The 2026 ATE Conference will be held October 21–23 at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, D.C., hosted by the American Association of Community Colleges in partnership with the National Science Foundation (NSF). The event convenes more than 800 NSF Advanced Technological Education (ATE) grantees and partners from across the country in fields such as information technology, engineering technologies, biotechnology, artificial intelligence, advanced manufacturing technologies, and other high-demand workforce areas.

For more than three decades, the ATE Conference has served as the primary convening of the national ATE community—advancing STEM technician education through the leadership of community and technical colleges working in partnership with business and industry, secondary and postsecondary education, and other key stakeholders.

The 2026 theme, "ATE in Action", reflects both the work of individual projects and centers and the strength of the national ATE community where participants share practices, exchange resources, and develop collaborations that build the skilled technical workforce.