June 15-17, 2026 | Orlando, Florida
STEM Next’s Inspire Momentum is a unique new event designed to accelerate delivery of high-quality STEM learning. Because when we work together, millions of more young people can turn curiosity into power, possibility, and pathways to the future.
Join us on the Space Coast to create momentum behind what works, scale it faster, and catalyze investment where it counts.
Inspire momentum where youth, builders, and backers get to work together. Join leaders and partners from across the country to examine the trends, insights, and innovations shaping the future of STEM learning beyond the school day. Here’s what to expect at this three-day national convening.
Note, registration is now closed. Stay tuned for details on how to join us in 2027!
Leaders from across afterschool education and STEM industries will offer insights that illuminate trends shaping the future of learning and workforce preparation. Breakout sessions will translate those ideas into practice through guided collaboration, giving participants a chance to build, refine, and strengthen strategies that support career-connected STEM.
State leaders, program innovators, and industry partners will connect around common challenges and promising solutions for advancing out-of-school STEM. Shared experiences and facilitated discussions will create opportunities for new collaborations that support stronger programs, aligned strategies, and broader impact nationwide.
Youth STEM ambassadors will share firsthand insights about what sparks interest, sustains engagement, and helps learners see a future for themselves in STEM. Their experiences will highlight practical ways programs and systems can create environments that resonate with young people and open pathways to meaningful career exploration.
A guided visit to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center will bring the breadth of STEM roles behind space exploration to life. Participants will rotate through small-group experiences, including a behind-the-scenes bus tour, interactive simulations, and a conversation with astronaut Dr. Bernard A. Harris Jr. to deepen understanding of how real-world STEM career pathways connect to afterschool learning.
Your registration includes all group meals and experiences, including admission to NASA's Kennedy Space Center.
After settling in, all guests will join an evening welcome celebration at The Grove at the Caribe Royale. Neha Shukla, a youth leader shaping the national conversation on AI, will give a keynote on the power of youth voice, the role of afterschool and summer learning, and the future of STEM pathways.
The morning begins with a networking breakfast followed by a panel session exploring AI literacy in afterschool. Then, Flight Crew members will moderate a conversation with astronaut Dr. Bernard A. Harris Jr.
After a grab-and-go lunch, we board buses to Kennedy Space Center for a guided, immersive experience throughout the afternoon. The day culminates in an Earth & Space Learning Social at the Kennedy Space Center. We return to the Caribe Royale in the evening.
Following a networking breakfast, participants will select hands-on Career-Connected Learning workshops focused on real-world strategies they can take back and put into practice. Sessions include:
AI Ethicist & Founder, Innovation For Everyone
Keynote, Welcome Celebration
Global STEM Ambassador & Founder, Invent The Change
Guest Speaker, Welcome Celebration
Former NASA Astronaut
A Conversation with an Astronaut
Account Manager and Arduino Leader, Qualcomm
Panelist, Building AI Literacy at Scale: What Comes Next
AI Education Strategy Lead, American Institutes for Research (AIR)
Senior Vice President and Head of Grantmaking at Siegel Family Endowment
Quality Program Coordinator, West Virginia Statewide Afterschool Network
Youth leaders, like the STEM Next Flight Crew • State/intermediary leaders • Afterschool and summer program innovators • Corporate and philanthropic partners inspired to act.
Attire during the sessions is business casual. Feel free to be comfortable in slacks, polo shirts, cardigans or blazers (for chilly meeting rooms), blouses and most importantly, comfortable shoes. Attire for the Welcome Reception on Monday evening is summer casual.
We’ll be following CDC, state, local, and venue guidelines. We request all participants who feel ill, had recent exposure to a COVID-19 case, or test positive for COVID-19 not attend any events.
You can reach our team at events@stemnext.org.
Looking for info specific to attendees?
Ready to bet big on the next generation? So are we. Your donation of $2,500 will underwrite the STEM camp experience at Inspire Momentum for one young person.
Our team can work to customize an event activation that fits your brand’s goals and personality.
