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

The New Control System: What's Coming and When - The unified FTC and FRC platform launching 2027-28, and what coaches should plan for now while testing is underway.

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

Allegheny Room (80) Technical @ 1301 Carrier Drive, Harrisonburg, VA 22807

An overview of the new unified control system that will bring a shared software and hardware experience to FTC starting in 2027-28. Covers what is changing, how it ties into the parallel FRC transition, and what coaches should be planning for now while alpha and beta testing is still underway.

Speakers

Phil Malone

Saturday August 8, 2026 11:30am - 12:15pm EDT
Allegheny Room (80) Technical 1301 Carrier Drive, Harrisonburg, VA 22807

Technical, Panel

2:45pm EDT

Coding in the age of GPT and Claude - Do's and Dont's

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

Allegheny Room (80) Technical @ 1301 Carrier Drive, Harrisonburg, VA 22807

This talk is designed for students aged 8–16, mentors, and educators, and explores both the opportunities and risks of coding in the AI era. Through relatable examples and interactive discussion, the session will demonstrate how AI can accelerate learning, lower barriers to innovation, and empower students to build projects earlier than ever before. Equally important, the talk will emphasize the continued importance of curiosity, problem-solving, creativity, teamwork, and debugging skills in a world where AI-generated code is increasingly accessible.

Speakers

Sairam Geethanath

Assistant Professor, Johns Hopkins University

I am an Assistant Professor of Radiology and Radiological Science at Johns Hopkins University, mentoring kids for FLL Discovery and Explore since 2019-2020. I am passionate about AI and robotics.

Saturday August 8, 2026 2:45pm - 3:30pm EDT
Allegheny Room (80) Technical 1301 Carrier Drive, Harrisonburg, VA 22807

Technical, Presentation

9:00am EDT

Barriers and Bridges – A Strategic Approach to Having a Real Impact - Don't just win Impact, develop a team that's Impactfull

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

Allegheny Room (80) Technical @ 1301 Carrier Drive, Harrisonburg, VA 22807

Talking about your Impact is great – but how do you actually have a *real* impact? In this session, we'll tackle crafting a useful mission statement to guide your work, as well as learn about how the Barriers and Bridges protocol is used to build impactful outreach programs. This long-form session will help teach you how to discuss and evolve programs using a solutions-oriented mindset to build large-scale, high-impact outreach.

Speakers

Isriah Keila

Coach | Business Development Manager, FRC 321 RoboLancers | FIRST Inspires

Isriah Keila is a Business Development Manager at FIRST, supporting the growth of FTC and FRC programs across Western PA, FIRST Mid-Atlantic, and FIRST Chesapeake. A proud alum of FLL Jr., FLL Challenge, FTC, and FRC, he has spent the past five years coaching FRC Team 321, the RoboLancers... Read More →

Sunday August 9, 2026 9:00am - 10:30am EDT
Allegheny Room (80) Technical 1301 Carrier Drive, Harrisonburg, VA 22807

Technical, Presentation