CONFERENCE INFORMATION
All grantees are invited to submit proposals to conduct sessions as part of the agenda for the 2026 ATE Conference. The ATE Conference will take place on October 21-23, 2026, at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, DC.
For more than three decades the ATE Conference has served as the primary convening for the national Advanced Techological Education (ATE) community. Through this network, ATE grantees share promising strategies and lessons learned, exchange resources, build partnerships, and accelerate the adoption of effective practices in STEM technician education.
The 2026 conference theme, "ATE in Action," highlights not only the work of individual ATE projects and centers, but also the power of the ATE community as a coordinated national networking advancing the skilled technical workforce.
Session proposals are encouraged to demonstrate how ATE grantees contribute to this coordinated community by sharing resources, collaborating across institutions, scaling innovations, and advancing collective impact.
SESSION GUIDELINES AND CRITERIA
Session proposals should follow the criteria and guidelines outlined below. Where applicable, submissions should demonstrate how the ATE community advances innovation and impact through partnerships and collaboration with key stakeholders, such as community colleges, industry partners, secondary and four-year institutions, and other ATE projects and centers.
Sessions will be selected based on the ability of session leaders to:
Note: Session proposals should not be used for general grant updates. All ATE grantees have the opportunity to share information about their work through ATE Connects, a featured conference component designed for sharing resources, networking, and engaging with the ATE community. Participation in ATE Connects, and signing up for a "conversation hub" is separate from this Call for Sessions process. For more information on ATE Connects, see the event website.
SESSION FORMATS
Proposals submitted must follow one of the following formats.
Learning Labs
Session Length: 90 minutes
Maximum Number of Presenters/Facilitators: 4
Scheduling: Accepted proposals will be scheduled for the morning of Wednesday, October 21.
Learning Labs are hands-on, interactive sessions in a classroom-style setting. Session leaders will enage attendees in immersive learning to experience an activity, lesson, or exercise using real tools and resources. Designed as bring-your-own-device (BYOD) sessions, attendees will practice new approaches and leave with practical skills and takeaways to apply ATE innovations in their own work.
Community Action Sessions
Session Length: 90 minutes
Maximum Number of Presenters/Facilitators: 3
Scheduling: Accepted proposals will be scheduled on either the morning of Wednesday, October 21 or the morning of Friday, October 23.
Community Action Sessions are interactive, participant-driven sessions focused on collaborative problem-solving around shared challenges facing the ATE community. Each session centers on a challenge or question identified by the session proposer and works toward practical strategies or action steps. Session leaders facilitate discussion and engage participants in developing solutions that can be applied across projects or institutions. Proposals should clearly describe the challenge or question to be addressed and how participants will be actively involved in developing solutions.
Spotlight Sessions
Session Length: 45 minutes
Maximum Number of Presenters: 4
Scheduling: Accepted proposals will be scheduled on Wednesday, October 21, Thursday, October 22, or Friday, October 23.
Spotlight Sessions are facilitated panel discussions designed to pose and answer thought-provoking questions that highlight proven practices and lessons leanred. Preference will be given to proposals that include presenters representing different projects, centers, and/or grant partners. Proposals should clearly describe the focus, context, and intended audience, and reflect the capacity to explore new ideas to ensure a stimulating and meaningful session for participants. Proposals that are primarily report-outs of a single project or center will not be selected.
Synergy Sessions
Session Length: 45 minutes
Maximum Number of Facilitators: 3 people
Scheduling: Accepted proposals will be scheduled on Wednesday, October 21, Thursday, October 22, or Friday, October 23.
Synergy Sessions are interactive, discussion-based sessions designed to bring together participants with shared interests to exchange ideas, build connections, and explore opportunities for collaboration. These sessions follow a "birds of a feather" format and are best suited for open dialogue rather than formal presentation. Session leaders serve as facilitators, guiding substantive conversations that highlight promising practices and lessons learned with members of the ATE community. Proposals should describe the overall context surrounding the anticipated discussion and clearly identify the intended audience.
Innovation Demos
Session Length: 30 minutes
Maximum Number of Presenters: 2
Scheduling: Accepted proposals will be scheduled for the afternoon of Thursday, October 22.
Innovation Demos are formal presentations that show how to use or apply an innovative strategy, technology tool, or concept pertinent to strengthening STEM technician education. The proposal should describe how the presenter will walk attendees through a clear, step-by-step explanation of the strategy, concept, or tool; its strengths, and weaknesses; and how it can best be applied or implemented. Presenters should have proven practice on the strategies, concepts, or technology tools they are presenting and be able to share key takeaways.
ATE Connects Countdowns
Session Length: 10 minutes
Maximum Number of Presenters: 1
Scheduling: Accepted proposals will take place in the exhibit hall as part of the ATE Connects sessions on Thursday, October 22, from 10:30 a.m.-12:15 p.m. or 3:45-5:30 p.m.
ATE Connects Countdowns are fast-paced sessions where presenters share their "Top 10" (or fewer) best practices, technology trends, or lessons learned in advancing STEM technician education. Held in the back of the exhibit hall, each presenter is timed and has up to 10 minutes and 5 slides to highlight key insights that align with session focus areas. Examples could include (but are not limited to): Top 10 Ways to Use AI in the Classroom; Top 5 Strategies for Student Recruitment; 10 Leassons Learned with NSF Annual Reports, etc. A slide template will be provided, and presentations must be uploaded in advance.
Note: ATE Connects Countdowns are set in the exhibit hall and take place during the main ATE Connects sessions. All projects and centers are expected to participate in ATE Connects, which is a featured component of the conference agenda. Signing up to host a conversation hub in ATE Connects is a SEPARATE process from this Call for Sessions. For how to reserve a conversation hub in ATE Connects, see the event website.
SESSION FOCUS AREAS
Session focus areas are designed to help participants identify key themes of each session. Proposals may select up to two focus areas that best align with the content of the session. Examples under each focus area are presentative, not comprehensive.
Curriculum design, instructional strategies, the integration of emerging and/or advanced technologies
Recruitment, retention, student success, work-based learning, career pathways
Business/industry collaboration, cross-sector partnerships, regional workforce alighment
Professional development, mentoring, building institutional and project leadership capacity
Dissemination of strattegies, broadening project impact, replication of effective practices
Project administration, evaluation, reporting, and sustainability
SESSION AUDIOVISUAL
For all sessions, a data projector and data package (AV cart with necessary power cords) will be provided. Internet access is available upon request for Learning Labs and Innovation Demos. Session presenters for all sessions, with the exception of “ATE Connects Countdowns,” must bring their own laptops.
SESSION COLLABORATION
AACC provides information on its conference website to assist ATE projects and centers with identifying potential session collaborators and similar projects—such as searching through ATE Central or the NSF awards database. AACC reserves the right to identify similar session proposals and ask those submitting to work together on conducting a session, as well as to change the presentation type as needed to adhere to session guidelines.
HOW TO SUBMIT A SESSION PROPOSAL
Session proposals must be submitted by the deadline of August 7, 2026. To submit a session, click here.
It is recommended that proposers download the Call for Sessions quetsions in Word format, available here, to prepare them for submission.
Required information for all session proposals includes:
Submitting Project/Center 7-digit NSF ATE grant award number
Sesion Focus Area Selection
Session Discipline Area Selection
Session Organizer Contact Information
Speakers/Facilitators' Contact Information
Session Title – limited to 70 characters
Session Description/Program Abstract – limited to 600 characters
Learning Objectives/Discussion Questions – Provide 2-3 learning objectives and/or discussion questions that your session will address.
Session Challenge or Focus Question (for Community Action Sessions only) - Identify the primary challenge or question that will guide participant discussion and collaborative problem-soving during your session.
Session Outline – Provide an outline that includes a session agenda, session activities, and a list of any materials to be shared.
Target Audience - Describe your target audience for this session (i.e. new ATE PIs, those working in specific STEM areas, etc.)
SESSION NOTIFICATION
AACC will notify all session submittors of the status of their proposals and those that have been accepted onto the conference program by early September.
QUESTIONS
Contact ate@aacc.nche.edu