GEARED UP Mentor Conference: Full Schedule

Welcome to GEARED UP 2026: Mentor Conference! Join us at James Madison University’s Festival Conference & Student Center in Harrisonburg, VA, for two days of learning, connection, and community.

You power 10,000+ students across DC, Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia. This day is built for YOU. Whether you’re a rookie coach launching your first team or a 20-year veteran looking for fresh ideas, you’ll find sessions, workshops, and conversations designed to sharpen your skills and recharge your passion.

Proudly presented by Aramco Americas. See you in Harrisonburg.

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11:30am EDT

Building a Community Team That Lasts - The structural decisions, funding, leadership, and succession, that separate teams that survive from teams that thrive.

Saturday August 8, 2026 11:30am - 12:15pm EDT

Grand Ballroom B (275) FRC @ 1301 Carrier Drive, Harrisonburg, VA 22807

A panel on starting, growing, and sustaining community FRC teams. Surfaces the structural decisions that determine whether a program survives or thrives over the long term.

Speakers

Conaway Haskins

Mentor | VP, Entrepreneurial Ecosystems, FRC 9709 | VIPC

Tom Milnes

Chief Scientist - Ship and Shore Based Navigation Group, The Johns Hopkins University / Applied Physics Laboratory

Lead Mentor of FIRST Robotics Team 2199 "Robo-Lions"

Saturday August 8, 2026 11:30am - 12:15pm EDT
Grand Ballroom B (275) FRC 1301 Carrier Drive, Harrisonburg, VA 22807

FRC, Panel

2:45pm EDT

Vision and Autonomous That Actually Work - Vision systems, autonomous routines, and AprilTags for both FTC and FRC, grounded in real hardware with Qualcomm.

Saturday August 8, 2026 2:45pm - 3:30pm EDT

Grand Ballroom B (275) FRC @ 1301 Carrier Drive, Harrisonburg, VA 22807

A presentation and demo on vision systems, autonomous routines, and AprilTag use cases, deliberately framed for both FRC and FTC audiences. Covers what actually works on the field — not just what is theoretically possible — with industry sponsor participation to ground the content in real hardware.

Speakers

Joey Kerns

Educational Specialist, Robotics & Engineering | Coach, Fairfax County Public Schools | FRC 614

Alicen Adkins

Sponsors

Qualcomm

Engineering human progress.

Qualcomm relentlessly innovates transforming businesses, enriching lives and fortifying societies. Our solutions are pivotal in crafting a smarter, interconnected world. Building on our nearly 40-year history of era-defining technology breakthroughs, we deliver leading-edge AI, high... Read More →

Saturday August 8, 2026 2:45pm - 3:30pm EDT
Grand Ballroom B (275) FRC 1301 Carrier Drive, Harrisonburg, VA 22807

FTC, Panel | FRC, Panel