Norfolk, Va. Nearly 300 educators, leaders, and partners from across Virginia and as far away as Idaho gathered this week for the 2026 Innovation Summit, hosted by Old Dominion University and the ODU Center for Educational Innovation and Opportunity.
The two day event brought together stakeholders from K12 education, higher education, and industry to explore emerging models of teaching and learning, share best practices, and design next practices that are shaping the future of education.
Participants engaged in interactive sessions focused on real world application, including design thinking in the classroom, artificial intelligence in education, workforce connected learning, and STEM based problem solving. Pre conference sessions provided hands-on experiences in areas such as AI driven curriculum development and unmanned aerial systems data analysis.
Throughout the Summit, a clear theme emerged. Innovation in education is not theoretical. It is already happening in classrooms across Virginia and beyond.
The Summit highlighted a shift toward more connected, experiential, and forward focused learning environments that prepare students for what comes next. Across the Lab School Network and partner organizations, educators are actively designing and implementing learning experiences that connect classroom instruction to real world application.
The event featured keynote perspectives from leaders including Towuanna Porter Brannon and Nate McClennen, whose insights challenged attendees to rethink traditional models of education and emphasized alignment between learning and workforce opportunity.
In addition to formal sessions, the Summit created space for collaboration and relationship building. Representatives from school divisions, universities, and industry organizations worked together to share ideas, identify challenges, and develop strategies for scaling innovation.
The event is part of a broader effort led by the Center, which serves as the hub of Old Dominion University’s lab school network and coordinates research, partnerships, and the scaling of innovative educational models across Virginia.
By the numbers, the 2026 Innovation Summit included:
Nearly 300 attendees
Representation from more than 100 organizations
Participation from 45 localities across Virginia
Attendees traveling from multiple states
As the Summit concluded, the focus turned toward sustaining the momentum generated over the two days. Across the network, ideas and strategies from the Summit are already being implemented in classrooms and programs.
The Center for Educational Innovation and Opportunity will continue to provide opportunities for educators and partners to engage in forward focused work throughout the year. Dates for the 2027 Innovation Summit and additional programming will be announced soon.
For more information about the Innovation Summit and to explore partnership opportunities, visit ODU Center for Educational Innovation and Opportunity at https://oduceio.org.
