UAPB plans teacher conference
The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff School of Education will host a STEM and Special Education Teacher Capacity Building Conference from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. May 15 at the UAPB STEM Conference Center.
The keynote luncheon speaker will be Andrea D. Jasper, PhD, immediate past president of the Council for Exceptional Children. The conference is free and open to the public. To register, visit https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/e64ha7s.
The CBC conference is a unique opportunity for teachers, school districts, superintendents, principals, and educational cooperatives in Jefferson County and southeast Arkansas to gain insights from Jasper’s expertise as well as to contribute to addressing the critical need for STEM and special education teachers in Arkansas, according to a news release.
The CBC conference is a collaborative effort aimed at addressing teacher shortages. Through speaker overviews and roundtable discussions, the university aims to analyze the factors that may cause critical teacher attrition in these areas.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
“We strongly encourage your conference participation as it fosters networking, collaboration, and partnerships among all of the concerned teachers, agencies, educational service cooperatives, schools, and universities. This platform promotes knowledge sharing and identifying best practices to drive teacher pipelines and improve teacher retention, especially in high-need local educational agencies (LEAs),” a spokesman said.
The agenda includes presentations from the Arkansas Department of Education; Kimberley Davis, PhD., UAPB School of Education Dean; a review of the Capacity Building Project and Robert Noyce Track 4 Research Proposal by UAPB Professor Sederick C. Rice; a keynote luncheon address from Andrea D. Jasper; and a Building Capacity Project Data Review by UAPB Professor William Torrence.
New food businesses focus of event
Starting a food or beverage business is a dream for many entrepreneurs but knowing where to begin can be challenging, said Darryl Holliday, executive director for the Arkansas Food Innovation Center at The Market Center of the Ozarks.
The Food Entrepreneurship Summit will be held Friday at The Jones Center in Springdale to help get people on the right track to starting their businesses. The free event is open to any current or future food business owner.
“A lot of people I have met say they would love to start a food company but do not know where to start,” Holliday said. “This event is a one-day walkthrough of the entire process of where to go and who can help you with that process.”
The Arkansas Food Innovation Center at The Market Center of the Ozarks, or AFIC@MCO, is affiliated with the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, the research arm of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.
The event is co-organized by Kim Bryden, chief executive officer and founder of Cureate, a woman-owned business development firm specializing in farm, food & beverage entrepreneurship education and local purchasing for anchor institutions.
Topics will include legal and food safety requirements for starting a food business, permits, costing and accounting, financing, marketing and manufacturing. Bryden said there are options for manufacturing that include contracting facilities like AFIC@MCO.
While fundamentals and practical guidance from experts are the focus of the day, Bryden noted there will be business networking opportunities with Northwest Arkansas Chambers of Commerce members throughout the day and over lunch, presented by Arvest.
Speakers and their topics include:
Jacob Lively of The Lively Group on legal requirements.
Lauren Handel of Handel Food Law LLC on food packaging, labeling and contracts.
Jeff Jackson of the Arkansas Department of Health on selling hot foods and packaged foods.
Nick Johnston, assistant professor of hospitality management, on how to cost out a menu or product. Johnston is with the School of Human Environmental Sciences in the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences.
University of Arkansas accounting professor Kris Allee on proper business accounting.
Clint Lazenby and Tim Lindt of Traverse Group/Legacy Retail on the basic mechanics of merchandising.
Darryl Holliday of AFIC@MCO on manufacturing vs. co-packing.
The day will end with a Market Center of the Ozarks tour. For more information and to register, visit the Eventbrite page at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/food-entrepreneurship-summit-tickets-878816643237.