During a break between sessions at the Show Up for Teachers conference, Altara Elementary fourth-grade teacher Clifford Lowe stopped by the STEM Action Center booth—one of 120 offering curriculum ideas, resources and giveaways.

“The STEM Action Center booth was awesome; I got some cool stuff from them that I'll incorporate into my classroom,” said the Canyons School District dual immersion teacher. “The community here is really big in helping and supporting teachers and I’ve been networking with teachers from other districts, getting to know things they've done.”

Lowe also took advantage of a free massage and a coconut Creamie while gathering ideas for his classroom’s calming corner.

The full-day event, at the Mountain America Expo Center in Sandy, featured keynote speakers, 40 breakout sessions, and an exposition hall filled with businesses and organizations celebrating and supporting teachers. Session topics included classroom engagement, personal finance, nutrition and sleep, stress management, leadership, and conflict resolution.

Afternoon keynote speaker Ron Clark, founder of the Ron Clark Academy in Atlanta, addressed the crowd, while local authors signed books and the “Superintendents of Rock”— including Jordan School District Superintendent Anthony Godfrey—performed live.

Teachers from across the state attended Show Up for Teachers conference where they could attend education sessions, learn curriculum ideas and resources or even get massages. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

Attendees earned re-licensure points from the Utah State Board of Education or could opt for university credit from Southern Utah University. The free event was sponsored by The Clark & Christine Ivory Foundation, the Robert H. and Katherine B. Garff Foundation, Capita Financial, Zions Bank and Western Governors University.

The exposition hall featured giveaways and discounts from organizations including Thread, Chatbooks, Beehive Meals, University of Utah Wellness Hub, RC Willey, Operation Literacy, Salt by Sabrina, Albion Fit, Symbol Arts, Felt Right, Beddy’s, Hogle Zoo and the Utah Shakespeare Festival.

At the BYU Arts Partnership booth, educators learned about the Native American Curriculum Initiative. 

“It's an initiative that partners with the eight sovereign nations in Utah to co-create authentic and accurate lesson plans that teachers can teach to students in their classrooms,” said program coordinator Brenda Beyal. “We go to these sovereign nations and ask them, ‘What would you like the children of Utah to know about your tribe?’ All eight sovereign nations have said they want people to know they're still here, they're thriving, they're resilient, and they continue to work to better their communities.”

Each nation then wanted to spotlight other points: the Paiutes highlighted their fight for federal recognition, the Northwestern Band of the Shoshone shared traditional songs, and the Navajo Nation emphasized the historical “Long Walk.”

“All these nations have stories or things they want people to know and we use the arts to help tell those stories — and teachers can use the lessons we’ve created on our website along with podcasts and other resources,” she said.

Nearby, the Special Olympics Utah booth promoted Unified Champion Schools. Boston Iacobazzi, college-growth coordinator, said at least five colleges, 85 high schools, 25 middle schools, and 35 elementary schools participate in programs pairing students with and without disabilities.

Special Olympics Utah CEO Scott Weaver said teachers were enthusiastic about the inclusive programming.

“We have gotten some positive feedback from teachers who currently have the program,” he said. “We just had a teacher in her second year rave about the leadership program with youth engagement and a lot of these teachers see the value for their students, both for special education and regular ed students. It's becoming a regular part of the school culture from reading together in elementary to playing sports, taking classes and becoming school leaders together. It’s rewarding to hear how inclusion is becoming part of the schools’ cultures.”