GEARED UP Mentor Conference

GEARED UP Mentor Conference

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.

Thomas Larson

Atlee High School

CTE Teacher

Mechanicsville, Virginia

ahs.hcps.us/

Find me on

8:00am EDT

Networking Coffee Grand Ballroom A (400)

9:00am EDT

You Are Not Coaching Alone - How Virginia's growing STEM ecosystem connects mentors, students, and resources across every region. Opening keynote with Amy Sabarre, Director, Virginia STEM Ecosystems. Grand Ballroom A (400)Amy Sabarre

10:15am EDT

From $250 to Five Figures: Grant Writing That Works - Find the opportunity, write the application, win the award. For every program and every budget. Conf Room 7 (165) Fundraising & PlanningShelly Stoddard • FIRST Chesapeake

11:30am EDT

She Leads FIRST: Women in STEM - Building confidence and leadership for girls in STEM, and creating team cultures that recruit and keep them, from FLL through FRC Conf Room 4 (40) Access & AdvocacyDeAnna Williams • Elise Spontarelli • Mary Thompson • Denyse Carroll • Laurie Gray

1:30pm EDT

Beyond the Robot: Building Meaningful Community Partnerships Through Outreach Conf Room 4 (40) Access & AdvocacyGeoff Estes

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. Grand Ballroom B (275) FRCJoey Kerns • Alicen Adkins • Qualcomm

4:00pm EDT

Embracing the Kaizen - How Continuous Improvement Can Turn a Small Dog Into a Much Larger One Board Dining (40) Team ManagementLeon Pryor

4:30pm EDT

Networking Happy Hour At Ruby's Arcade Bar + Arcade

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 Allegheny Room (80) TechnicalIsriah Keila

11:00am EDT

Getting Back Up: The Use of Failure in the Process Allegheny Room (80) TechnicalShelly Stoddard