2026 NV STEAM Conference: Into the Time Horizon
The Nevada Museum of Art, in partnership with DRI, hosts an annual conference serving Nevada’s K-12 educators exploring ideas and educational strategies to incorporate STEAM, design-based thinking, and practices to integrate arts in the classroom to foster student creativity and innovative problem solving.
This year’s theme, “Into the Time Horizon,” draws inspiration from the Museum’s feature exhibition of the same title and explores ideas about the global environment, protecting our planet, and sustainability.
At this one-day event, artists, writers, scientists, curriculum specialists, and researchers will explore how to help teaching and learning thrive in an uncertain era, and educators will receive classroom-ready toolkits and teaching strategies rooted in interdisciplinary learning, creativity and collaboration.
PRE-CONFERENCE SESSIONS
Opening Talk with Artist and Writer Jonathon Keats
Friday, March 6 | 4 – 5:30 pm
REGISTER Space is limited.
Pre-Conference Opening Reception at Desert Research Institute
Friday, March 6 | 6 – 8 pm
REGISTER Space is limited.
NV STEAM CONFERENCE
Saturday, March 7
8 am | Conference Registration, Coffee and Continental Breakfast
9 am | Conference Opening and Welcome
Colin Roberston, Senior Vice President of Education and Research at the Nevada Museum of Art, and Emily McDonald-Williams, Director of STEM Education program at DRI, welcome educators to the 2026 NV STEAM Conference.
Learning with Nature
Sam Stier, biologist and founder of The Center for Learning with Nature, uses an interactive project about tree ring data to explore how lessons from the natural world (such as biomimicry, nature-inspired design, and wonder-driven inquiry) inform innovation and STEAM learning.
Social and Emotional Learning
Explore elements of social and emotional learning with an arts integration specialist and Paul Bogard, author of The End of Night and editor of Solastalgia: An Anthology of Emotion in a Disappearing World.
Centuries of the Bristlecone
Artist Jonathon Keats and researcher Adam Csank hold a conversation on deep time, climate, and resilience through the lens of bristlecone pine research, bridging dendrochronology, art, and classroom application.
Native Resilience
Maureen McCarthy and Ileah Kirchoff of the Native Resilience Project along with artist, Oscar Tuazon, explore methods of agricultural and environmental adaptation and climate resilience through Native knowledge systems and scientific data, and offer educator-ready resources designed for immediate classroom implementation.
Discovery Education
Discover ready-to-use educational resources available statewide from Discovery Education with Jenn Hunter, Nevada Manager of Statewide and Strategic Partnerships.
5 pm | Conference Closing and Synthesis
Nevada educators can earn 7.5 professional development hours (.5 credits) approved by the Nevada Department of Education.
Registration is free for Nevada’s educators. Hosted breakfast and working lunch.
For additional information, please contact Christina Michael.
MAJOR SPONSOR
Nevada Gold Mines, operated by Barrick
SPONSORS
Arrow Electronics Inc
Peek Family Charitable Foundation
Melanie Rudnick
SUPPORTING SPONSORS
Bank of America
Robert Z. Hawkins Foundation
ADDITIONAL SUPPORT
Nell J. Redfield Foundation
