2023 Western Regional Dairy Challenge Volunteer Registration

18th Western Regional Dairy Challenge

Hosted by the Western Regional Committee

Madera, California

Thursday, February 23 – Saturday, February 25, 2023

To Register: https://2023WesternDairyChallengeVolunteer.eventbrite.com

Registration deadline: February 9, 2023

On behalf of the Western Regional committee of the North American Intercollegiate Dairy Challenge, it is our privilege to invite you to participate in the 18th Annual Western Regional Dairy Challenge. The event will be held in Madera, California February 23-25, hosted by the Western Region. We thank you for your continued support of the Western Regional Dairy Challenge.

Sponsor Participation: We are building our list of volunteers to help with the event on Thursday evening through Saturday afternoon. Being involved and working directly with the students gives you a firsthand view of the students in action, plus a large volunteer pool helps the contest run smoothly.

Schedule: A listing of the scheduled events for this year’s contest will be posted on the Western Dairy Challenge web page at http://www.dairychallenge.org/contests

Sponsor Volunteer Registration: Please submit information for each volunteer from your company using this online form. Forms are due Thursday, February 9, 2023. Go to https://2023WesternDairyChallengeVolunteer.eventbrite.com

Hotel: We will be at the La Quinta Inn & Suites Madera. A block of rooms is held under the Western Regional Dairy Challenge Volunteers until Thursday, February 9, 2023. Please call the hotel directly to make appropriate reservations. All volunteers (sponsors, judges, mentors) are responsible for making their own reservations.

La Quinta Inn & Suites Madera

317 North G Street, Madera, CA 93637

559-831-0730

Group name: Dairy Challenge

Arrival date: 02/23/2023

Departure date: 02/25/2023

Room rate: $129+tax/room/night includes breakfast

Last date of booking: 02/01/2023

Meals: We are kindly asking for a suggested donation for each meal you are planning to attend to help us cover this major cost of the event. Please indicate on the registration form which meals you will be attending and thank you for your additional support.

Sponsor Display: You are invited to set up a complimentary company display at Madera Community College on Saturday morning, February 25, 2023. Please indicate your desire to reserve a display spot using the online registration form. Electricity will be available, but you will need to supply your own electrical cords. All sponsors are encouraged to interact with students and University coaches and view student presentations on Saturday. Remember because of the number of teams, presentations will be going simultaneously.

Mentors: We are seeking a large number of volunteers to serve as Team Mentors. This is an important role as Mentors work side by side with the student teams to guide them through the farm analysis process. With enough volunteers, we hope to assign 2 mentors to each team. If you are interested in serving as a Mentor, indicate as such when registering. Please note:

• Mentors must be available starting with the Mentor Meeting at 6:30 PM Thursday until after lunch on Friday. If you are able to stay through presentations on Saturday, indicate your availability as such on the registration form. Staying for the entire event (through presentations on Saturday) allows for even more interaction with your team and provides cohesiveness for the team. On Thursday, Mentors will review data with students in the evening. On Friday, Mentors will tour the dairy in the morning, and offer guidance while assembling their presentation in the afternoon. On Saturday, Mentors oversee team prep, direct your team to their presentation room, be present during their presentation, and be their guide to debriefing.

• Mentors are asked to bring a camera or camera-capable phone to take pictures for their groups and be willing/able to download the pictures.

• Mentors should be committed to the event and willing to work with students in a positive and supportive manner, encouraging participation and guiding them in their dairy assessment.

Qualities of a Good Mentor

 Relevant Expertise or Knowledge

 Enthusiasm for Sharing That Expertise

 A Respectful Attitude

 Eagerness to Invest in Others

 Ability to Give Honest & Direct Feedback

 Reflective Listening & Empathy

 Willingness to be a Sponsor

If you are interested in serving as a Mentor, indicate as such when registering.

There are several other areas where assistance is needed including Manager Interviews on Friday, February 24, and presentation room and debriefing volunteers on Saturday, February 25. Please indicate your plans on the volunteer registration form. We kindly ask each volunteer from your company register separately using this online volunteer registration site.

Dairy Challenge T-Shirt: show your support by purchasing a Dairy Challenge shirt. Shirts are $15. Shirts can be ordered when registering as a volunteer and will be distributed onsite during the Western Regional event.

To Register: We kindly ask each individual attending from your company register using this form. Forms are due back Thursday, February 9, 2023. Go to the Western Contest Page at http://www.dairychallenge.org/contests for complete details. To register, click here: https://2023WesternDairyChallengeVolunteer.eventbrite.com

If you have questions about volunteering your company’s time at the event, please communicate with Volunteer Coordinators Jen Gisler Lane, Jennifer_Gisler@cargill.com, PH (559) 469-7219; Stacy Tsang, Stacy.Tsang@PAHC.com, PH (661) 312-6280 or Grace Cun gcun@landolakes.com, PH: 951-972-7771.

On behalf of the steering committee, we thank you for your time, energy and commitment to the Dairy Challenge!