"A SEASON TO THRIVE"
- April 29-30 | The Lake House | Canandaigua, New York -
Save the Date! More Conference Details Coming Soon!
Conference Introduction
Strong rural schools evolve from the care we provide for our students, our staff, and one another. RSA and WFL BOCES invite proposals that help district leaders turn a focus on care into practical decisions, sustainable services, and new opportunities for their communities.
This spring we will explore the people, partnerships, and systems that help rural schools thrive. We are seeking sessions that connect health and wellness with staffing, budgeting, regional collaboration, and meaningful opportunities for students. We also welcome complementary proposals that focus on student safety, coordinated supports, and strengthen systems focused on prevention.
Planned Session Topics
Expanding access to health, mental health, and related services
School based health centers; school and community provider partnerships; telehealth; coordinated referral systems; family engagement; and sustainable access to counseling, nursing, and related services. Share how your approach addresses distance, transportation, provider shortages, or continuity of care.
Supporting staff wellness and leading through change
Practical approaches to staff well-being, mindfulness, workload, supportive supervision, recruitment, and retention. We welcome strategies for supporting employees through organizational change, new expectations, including changes to systems and working conditions that make wellness sustainable.
Sustaining services and budget decisions
Understanding health insurance cost drivers; evaluating benefit and purchasing options; regional consortia; and budgeting for health, mental health, and related services. Share approaches that help leaders weigh costs, access, quality, staffing, and long-term sustainability, with clear explanations of financial assumptions and tradeoffs.
Growing capacity through regional collaboration and NY Inspires
Shared staff and services; BOCES partnerships; regional programming; and structures that expand opportunities while maintaining community connection. Proposals may explore regionalization or NY Inspires through practical planning, staff engagement, student supports, resource sharing, and implementation in small districts.
Building workforce and apprenticeship pathways
Apprenticeships, grow-your-own programs, and partnerships with higher education, employers, and community providers that strengthen rural workforce pipelines. Topics may include education, early childhood, health care, mental health, and related service professions. Explain partner roles, supports, funding, and the steps districts can take to participate or adapt the model.