Wastewater treatment is crucial for public health and has saved more lives than penicillin. However, treating wastewater is an extremely energy intensive process. The Kishwaukee Water Reclamation District (KWRD) has developed exciting innovations to make this high-energy process much more environmentally sustainable. By turning the waste that remains at the end of the treatment process into a source of energy, they've made the treatment process nearly energy neutral. Each day, an average of 5.5 million gallons of wastewater flows through the sanitary sewers under DeKalb, NIU, the Village of Malta and Kishwaukee College. STEAM Cafes are fun, casual gatherings where adults can eat, drink and chat with STEAM professionals about the latest scientific research.

As debates over school choice intensify, magnet schools offer an evidence-based model for advancing access and innovation within the public system. This session examines how the nation's largest and most established form of public school choice is delivering on diversity and excellence. With themes ranging from STEM to early college, magnets are designed to integrate--not segregate--and provide high-quality options for families. We'll explore policy levers at the federal/state/local levels that are supporting (or hindering) magnet growth.

AI tools are improving quickly, and educators are already finding meaningful uses for them. What hasn't been defined yet is the school model that makes AI work for students and teachers in a coherent, reliable way at scale. 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. Presented by City Fund.

The NEA RA is the largest democratic deliberative assembly in the world and is held every year during the last week of June and/or first week in July. The Annual Meeting kicks off with pre-RA meetings, conferences, and exhibits. The RA consists of eight business sessions spanning the four final days of the Annual Meeting where RA delegates debate the vital issues that impact public education and set policy and activities for the year ahead. Delegates must be elected to attend the NEA Representative Assembly. For nomination and election as a local delegate, please check with your local association.