2026 MCEA Fall Conference: Full Schedule

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1:30pm CDT

Eff The Vape: Youth Advocates Take Action to Protect Their Peers Against Big Tobacco's Harm

Thursday October 22, 2026 1:30pm - 2:30pm CDT

Fact: Youth are vaping. Fact: Youth find it extremely difficult to quit. Youth say vapes are easy to obtain, easier to start, and extremely easy to get hooked. Learn how one youth group is boldly pushing Big Tobacco out of their lives and communities.

Outcomes:

Identify key strategies for building and sustaining a youth coalition.
Describe how the E-cigarette Prevention Initiative Youth Action Council (EPIYAC) is helping reduce youth vaping through yotuh-led prevention efforts.
Recognize the mutual benefits of meaningful youth engagement for both youth and adult partners.

Speakers

Pa Houa Moua

Population Health Specialist, Olmsted County

Pa Houa ‘PH’ Moua is a Population Health Specialist at Olmsted County Public Health Services. She has worked on the Statewide Health Improvement Partnership (SHIP) grant for over seven years specializing in commercial tobacco policy and systems that protect public health. PH was... Read More →

Christa Seymour

Public Health Nurse, Olmsted County

Christa Seymour is a Public Health Nurse at Olmsted County, located in southeast Minnesota, on the School Age Services team. She graduated from the University of Minnesota with her Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing and from Johns Hopkins University with her Master’s Degree in Public... Read More →

Thursday October 22, 2026 1:30pm - 2:30pm CDT
Suite 107 - Lower Level 30 Civic Center Dr SE, Rochester, MN 55904, USA

Youth

2:45pm CDT

Build a Partnership with the Master Gardener Volunteer Program

Thursday October 22, 2026 2:45pm - 3:45pm CDT

Suite 107 - Lower Level

The University of Minnesota Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Program aims to share research-based horticulture knowledge to the public through projects with local partners and other community outreach opportunities. This presentation will discuss the statewide Master Gardener Volunteer Program, provide examples of community collaboration in Olmsted County such as free educational programming for adults and youth using the garden as an outdoor classroom, and inspire you to connect with Master Gardener Volunteers in your local area.

Speakers

Emily Whitcomb and Carol Wells

Master Gardener Volunteer, University of Minnesota Extension

Emily and Carol have been Master Gardener Volunteers since 2021 and co-lead the management of the S.M.A.R.T. Garden. The S.M.A.R.T. Garden is a demonstration garden located at Rochester Community and Technical College (RCTC) Heinz Center Building and in partnership with RCTC and the... Read More →

Thursday October 22, 2026 2:45pm - 3:45pm CDT
Suite 107 - Lower Level 30 Civic Center Dr SE, Rochester, MN 55904, USA