2026 Conference Agenda
Please Note: Times and topics may change due to availability. We will continue to update this page and communicate changes to current and potential attendees. Breaks are not reflected but we have time scheduled to rest, catch up on emails, or network!
| Wednesday, May 13th | ||
|---|---|---|
| 12:00 PM | Registration/Check-In Opens | Study/Concierge Area |
| 2:45 PM - 3:00 PM | Welcome | NorthPointe |
| 3:00 PM - 3:45 PM | Signature Session: A Look at State Policy & How it Impacts Work-based Learning Cassandra Palsgrove, Ohio Excels |
NorthPointe |
| 3:50 PM - 4:35 PM | Breakout Session 1 | |
| The Mindset Bridge: Using Daily Reflection to Anchor Career Readiness in Work-Based Learning Erika Hill, Careerlog |
Cypress 1 | |
| 40 Years of Building Interns into Future Leaders Scott Schrader & Carrie McKelvey, Schaeffler |
Cypress 2 | |
| 4:45 - 5:30 PM | Breakout Session 2 | |
| Designing Student‑Centered Career Pathways: Leveraging Ohio’s Recognized Pre‑Apprenticeships & High School Tech Internships John Hambrick & Jama Cobb, ESC Central Ohio |
Cypress 1 | |
| Work-Based Learning: Employment Law Essentials for Co-Ops and Internships Scot Henshaw & Rebecca Shope, Shumaker Law |
Cypress 2 | |
| 5:40 PM - 6:25 PM | Breakout Session 3 | |
| AI and Emerging Technologies in Internship Management, Skill Development, and Partnerships Ben Groff, GradLeaders |
Cypress 1 | |
| Career Readiness for Gen Z: What They Bring, What They Lack, and How We Coach the Gap Stephen Amundson, Gwen Roemer & Nadia Ibrahim-Taney, University of Cincinnati |
Cypress 2 | |
| Visuals = Velocity: Using Graphic Recording to Nurture Talent and Accelerate Workforce Development Jennie Hempstead, Draw On Purpose |
Birch 1 | |
| 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM | Dinner Breakouts: Join OCEA Board Members at various dinner spots around town! | TBA |
| 8:30 PM - 10:30 PM | Hospitality Suite | TBA |
| Thursday, May 14th | ||
| 7:00 AM - 8:00 AM | Morning Wellness Activity | |
| 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM | Registration/Check-In | Pre-Function Area |
| 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM | Breakfast | NorthPointe/Pre-Function Area |
| 9:00 AM - 10:15 AM | Signature Session: Student Panel From Classroom to Career: Real-World Co-Op Perspectives |
NorthPointe |
| 10:25 AM - 11:15 AM | Breakout Session 4 | |
| Stress Management and Burnout Prevention for Yourself, Your Team, or Your Students Kimberly White, Wellness Consultant, Nationwide |
Cypress 1 | |
| Global Career Readiness: Navigating the Journey From Student to Professional with a Global Internship Ryan Dye, AIFS Global |
Cypress 2 | |
| Building a College-Wide Work-Based Learning Ecosystem: A Practical Framework for Access, Data, and Scale Jackie Duffy, Sinclair Community College |
Birch 1 | |
| 11:20 AM - 12:05 PM | Breakout Session 5 | |
| Stress Management and Burnout Prevention for Yourself, Your Team, or Your Students Kimberly White, Wellness Consultant, Nationwide |
Cypress 1 | |
| Clear for Takeoff: Developing and Piloting a New Co-Op Program Nick Stanford, Miami University |
Cypress 2 | |
| Visualizing Reflection: Photo-Elicitation in Cooperative Education Tyaira Smith, University of Cincinnati |
Birch 1 | |
| 12:15 PM - 1:25 PM | Lunch & Signature Session: JobsOhio - 2030 Talent Strategies & the Importance of Work-based Learning |
NorthPointe/Pre-Function Area |
| 1:30 PM - 2:15 PM | Breakout Session 6 | |
| Accessible Work-Integrated Learning: Supporting Students with Invisible Disabilities From Campus to Career Kate Durso, University of Cincinnati |
Cypress 1 | |
| Early Talent Retention is a Strategy, Not a Reaction. Designing Internship and Experiential Learning Programs that Convert, Engage and Keep Talent Rachele Hill, Osborn Engineering |
Cypress 2 | |
| 2:30 PM - 3:20 PM | OCEA Business Meeting | NorthPointe |
| 3:30 PM - 4:15 PM | Breakout Session 7 | |
| Building Ohio’s Engineering Technology Talent Pipeline: Industry–Academic Partnerships In Action Sandy Furterer, The Ohio State University; Dawn Kitchen, Ohio State University, Mansfield; Amber Rader, Ohio State University, Mansfield; Darryl Young, Whirpool Corporation |
Cypress 1 | |
| Co-op/Internship Program Supervisors: Is this Leadership Cohort helping or Hurting Your Organization’s Experiential Learning Program? Doug Chivington, The Lead Consulting Group |
Cypress 2 | |
| Rethinking the Transition from Learning to Work: Micro-Internships Experiences for Creatives and Interpreters Michael Sanders, Owens Community College |
Birch 1 | |
| 5:30 PM - 6:30 PM | Cocktail & Networking Hour | Patio (Rain Location: Foyer) |
| 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM | Banquet & Awards Dinner | NorthPointe |
| 8:30 PM - 10:30 PM | Hospitality Suite | TBA |
| Friday, May 15th | ||
| 7:00 AM - 8:00 AM | Morning Wellness Activity | |
| 8:00 AM - 10:00 AM | Registration/Check-In | Pre-Function Area |
| 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM | Breakfast | NorthPointe/Pre-Function Area |
| 9:00 AM - 9:45 AM | Breakout Session 8 | |
| Ohio Department of Higher Education State Work-based Learning Updates & Workforce Sector Strategies Sri Vidya Uppalapati, Cheryl Rice, and John Magill, Ohio Department of Higher Education |
Cypress 1 | |
| Building Regional Talent Pipelines: A University–Industry Partnership Model Sunny Jeong, Wittenberg University |
Cypress 2 | |
| Thriving Under Pressure: Turning Pressure Into Performance Charle Peck, ThrivingEducator |
Birch 1 | |
| 9:50 AM - 10:35 AM | OCEA Board Facilitated Roundtables | NorthPointe |
| 10:45 AM - 11:30 AM | Signature Session: Work-based Learning from a National Perspective: What's Trending, What's Working, & What We Should Do to Continue Expanding Opportunities in Ohio Paul Fain, WorkShift |
NorthPointe |
| 11:30 AM - 12:00 PM | Closing Remarks | NorthPointe |
Thank You To Our 2026 Conference Sponsors:
