2026 NCWIT Summit

Each year, the NCWIT Summit provides unique opportunities to meet and collaborate with changemakers from across NCWIT’s ecosystem. Together, attendees exchange research-backed strategies and promising practices designed to broaden participation in tech, both in computing education and within the broader workforce.

This year’s event at the University of Colorado Boulder, will feature thought-provoking workshops, award celebrations, and galvanizing presentations between June 1-2. Please check back for additional updates.

“I always learn from both presenters and other attendees. You challenge me to think differently and act differently. It’s also a very engaging conference—we don’t just sit back and listen—we work.”

~ NCWIT Summit Attendee

Logistics

The 2026 NCWIT Summit will take place in Boulder, CO, at the University Memorial Center on the University of Colorado Boulder campus. Please make hotel reservations at the Limelight Hotel no later than May 1st, 2026, which is when the discounted rate expires. The hotel is approximately 1/2 a mile from the conference space and 42 miles from Denver International Airport. Read more about the hotel and more about Boulder as a destination.

Agenda

Monday, June 1, 2026

9:00–9:05 AM

Welcome

Colorado Governor Jared Polis welcomes this year’s Summit attendees

9:05–10:20 AM

Is Computer Science Dead? (Panel)

Evolving CS in the Age of Generative AI

As Large Language Models and automated reasoning engines move beyond syntax to handle complex software engineering tasks, the discipline of Computer Science faces a fundamental identity crisis. For decades, the “low-level” mastery of algorithms, data structures, and manual implementation was the gatekeeper to the field. Today, as AI begins to abstract away the implementation layer, we must ask: Is the traditional core of Computer Science becoming obsolete, or is it simply being liberated from the mechanics of coding? This session moves beyond the superficial “AI can code” debate to examine the structural shifts in computation and their impacts on education and the workplace.

10:20–10:30 AM

The State of NCWIT

Learn about NCWIT’s programs and initiatives.

10:30–11:00 AM

Break

11:00–12:30 PM

Breakout 1

Mini Plenary – Renise Walker

Workforce Workshop: Neurodiversity in the Workplace

Higher Ed Workshop

K-12 Workshop

12:30–1:30 PM

Lunch

1:30–3:00 PM

Breakout 2

Mini Plenary — Everyday Actions, Extraordinary Cultures: Igniting Grassroots Inclusion in Turbulent Times

Workforce Workshop: Neurodiversity in the Workplace

Higher Ed Workshop

K-12/College of Engineering and Applied Sciences Breakout

3:00–3:30 PM

Break

3:30–4:15 PM

Plenary 2: Casey Fiesler

This session will explore AI Ethics.

4:15–4:25 PM

Poem Reading: Suzi Q. Smith

5:00–6:30 PM

NCWIT Reception

Tuesday, June 2, 2026

8:30–10:30 AM

Breakout 3

Board of Directors Meeting (invite only)

Learning Circles Meeting

9:00–10:30 AM

Mini Plenary: Quantum Computing

Mini Plenary

10:30–11:00 AM

Break

11:00–11:20 AM

Pioneer Award Presentation

This year’s Pioneer in Tech Award will recognize Marian Croak.

11:20–12:20 PM

Plenary 3: Emily Pilloton-Lam

How are women building the world we want to see? What would it mean to live in a world more equally authored by women? These are the questions that Emily Pilloton-Lam has spent a lifetime asking herself and the world around her as she recruits the next generation to the trades. Drawing from her experience as the founder and executive director of Girls Garage, a nonprofit design and construction school for girls and gender expansive youth, she will share stories from all-female youth job sites, challenge our thinking around gender equity in the built environment, and invite participants to embrace actionable steps towards a more just and equitable construction industry. Emily will highlight the importance of our minds, our creativity, and our kindness in all of our respective fields, demonstrating the power of humanity when building a better world.

12:20–12:30 PM

Closing Remarks

Speakers

Suzi Q. Smith

Suzi Q. Smith is an award-winning poet and author who lives in Denver, Colorado. The author of poetry collections Poems for the End of the...

Stefanie Tompkins

Stefanie Tompkins currently serves as the Provost of the Colorado School of Mines, a return to the university where she previously served as Vice President...

This Year's Summit is Sponsored by:

Sponsorship opportunities for the 2026 NCWIT Summit are available. Learn more, or email [email protected] for more information.