ONLC 2026 Field Trips

NAO proudly partners with three of our nonprofit members in Southern Oregon to offer field trips for the Oregon Nonprofit Leaders Conference. Field trips relate to the Vitality theme, providing dynamic learning experiences at local organizations with a group of peers. 

Field trips are open to ONLC attendees only. Conference sessions adjourn at noon and field trips begin as early as 1:30 p.m. Participants are responsible for their own transportation and lunch, so be sure to plan your break time accordingly. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email and additional communications with details about your trip (parking, host's contact information, etc.).

Registration will close on Thursday, April 9. 

Please contact [email protected] if you have questions.

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[accordion-item title="Talent Maker City" info="1:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m."]

Talent Maker City Site Visit
Location: 109 Talent Ave, Talent, OR 97540

We are excited to welcome you to Talent Maker City (TMC), a vibrant rural makerspace and community resilience hub where creativity, hands-on learning, and belonging come together. TMC partners with more than 60 nonprofits, schools, and community groups across Southern Oregon to provide accessible tools, skills, and collaborative programs for youth and adults alike. 

During the visit, you’ll:

• Experience hands-on making by screen printing a design onto a tote bag, creating a small clay piece in our ceramics studio, or exploring digital tools like laser engraving or 3D printing. Feel refreshed by taking a creative break, all while learning about the connections between hands-on activities and positive mental health and wellbeing.
• Tour our makerspace and see how studios like our woodshop, fiber arts and screenprinting lab, ceramics studio, and fabrication tools support creative learning and workforce skill-building. Learn about the construction and fundraising process of our new community makerspace building, completed in summer 2024.
• Explore our outdoor learning spaces, including a native pollinator habitat, bioswale, and natural dye garden that connect art, ecology, and environmental stewardship.
• Meet “Buster,” our mobile bike repair bus, which brings bicycle repair education and refurbished bikes to communities across Southern Oregon.
• Learn how collaboration fuels impact as we share stories of partnerships, youth internships, community workshops, and disaster response efforts that make TMC a regional hub for creativity, resilience, and connection.

Come ready to explore, make something with your hands, and see how a community makerspace can spark creativity, collaboration, and possibility.

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[accordion-item title="Rogue Retreat" info="2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m."]

Rogue Retreat Crossings Site Visit
Location: 722 Western Ave, Medford, OR 97501

Participants will visit Rogue Retreat Crossings, a 160-bed innovative campus that brings together managed camping, low-barrier shelter, and pathways to stable housing in one coordinated site. During the tour, guests will see how a managed camping area and low-barrier shelter options create immediate, safe places for people to stay while they begin connecting with services and support. Rogue Retreat Crossings was intentionally designed as a multi-phase project, and visitors will learn how the campus is evolving to include transitional housing and additional supportive spaces that help residents move toward long-term stability.

The field trip will also highlight the strong partnerships with local government, service providers, and community organizations that made Rogue Retreat Crossings possible. Participants will hear about the collaborative approach that shaped the project, how the model supports both residents and the surrounding community, and the future vision for expansion on the property as Rogue Retreat continues working with partners to meet the region’s growing need for compassionate, practical solutions to homelessness.

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[accordion-item title="Rogue Food Unites" info="1:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m."]

Rogue Food Unites Site Visit
Location: 567 Walker Ave, Ashland, OR 97520

Come tour Rogue Food Unites’ (RFU) exciting warehouse space! We are an organization rooted in meeting our community’s fundamental right to accessing nutritious food. RFU strengthens local economies, preserves local jobs, and addresses food security in our communities.

On this tour you’ll see our staff getting ready for our first Market of the week while you:

• Hear how RFU began and how our programming has adapted over the last five years to meet the changing needs of our community.
• Tour our facility and see where we receive and store around 6,000 pounds of produce each week for our No Cost Farmers Market and Freeze Dried Meal programs.
• Learn about our new Freeze Dried Meal program that will serve as a sustainable source of funding for our organization.

We look forward to seeing you soon!

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