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.

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

9:00am EDT

DEEP DIVE: FRC Season Planning & Build Process Workshop - Get your hands dirty planning how to help your students get their hands dirty

Sunday August 9, 2026 9:00am - 10:30am EDT

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

A working deep dive on FRC season planning: attendees build their own season calendar, set milestones, and assign roles during the session. The most consistently requested FRC topic nationally — bring your laptop and leave with a concrete plan.

Speakers

Joey Kerns

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

Sunday August 9, 2026 9:00am - 10:30am EDT
Grand Ballroom B (275) FRC 1301 Carrier Drive, Harrisonburg, VA 22807

FRC, Panel

9:00am EDT

(OFFSITE) PRIMER ON SHOP TOOLS AT X LAB (ADAM + ELISE) Primer on Shop Tools at X LAB

Sunday August 9, 2026 9:00am - 10:30am EDT

Grand Ballroom A (400) @ 1301 Carrier Drive, Harrisonburg, VA 22807

An offsite hands-on session at the JMU XLabs university maker space: tool use training, shop safety protocols, and practical experience with equipment most teams cannot access locally. Unique to this conference; capacity is limited by the host facility's safety requirements.

Sunday August 9, 2026 9:00am - 10:30am EDT
Grand Ballroom A (400) 1301 Carrier Drive, Harrisonburg, VA 22807

FTC, Panel | FRC, Panel

11:00am EDT

DEEP DIVE: Building a Team That Outlasts You - Succession & Sustainability for generations of students

Sunday August 9, 2026 11:00am - 12:30pm EDT

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

A deep dive on building a team that outlasts any individual mentor: succession planning, institutional knowledge transfer, mentor recruiting pipelines, and team identity that survives departures. For mentors thinking three to five years ahead.

Speakers

Conaway Haskins

Mentor | VP, Entrepreneurial Ecosystems, FRC 9709 | VIPC

TBD

Sunday August 9, 2026 11:00am - 12:30pm EDT
Grand Ballroom B (275) FRC 1301 Carrier Drive, Harrisonburg, VA 22807

FRC, Panel

11:00am EDT

(OFFSITE) PRIMER ON SHOP TOOLS AT X LAB (ADAM + ELISE) Primer on Shop Tools at X LAB

Sunday August 9, 2026 11:00am - 12:30pm EDT

Grand Ballroom A (400) @ 1301 Carrier Drive, Harrisonburg, VA 22807

An offsite hands-on session at the JMU XLabs university maker space (extended block): tool use training, shop safety protocols, and practical experience with equipment most teams cannot access locally. Capacity is limited by the host facility's safety requirements.

Sunday August 9, 2026 11:00am - 12:30pm EDT
Grand Ballroom A (400) 1301 Carrier Drive, Harrisonburg, VA 22807

FTC, Panel | FRC, Panel