Liminal Literacy In the STEM World
We live in a moment of profound transition. Technology continues to advance and grow, our earth’s resources are rapidly depleting, and the face of education is changing. How do we, as educators, meet those challenges? The answer is complex; we need to reframe our thinking as we navigate the world that in the midst of change.
This conference will center us as we learn about tools to navigate times of transition. Liminality is about the space in the midst of transformation when something is changing and has not yet settled into its new form. Liminal literacy is comprehending what is becoming from moment to moment and finding the ability to exist in uncertainty. Rather than rushing to define the narrative, we acknowledge that we do not yet know the arc of the story. We work with the challenge of living in ambiguity without freezing, surrendering, or forcing something to fit before we know its shape. How do we define and pursue worthy goals while remaining open to the serendipity and possibility of the unknown? When technology, education, and our very planet are being restructured, the only way to thrive is to decide to dwell within the process of emerging.
Technology is reshaping not only how students think and learn, but how entire communities function, connect, and grow. The digital world is not some distant frontier; it is the landscape our students already inhabit, and the one they will help define. Preparing them to navigate it with confidence, curiosity, and critical skill is not just an educational imperative; it is a civic one.
Thriving communities do not happen by accident. They are built by people who understand the systems around them and who have the tools to participate in, adapt to, and shape those systems. Economic vitality is part of that picture, but it is a means, not an end. The real goal is communities where people can flourish, and that goal begins in classrooms, with students who are seen as the future leaders, workers, neighbors, and changemakers they are becoming. Through a liminal STEM lens grounded in Earth systems thinking, come explore the connections between people, technology, communities, and the natural world as one interwoven living system.
JASON Learning sits at the intersection of these forces: bridging schools and communities, connecting learning to economic opportunity, and preparing students to engage effectively with ever-advancing technology and move through a rapidly changing world with purpose and literacy. The 2026 National Conference, Liminal Literacy in the STEM World, takes up that challenge directly, exploring what it means to educate young people not just for the world as it is, but for the world they will inherit and build.
