2026 JASON NATIONAL CONFERENCE

June 29 - July 1, 2026

Lansdowne Resort and Spa | Leesburg, VA

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.

Register Now for JNC 2026!

Secure your spot at JNC 2026! Join us June 29 - July 1 at Lansdowne Resort & Spa in Leesburg, VA. A link to the JASON Learning room block at Lansdowne Resort & Spa will be included in your confirmation email.

We strongly recommend that participants be identified and registered by June 15, 2026, for the district to take full advantage of the opportunity. However, registration will be open up to one week before the conference start date.

REGISTER HERE

School districts and educational institutions are welcome to register for the JASON National Conference using a purchase order (PO).

Instructions for Registration

  1. Click this link to navigate to the 2026 JNC Eventbrite page: bit.ly/register-jnc26
  2. Once in Eventbrite, click on the red reserve a spot button.
  3. If you are taking advantage of one of the district’s prepaid spaces, click on “Enter Promo Code” in the upper left and type in your District Promo Code.
  4. If you are paying for a slot, do not enter a promo code and check out accordingly.
  5. Follow the prompts and complete registration.

Please do not hesitate to reach out to the JASON team if you have any questions or need assistance:

  • For registration & session information and assistance: Contact help@jason.org 
  • For questions about presenting and sharing: Contact Courtney Popp at cpopp@jason.org 

Instructions for Registering with A Purchase Order

How It Works:

1. Submit Your Purchase Order
Email your completed PO to orders@jason.org. Please include:

    • The number of registrations you wish to purchase
    • Names (if known) or number of attendees
    • Contact information for billing and communications

2. Receive Your Registration Code
Once we process your PO, we’ll send you a custom registration code to use on Eventbrite.

3. Register Your Attendees
Use the code to register your attendees directly through Eventbrite.

Need Help?
If you have questions about the PO process or need assistance, feel free to contact us at orders@jason.org.

Programming

June 29: Technology

Day One sets the tone for the conference by diving into the technologies reshaping education and the economy. Through a series of keynote presentations and panel discussions, attendees will hear from entrepreneurs, educators, and industry leaders on the state of AI in education, the rise of credentialing and certification pathways, and what it means to prepare students for a world increasingly defined by data centers, digital infrastructure, and automation. Breakout sessions offer hands-on engagement with JASON curriculum, CyberWarrior challenges, and tools like the JASON AI Course, giving participants a chance to move from big ideas to classroom practice. The day closes with an exciting announcement about the next Argonaut Expedition and a keynote on bridging technology and community, grounding the day’s conversations in the people and places education ultimately serves.

June 30: Community

Day Two turns the lens outward, exploring how schools, organizations, and communities can grow stronger together. Keynote presentations and panel discussions highlight the power of community education from early childhood through workforce development, with voices from school districts, civic organizations, and community engagement initiatives across the country. Breakout sessions dig into topics like JASON’s civics curriculum, regenerative soil and environmental stewardship, project-based learning, and strategies for creating lasting community connections. From recycling contests to data center certifications to partnerships with organizations like Volunteers of America, Day Two makes the case that education does not end at the schoolhouse door and that thriving students and thriving communities are inseparable goals.

July 1: Project-Based Learning

Day Three is a working day, designed for educators who are ready to roll up their sleeves. Half-day and full-day workshops invite participants to explore the practical frontiers of teaching in a digital world, from building student data literacy and navigating AI in the classroom, to examining their own identity as educators at a moment of profound change. Those pursuing a deeper leadership role can spend the full day on the path to becoming a JASON District Coach, a position that sits squarely at the intersection of classroom practice and district-wide impact. Those attending a half-day workshop may attend an optional tour of a Virginia data center, offering a rare and concrete glimpse into the physical infrastructure behind the digital world students inhabit every day. You can learn more about each session being offered below. 

Day 3: Project Based Learning Trainings

Join us for an optional third day of programming on July 1 with certified National JASON Trainers to dive deeper into hands-on STEM learning and earn additional PD credits.

 

There are options for both half-day and full-day sessions, including an additional field trip to a local data center.

Half Day Workshop: Data & Digital Literacy for K-12 Classrooms

In this workshop, participants will get an in-depth look at practical strategies for building data literacy and digital skepticism in the K-12 classroom. This includes dedicated time for teachers and coaches to explore grade-appropriate routines for helping students read, question, and make meaning from the data they encounter every day. In addition to examining the space between information and understanding, participants will have time to collaborate with colleagues to develop a personal framework for embedding digital skepticism into classroom culture. This session is suitable for classroom teachers at all grade levels, literacy coaches, and technology coaches wishing to strengthen how students engage critically with data and digital information.

Participants should prepare for this workshop by reflecting on how data and digital information currently show up in their curriculum and classroom routines. Participants must bring their own devices with internet access for this session.

Half Day Workshop: The Threshold Moment—Teaching Students to Think About AI

In this workshop, participants will get an in-depth look at practical strategies for building AI literacy at the middle and high school level. This includes dedicated time for teachers and coaches to examine the critical space between using AI as a tool and understanding it as a system — who builds it, how it works, and what interests it serves. In addition to exploring how to help students ask better questions about the AI they already use every day, participants will have time to collaborate with colleagues to develop a discussion guide and adaptable lesson sequence ready to implement with students. This session is suitable for middle and high school classroom teachers, instructional coaches, and administrators wishing to deepen how students think critically about AI and its role in their lives.

Participants should prepare for this workshop by reflecting on how students in their school or classroom are currently using AI tools and what foundational understanding, if any, has been explicitly taught. Participants must bring their own devices with internet access for this session.

Half Day Workshop: Guiding the Crossing—Educator Identity in A Digital World

In this workshop, participants will get an in-depth look at strategies and tools for examining their own relationship with digital transformation in education. This includes dedicated time for instructional coaches, administrators, and veteran educators to reflect on where they personally stand before guiding students through an increasingly digital world. In addition to exploring what it means to develop a grounded digital identity as an educator, participants will have time to collaborate with colleagues to draft a practical, one-page change proposal ready to bring back to their school or district. This session is suitable for instructional coaches, building and district administrators, high school teachers, and veteran educators wishing to lead digital transformation from a place of self-awareness and intentional practice.

Participants should prepare for this workshop by reflecting on their own digital habits, comfort level with emerging technology, and the ways their personal relationship with digital tools shapes their professional practice. Participants must bring their own devices with internet access for this session.

Full Day Workshop: Become a JASON District Coach!

In this workshop, participants will get an in-depth look at the unique and evolving role of the instructional coach in today’s digital landscape. This includes dedicated time for JASON District Coaches and curriculum support staff to explore the threshold space they occupy — between classroom and leadership, between implementing curriculum and facilitating it for others, and between their individual practice and their responsibility to an entire district. In addition to gaining a shared language and framework for navigating this identity shift, participants will have time to collaborate with colleagues to reflect on how the themes of Liminal Literacy in a Digital World apply not just to students, but to themselves as coaching professionals. This session is suitable for K-12 educators, literacy, math, technology, and science coaches, and administrators wishing to deepen their understanding of the coach’s role at the intersection of learning and leading.

Participants should prepare for this workshop by reflecting on their own journey from classroom teacher to instructional coach or curriculum leader, and considering where they currently feel most — and least — confident in that threshold role. Participants must bring their own devices with internet access for this session.

Field Trip: Into the Threshold — Northern Virginia Data Center Tour

While on this field trip, participants will get an in-depth, behind-the-scenes look at a working Virginia data center — and witness firsthand what the internet actually looks like. Most students and teachers have never seen the physical infrastructure powering every search, stream, and AI interaction happening in their classrooms. This is the chance to stand inside it. Participants will tour the facility and connect what they see to the digital literacy concepts explored throughout the conference, leaving with a concrete, visual understanding of the invisible systems that shape digital life.