Houston’s future is being shaped in classrooms today.
Last October, more than 1,200 cross-sector leaders gathered at connectED 2025 and aligned around a shared North Star: doubling the rate of Houston public school graduates earning a living wage by 2040.
With only 1 in 5 Houston public school graduates earning a living wage within six years of graduation, Houston’s future depends on what we do next — for every child, in every neighborhood.
connectED 2026 will explore what it means to prepare students for a world that keeps changing, spotlighting what’s already working in Houston and giving every leader in the room a clear role in accelerating that progress.
1600 W Loop S, Houston, TX 77027
October 29, 2026 | 11 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Regional momentum is growing. Progress is already taking shape. Will you help accelerate lasting change?
Houston’s future is what we build today.
Houston’s economy is evolving quickly. connectED 2026 will help our region’s education systems keep pace, with the clarity, alignment, and action that progress requires.
In an increasingly complex economic and workforce landscape, students deserve an education system that equips them with the skills, credentials, and support to successfully navigate the classroom-to-career journey.
connectED 2025 established a research-backed foundation that united our region behind a shared North Star. This year, we are tackling a simple, yet defining question: What must every Houston student know, experience, and achieve to succeed in a rapidly changing world?
The answer will shape how we align resources, strengthen cross-sector partnerships, and accelerate the solutions that prepare every student for lifelong success.
Speaker Line-up Coming Soon!
The future of Houston depends on your leadership today.
Your investment in connectED 2026 fuels the partnerships, research, and programs that put more Houston students on a path to a living wage.
Every level of support advances that shared goal and connects your organization to the cross-sector leaders shaping Houston’s education future.
To ensure recognition in printed event materials, we ask that commitments be confirmed by August 30, 2026.
Thank you to the leaders powering public education.