Agenda At-A-Glance
As of 5/26/23 Subject to change
Friday June 2
Special Training
8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
National School Bus Inspection Training Program - Day 1
June 2 & 3 | 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Location: Indiana Convention Center & Brownsburg Community School Corporation
Description: Developed by school bus maintenance and inspection expert Marshall Casey, STN EXPO offers the National School Bus Inspection Training Program to fully train technicians on how to conduct regular vehicle inspections, above and beyond state or federal Department of Transportation guidance. The eight-hour program held on Friday, June 2 and Saturday, June 3, is derived from best practices used in overseeing the maintenance of school buses in South Carolina, the only completely owned and operated state fleet in the nation. Attendees will learn how to discover more defects prior to failure, which allows for expedited repairs, increased vehicle uptime, and a more efficient maintenance program. The program includes eight hours of classroom instruction, including a written exam, and a second day of hands-on identification of defects on real school buses.
Speaker: Luke Patrick & Bobby Williams
(Maximum of 50 participants. Separate registration is required.)
General Session
8 a.m. - 12 p.m.
The School Bus Accident and Resulting Litigation
Every school bus accident has a story that we can learn many things from: How to prevent the next accident, how to improve training, how to have better supervision, etc. Plus, there is the list of information you need to operate a professional transportation system that your operation will be asking you for when in litigation. Is your operation ready to pay out $17 million? $20 million? $26 million? $43 million? All because your operation was negligent in many ways. Be ready to learn from other’s mistakes.
We will cover the things you have do not have in your operation that could translate to high dollar-amount judgements against your organization. For example, there is a correct way to keeping track of training records.
Each attendee will receive hand-outs to assist with learning objectives.
Speaker: Dick Fischer
Special Training
10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
AMF Bruns Wheelchair Securement Bootcamp
June 2 | 12:00 p.m. - 2 p.m.
Description: At this Training Boot Camp, student transporters will learn to train with AMF Bruns’ recently launched automatic and self-tensioning Silver Series retractors. With this course, school transportation professionals will be provided the tools to support and teach their teams proper safety techniques, which included hands-on training. The key objective to this course include: Overview of equipment, Securing the wheelchair, Securing the occupant with a different variety of occupant securements, Understanding your vehicle floor anchorages, WC 18 and WC 19 and understanding the regulation; identifying a WC 19 wheelchair, Raising awareness about risks of not properly securing passengers, Deboarding passengers, and Passenger sensitivity/etiquette. Certification will be provided upon completion of this course.
Instructor: Maritza Valentin
This seminar is available to Main Conference Attendees but requires separate registration at no extra charge. Class size is limited to 50 participants.
(Maximum of 50 participants. Separate registration required.)
General Session
1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Are Net Zero Fatalities at School Bus Stops Achievable?
Description: Total school bus stop safety requires a multi-modal approach. Safety is impacted by among other things how other motorists on the road interact with school buses, how students travel to and from their bus stops, how school districts select and manage the stops, how bus drivers and students are trained, and technology. Join a panel of experts as they discuss school bus stop safety and attempt to answer the question posed by this session’s title. Attendees can expect to walk away with better insights into their own operations and how they can increase their influence in their local areas.
Speakers: Ryan Gray with Katrina Falk, Dick Fischer, & Nick Martini
Director summit
3:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Transportation Director Summit - Day 1
Transportation Director Summit, Day 1
(at Omni Severin – Severin Lobby)
*Separate registration & application required.
Saturday June 3
Director Summit
7 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Transportation Director Summit - Day 2
(TopGolf Fishers)
*Separate registration required & application required.
Training
7:30 a.m. – 2 p.m.
National School Bus Inspection Training Program - Day 2
Location: Brownsburg Community School Corporation
Description: Developed by school bus maintenance and inspection expert Marshall Casey, STN EXPO offers the National School Bus Inspection Training Program to fully train technicians on how to conduct regular vehicle inspections, above and beyond state or federal Department of Transportation guidance. The eight-hour program held on Friday, June 2 and Saturday, June 3, is derived from best practices used in overseeing the maintenance of school buses in South Carolina, the only completely owned and operated state fleet in the nation. Attendees will learn how to discover more defects prior to failure, which allows for expedited repairs, increased vehicle uptime, and a more efficient maintenance program. The program includes eight hours of classroom instruction, including a written exam, and a second day of hands-on identification of defects on real school buses.
Instructors: Luke Patrick & Bobby Williams
(Maximum of 50 participants. Separate registration is required.)
Training
10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Advanced Wheelchair Securement Training: Troubleshooting Difficult Mobility Devices
June 3 | 10-12 p.m.
Presented by Q'straint
Location: Indiana Convention Center
Description: IDEA was passed in 1975 making schools national leaders in providing equal services for the disabled community. However, today, over 40 years after its passage, school transportation providers are still consistently struggling to safely transport some students with disabilities and to secure the most difficult mobility devices. While wheelchair securement equipment has improved dramatically during this timeframe, even today there are hundreds of wheelchairs on the market which are not designed to be transported.
In this presentation we’ll explore the factors that have contributed to this dynamic, provide extensive troubleshooting practices for difficult mobility devices and occupant securement situations, and offer recommendations- based on our more than 35 years of industry experience- that can help school districts and transportation providers greatly reduce the risk these devices pose to the safety of their students and the liability of the district.
Note: This an advanced course designed for experienced transportation directors, supervisors, and trainers who can help implement the troubleshooting techniques and best practice recommendations within their district. It is strongly recommended that attendees have extensive previous wheelchair securement experience.
(Maximum of 35 participants. Separate registration is required.)
Training
3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Integrating Technology and Software to School Bus Inspections
Description: Transportation operations need a tool to manage their fleet to ensure their vehicles are maintained, safe and in compliance, resulting in increased uptime. As schools move toward EV, a fleet management tool is more critical than ever. In this 40-minute interactive presentation you’ll learn how fleet maintenance and inspection technology such as Servicefinder can be that critical partner to ensure that nothing is overlooked. Participate in an actual inspection using a mobile tool and see firsthand how easy it is to submit an inspection form digitally. Create a work order based on the inspection fault and assign the work to a technician using the scheduler. Easily run a report of open work orders by technician or date started. From inspections to work orders to billing and invoicing, fleet maintenance technology can help you be more organized and efficient and prevent you from missing anything. These tools give your team the ability to submit requests from anywhere on a mobile device and you can keep an eye on operations utilizing a custom dashboard.
Note: This is an add-on session for the Inspection Training attendees plus OPEN to all other main conference attendees.
Instructor: Zachary Moren, Transfinder Engineer
Presented by Transfinder
Sunday June 4
Welcome
9:00 a.m. – 9:15 a.m.
Opening Welcome
Presenters: Tony Corpin & Ryan Gray
Keynote
9:15 a.m. – 10:15 a.m.
“You Have 7 Seconds. Make Them Count!"
Coffee provided by Enel
Keynote with Sylvie di Giusto
People we meet make quick decisions about us. Should they hire us? Trust us? Buy something from us? It takes a blink of an eye, and like it or not, you are going to be judged. Wouldn’t you want to limit the risk of wrong assumptions about you?
In business, first impressions are essential to building relationships with peers, bosses, stakeholders, or customers. They will set the tone for the entire experience, and the relationship with your brand will depend on them. The good thing is that this impression is something you can control. As soon as you recognize what your first impression actually says about you in the workplace, in business, or in life, it becomes easier to manage it in your favor while remaining true to yourself.
During this interactive, fun, and informative presentation, you will uncover what your first impression says about you and how it influences the decision-making process of others. You will experience up close and personal how people’s unconscious biases affect their judgments and either lead to wrong assumptions about you, or can create opportunities for you.
Green Bus Summit
10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Celebrating EPA Award Winners: Success Stories
Speakers: Rick Lee
Presented by Lion Electric
Green Bus Summit
11:45 a.m. – 12:45 p.m.
Drawing On a History of Success to Help Fleets Step into an Electric Future
Description: With over 350 Micro Bird Type A electric school buses sold and 225 currently in operation, the company and its customers have learned many data-backed lessons on how to correctly implement and scale school bus electrification. Join this session to receive insights on how to best work with utilities and charging providers as well as with vehicle manufacturers, dealers and other stakeholder to make electric school bus deployments as successful as possible.
Speaker: Michael Daguilh
Presented by Micro Bird
Green Bus Summit
11:45 a.m. – 12:45 p.m.
Reducing EV Total Cost of Ownership with Scheduled Charging
Presented by IC Bus
Lunch
1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Lunch & Learn: Propane School Bus Success Stories
Description: Propane is the environmentally friendly option helping school bus fleets achieve immediate emissions reductions in a financially responsible manner. Propane buses have the range and performance that fleets demands, easily accommodate all students, and with a quiet ride, students arrive ready to learn. In this session, hear from a transportation director that has a decade of experience in transitioning their fleet to 100 percent propane, another that has tried every other alternative solution and is pushing forward with propane, and a transportation director incorporating propane for the first time. Each will detail their decision-making process and reasons why propane is the fuel of choice for their fleet.
Facilitator: Stephen Whaley
Panelists: Kay Cornelius, Michael McCusker, & Diana Mikelski
Lunch Provided by Propane Education and Resource Council.
Green Bus Summit
2:15 p.m. – 3:15 p.m.
From Alt Fuels to ZEVs: Exploring the Next Generation of IC Engines and Zero Emission Technologies
Description: There is no one size fits all approach to decarbonization. There are many paths to lower emissions, whether you’re ready to go electric or considering alternative fuels like propane, natural gas, biodiesel or gasoline.
In the first part of this session, you’ll get an overview of the full range of power choices available today, hear more about what’s coming from Cummins and Accelera, and learn how to jumpstart your journey to Destination Zero.
You’ll also get driver tips for handling electric powertrains, learn how to use demand charging to your advantage, and preserve battery life.
Cummins is the industry leader in school bus power and has been helping fleets lower emissions for decades. With the introduction of Accelera, we’re poised to take clean power well into the future.
Speaker: Francisco Lagunas & Bahar Konak
Presented by Cummins
Green Bus Summit
2:15 p.m. – 3:15 p.m.
Electrifying the Future: Collaborative Approaches to Implementing Charging Infrastructure with Utilities
Speaker: Ladi Ogunnubi & Steven Mentzer
Description: In an era of advancing technology and growing environmental concerns, the electrification of school buses is becoming increasingly vital. This session will explore the collaborative approaches and strategies required to implement charging infrastructure effectively in partnership with utilities.
Join us as we delve into the key components of electrification process and the critical role utilities play in this process. We will discuss the challenges and opportunities associated with integrating charging infrastructure into existing systems, as well as the importance of fostering strong partnerships with utilities.
This session will provide valuable insights and practical approaches for working with utilities to drive the electrification of our future. Let's join forces and explore how collaboration can pave the way for a sustainable and electrified tomorrow.
Presented by First Student
Green Bus Summit
3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Lessons from the Field: Leveraging EPA Funding and Working Through the Bumps of an Electrification Project
Description: This panel moderated by Claire Alford from Highland will provide insight from real-world deployments and recommendations for people undertaking or considering their own projects. Gregg Salois, director of the department of transportation from Montgomery County (MD) Public Schools will talk about possible challenges associated with electrification and how to avoid and overcome them. Robbin Marshall, deputy director of transportation from Baltimore City Public Schools can provide perspectives on the early stages of an electrification deployment. Claire will also explain EPA’s Round 2 and take questions and provide advice on crafting a compelling application.
Speakers: Gregory Salois, Robbin Marshall, & Claire Alford
Presented by Highland
Green Bus Summit
3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
A Panel Discussion: Opportunities, Challenges and the Path Forward on your EV Journey
Description: There are countless opportunities and benefits with EV buses – reduced emissions, improved efficiencies and more. But school districts of varying sizes and differing resources face the wave of EV adoption with unique needs. This panel moderated by Tim Ammon from the Center for Effective School Operations, Dave Pearson from Zonar, Sean Leach with Highland Electric Fleets, and Steve Mentzer from First Group will level set on the industry’s shared challenges and strategies for industry collaboration to reach districts’ EV goals. The speakers will illustrate case studies to overcome barriers to entry for EV adoption and provide guidance for districts to identify structural requirements, evaluate options for contracting and communicate key takeaways back to decision makers. Additionally, the panelists will share recommendations for districts to establish important markers and timelines on their EV adoption journey.
Speakers: Tim Ammon with Steve Mentzer, David Pearson, & Sean Leach
Presented by Zonar
Welcome Party
6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Welcome Party: Howl at the Moon
Howl at the Moon
20 E Georgia St, Indianapolis, IN 46204
Sponsored by Safety Vision
Monday June 5
Keynote
8:30 a.m. – 10 a.m.
Keynote: Foundations in De-escalation
Description: Given the increased behavioral challenges seen in students since the start of the pandemic, we are more acutely aware of the need for proper supports across all educational settings. When it comes to student escalations, it is no longer enough to train staff to just respond – there must also be systems in place for prevention. Behavior specialist Patrick Mulick will dive into where we too often go wrong with prevention of escalated behaviors and de-escalation responses, and share effective strategies on how we can get it right.
Speaker: Keynote by Patrick Mulick
Trade Show
10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Trade Show
STN EXPO Indy Trade Show
(ICC Hall JK)
Lunch
12 p.m. – 1 p.m.
Lunch
Session
2:15 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
The Impact of EPA 2027 Engine Emissions Regulations
Speakers: Ryan Gray with Bill Griffiths & Bobby Williams
Session
2:15 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Safety First with Violator-Funded Tech
Description: Join this panel of dedicated, passionate industry experts as we discuss the power and importance of partnership for winning the tech race in the yellow space. Learn how violator-funded and revenue-share models for stop-arm enforcement programs can help equip school transportation with more features that modernize your fleet. All with a primary goal in mind – Safety. For students. For drivers. For the community. And peace of mind for parents.
Speakers: Lee Livingston, Taylor Moore, Diana Mikelski, & Melba Rivera-Irizarry
Session Sponsored by Verra Mobility & REI
Session
2:15 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Growth Trajectory: Managing Operations in Rural & Growing Environments
Description: Planning for growth is difficult when daily operations are stressful. How do you continue to plan for the future when your area is growing, and when everyone around you is already stressed out about the current staffing shortage? Learning how to zoom out and see where the organization is going and how you as the leader can steer your operation to serve the needs is imperative to be ready for the future. Learn practical methods to communicate with school district leadership to prepare for growth with limited resources.
Speaker: Ryan Hahn with Nick Meyerrose & Joshua Hinerman
Session
3:45 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Avoiding Mishaps in Special Needs Transportation
Description: Even with the best laid plans and routes, mishaps in transporting students with disabilities can (and will) happen! Join this panel of experts for some tips and tricks to make the mishaps less probable.
Speaker: Alexandra Robinson with Katrina Morris, Nicole Portee, & Patti Waites
Session
3:45 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Electric School Buses: User Experiences
Description: Two representatives of multiple electric school buses deployed between two Midwest schools operating in cold climates will share their successful experiences and how their EV deployments are decarbonizing their fleets. Moderated by Drive Clean Indiana, lessons learned will focus on funding/deployments, infrastructure, efficiencies, general operations, and maintenance.
Speaker: Ryan Lisek with LaToya King, Nick Martini & Brittany Barrett
Session
3:45 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
How to Create Incident Response Plans for Transportation Departments
Speaker: Belle Tromp
Green Bus Summit
6:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Green Bus Summit Experience
Location: Victory Field
Join us for the Green Bus Immersive Technology Experience at the Victory Field Ballpark on Monday, June 5. Add this session to reserve your attendance for the electric bus ride & drive. Entertainment, networking, food and drinks under the stars provided by our Green Bus Summit sponsors. *Liability Waivers must be signed before attendees can board a sponsored vehicle for the GBS ride event. Riders may pick up their wrist bands on site prior to the ride event. See registration staff for details.*
Experience Includes:
Educational Classes, Green Bus Ride and Drive, Infrastructure Charging Zone, Lounge with Games, Dinner, Drinks, and Outdoor Technology Displays
Sponsored By:
Tuesday June 6
Special Training
8:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Cummins Experience World Headquarters Tour
*Limited Capacity*
All schedule and details are subject to change.
Exclusive at STN EXPO Indy - Attendees will visit the Cummins Headquarters in Columbus, Indiana, for the Cummins Experience World Headquarters Tour and Product Training. The half-day event will also include the Columbus Engine Plant and Battery Tour. Transportation and lunch provided by Cummins Inc.
*This program requires separate registration. (Maximum of 65 participants)
General Session
8 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.
Playing the Politics Game
Description: A leader knows which battles to fight but is often a warrior in a game where the rules change daily. Doing more with less, tough HR decisions, and everchanging political climates are just some of the challenges this session will cover led by a panel of seasoned "gamers"
Speaker: Alex Robinson with Nicole Portee & Dr. Terry Tippin
Session
9:30 a.m. – 11 a.m.
Getting Creative: Routing Around a Driver Shortage
Description: They say don't let a good crisis go to waste. A staffing shortage can present opportunities to realign bell times and optimize routing. This session will give you practical ideas to take back to your operation to look at things through a non traditional focus. Learn how to find and maximize efficiencies in your operation through the driver shortage.
Speaker: Ryan Hahn with Belle Tromp & Amy Rosa
Session
11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Proactive School Bus Security Response Program
Description: Have you ever heard the phrase, the school bus is an extension of the classroom? Are your drivers trained like our school staff, in their environment, for acts of violence? Come learn how one state has wrapped around the transportation departments in regards to school bus safety and security. Proactive Response Training for School Bus Drivers was written by Michigan State Police, Mason County Sheriff Department, Ludington Police Department and the West Shore Educational Service District to help protect our most precious cargo, our children.
Speaker: Katrina Morris