NETA 2026: Finding the Right Rhythm

By Jennifer Davis, NETA Board President

The 2026 NETA Spring Conference at Younes Conference Center North is in the books! Over April 30 and May 1, Nebraska educators showed up in Kearney ready to learn, share, and remix.

Here are a few of the moments I’m holding onto.

George Couros set the tone Thursday morning, pushing us to think about innovation as a way to help every learner find success in their own way. The energy in the Gold Ballroom carried straight into the breakout sessions, and you could feel it in the hallways the rest of the day.

On Friday morning, Devin Siebold had us laughing and crying in the same hour, and he reminded us of the depth and importance of our work. Teachers are not often told that what they do matters, and Devin spent his time on stage doing exactly that. He also inspired me to weave more humor into my own work. Humor isn’t my default setting, but I am going to give it an honest shot!

If you used the Conference Concierge chatbot, you have Eric Curts to thank. It was a great first stop for figuring out which sessions to hit, and based on the traffic at neta2026.web.app, plenty of you put it to work. Eric also hosted Thursday’s game night, which was a blast.

The Mic Drop App Smackdown on Thursday afternoon was a highlight. Presenters got 45 seconds to pitch one tool or trick before they are cut off. New NETA Board Member Jessica Breitkreutz from Centennial took home the win, and her love of Canva took center stage!

Featured Speaker Ryan O’Donnell shared a hot tip with Past-President Kyleigh Kumm and she can’t stop telling everyone about it! Cmd/Ctrl + D duplicates whatever you have selected. Slides, Sheets, design tools, almost anywhere. Where has this tip been all our lives?

Courtney Watson’s sessions were a major highlight. She packed her sessions full of amazing tips and all things Google. Mickie Mueller was a standout star, with attendees naming her as one of their absolute favorite presenters in our feedback survey! Her sessions were described leaving participants inspired and loaded with “great new ideas and knowledge” to take back to their schools!

A warm welcome to our new President-Elect, Lynne Herr, and to our newly elected directors: Jeremy Borer, Jessica Breitkreutz, Jeff Ingraham, and Kim Ingraham. And a special welcome back to Lisa Bohaty, returning to the board after wrapping her term as Past President. We are lucky to have all of you.

To the rest of the NETA Board, thank you. The conference we all just experienced was the result of months of planning, long Zoom calls, spreadsheet wrangling, contest judging, sponsor coordination, and the kind of unglamorous work that nobody sees. I am proud to serve alongside this group.

See you next year.