SXSW EDU 2026: Discover How to Incorporate Technology with Impact
AI is evolving at a rapid rate, and there are countless opportunities to adopt new edtech at every level. But how do you realistically deploy innovative solutions into schools to fit your unique needs? Technology leaders across school systems need a focused approach on how to practically implement systems that pay off for students.
SXSW EDU is your opportunity to gain new insights on how to move forward with innovative edtech. This March 9–12, education thought leaders, innovators, and visionaries will be congregating in Austin, Texas for SXSW EDU 2026. It's a chance to meet up with peers to discover new ideas to shape the classroom of the future.
Education professionals can dive into innovation with about 400 sessions across 12 thematic tracks, like the Future of Tech track. Uncover big ideas at Keynotes and Featured Sessions or gain hands-on experience in Workshops. Programming like the SXSW EDU Expo and the Launch Startup Competition give attendees a chance to see edtech innovation up close and personal.
Meanwhile, networking events help innovators learn from peers from across the globe. With over 180 mentorship opportunities and over 50 themed meet ups, the SXSW EDU connects innovators who are actively trying new strategies, sharing their ideas, and creating new ways to learn.
Dive into some of the opportunities for organization leaders, IT professionals, and tech-savvy educators to explore and deploy solutions with impact:
1. Beyond the Sales Pitch: Evaluating Edtech for Efficacy
How can busy educators and district leaders make smart tech purchasing decisions? When dollars are tight, educators and district leaders need to ensure they make the best decision for their students. Attendees will walk away empowered to make smart purchases that will truly transform their students' learning experience
2. Early Days Again: What AI Makes Possible for New Schools
This session examines what early adopters of AI in public education are learning in real classrooms and school systems, the concrete design choices and conditions behind early success, and the operational, instructional, and governance questions that must be resolved over the next five years for AI to strengthen public education rather than fragment it.
3. Teaching Today: Innovations to Help Educators Stay & Thrive
Explore breakthrough solutions designed to support teachers. From AI-powered tools that reduce workload and save time to tech-forward solutions that foster motivation and sustainability, hear from leaders creating 21st-century solutions to retain teachers and better serve those at the center of student learning.
4. The End of Slow: How Schools Escape from Digital Gridlock
Next generation connectivity can change the reality of teaching and learning. See how smarter network design returns valuable space to classrooms while reducing costs and operational effort. Learn from two school districts that brought their plans to life with efficient, eco-smart infrastructure that redefined their learning spaces.
5. Empowering Educators: AI & Tech Professional Development
This show and tell session highlights how educator‑ready curriculum resources can strengthen instructional practice and prepare students for a technology‑driven world. Also, see why dedicated professional development is critical for helping educators stay ahead of emerging technologies.
6. Why Educators Switch Tools: Live Interview Insights
Why do educators say "yes" to new solutions? In this live, unscripted Jobs-to-be-Done interview, you'll observe how to uncover the real motivations of end users—beyond surface-level feedback.
7. Co-Designing Edtech with Kids
This interactive workshop introduces a research-informed resource that empowers edtech developers and educators to involve children and families in the design process. Whether you're building the next big learning app or innovating in the classroom, you'll gain actionable strategies and hands-on experience to create more effective learning technologies.
8. Tomorrow's Principal Podcast: Don't Stop at Disruption
This live podcast takes on the overloaded buzzword and reframes it: not as chaos, but as a chance to redesign the principalship. What happens when tech, politics, and pressure collide with a role already stretched thin? Explore how education leaders can seize opportunities in the midst of perceived chaos and how systems must change with them.
9. Human Futures: Learning in a Tech-Shaped World
Through open dialogue, participants will examine how emerging tools reshape learning environments and expand access to knowledge. This meet up invites attendees to interrogate the ways tech products and services are shaping education, challenge assumptions, and imagine new models of collaboration.
10. AI & Teacher Voice
There is much work to be done for AI to be an effective learning tool. Successful implementation requires that teachers be heard and their feedback included as AI products are developed and moved into the classroom. Join this meet up to share and learn about how edtech companies and teachers can work together to define the role of AI in the classrooms of the future.
11. SXSW EDU Expo
The SXSW EDU Expo, presented by Canyon GBS, brings together a global community by showcasing a diverse mix of innovative exhibitors in the education space—from emerging startups to established industry leaders. Explore interactive exhibits at your own pace and connect with trailblazing organizations that could change the game for your school.
12. Launch Startup Competition
The SXSW EDU Launch Startup Competition, presented by the Walton Family Foundation, celebrates emerging innovations in learning with a fast-paced pitch competition. On Tuesday, March 10, hear from seven early-stage startups sharing how their breakthrough solutions can make an impact on teaching and learning.
Register now to join a global community of innovators and shape the future of education together at SXSW EDU 2026.