am to 11:30am
Using the Soil Quality Test Kit to Boost Crops and Soil Education in High Schools $50 FEE
Presented by: Nicholas Schneider, Jason Fisher
Cost: $50.00 (Required)
What you get: Through a generous donation, teachers will receive a USDA Soil Quality Test Kit, a $1,040 value filled with many teaching tools that will advance Crops and Soil education. fee $50
With an increased emphasis across the country on Climate Smart farming practices, expanding interest on soil quality to high school students will advanced the movement toward better environmental stewardship. Participants will be trained on how to teach crops and soils classes to use the tools provided in the USDA Soil Quality Health Kit. Lessons with tools provided in this kit include Soil Respiration, Infiltration, Bulk Density, Salinity, Soil Nitrates, Aggregate Stability and more.
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Exhibitors

Exhibitor Registration Form

The Wisconsin Association of Agricultural Educators would like to invite its partners to be a part of the 2023 WAAE Professional Development Conference Educational Expo.

THE 2023 CONFERENCE WILL BE AN IN-PERSON in Oshkosh, WI.
All exhibitors who have paid their booth fee will be highlighted online.  Contact executivedirector@waae.com or call (608)354-6450 with any questions.

2023 Educational Expo Exhibitor Information Letter

About the Educational Expo
Date: Monday, June 26, 2023
Location: Premier Best Western, 1 N. Main St., Oshkosh, Wisconsin
Time: 8 a.m. - 2 p.m. 
       Exhibitor prize drawing at lunch.

Self-directed set-up: Sunday, June 25 - 4-9 p.m.
Registration and set-up: Monday, June 26 - 7-8 a.m.

Display area: 3'x6' table or comparable floor space if a table isn't used. Each additional space/table is $75

Door prizes: All exhibitors are asked to donate a door prize, which will be given out at the end of the Educational Expo.  

Exhibitor Fees: $175, and includes

  • WAAE Associate Membership
  • One display space/table at the Educational Expo. Each additional space/table is $75
  • Ticket for Monday's Conference luncheon. Additional lunch tickets $12

How to Register

  • Go to WAAE online account - https://wisconsinaged.org/users/
  • Create or log in to your account.
  • Click "Exhibitor Registration"
  • Click "Register as an Exhibitor" on the right side
  • After completing the registration, you'll be able to print out an invoice to submit with payment
  • Mail payment to:

    Wisconsin Association of Agricultural Educators
    PO Box 87
    Sauk City, WI 53583

Deadline: May 25

If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact Kathy Hartmann-Breunig, at executivedirector@waae.com or 608-354-6450.

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Sponsorship Opportunities

Thank you for your consideration to be a sponsor at the Wisconsin Association of Agricultural Educators Professional Development Conference. WAAE is the professional development organization for our state's secondary and post-secondary agricultural educators and provides its members with opportunities for technical training, networking and to support the recruitment and retention of agricultural educators. As a membership dues-funded organization, we truly appreciate the support that sponsors provide.  It has been a difficult year with the many different facets of teaching (virtual, in-person, hybrid).  Sponsorship will be greatly appreciated this year!   

We are pleased to offer several options to support our state's agricultural educators while giving recognition and appreciation to those organizations that decide to sponsor. 

 WAAE will highlight all sponsors on the website using logos supplied by each business as well as printed programs and materials distributed at the conference.  

WAAE Conference Sponsorship Information Letter

How to Become a Conference Sponsor

  • Complete the Sponsorship Form and return it to WAAE
  • For customized sponsorship opportunities, contact the executive director at executivedirector@waae.com. 

Questions: If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact the executive director at executivedirector@waae.com. 

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Hotel Reservations
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Thank you to these Professional Development Conference Sponsors!