🤖 Van Buren Digital Frontier Symposium in Spencer, TN: Free Talk on AI, Robotics and Rural Workforce Opportunities, Thursday, November 19, 2026, 5-8 p.m.

🌄 Rural Tennessee has long balanced its farms, forests, and small-town job markets against outside change. The Van Buren Digital Frontier Symposium puts a spotlight on the next wave of change, asking how emerging technology could shape work close to home across the Cumberland Plateau region.

📣 The Van Buren Digital Frontier Symposium will be held Thursday, November 19, 2026, from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. Central at the UT Extension Van Buren County Agricultural Building in Spencer, Tennessee. The featured presentation, “The Future Is Local: AI, Robotics & Workforce Opportunities for Rural Tennessee,” will be given by Dr. Michael Torrence, President of Motlow State Community College.

🗓️ When

📅 Thursday, November 19, 2026, from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. Central.

📍 Where

🏛️ The event will take place at the UT Extension Van Buren County Agricultural Building in Spencer, Tennessee. The event poster refers to the location as the Van Buren County Ag Building.

🎤 What to expect

🤖 Dr. Torrence’s presentation focuses on a central question: what could artificial intelligence and robotics mean for jobs close to home, and how can students and working adults prepare for them? The announcement describes Dr. Torrence as a recognized leader in artificial intelligence and educational innovation who has championed training in robotics, automation, mechatronics, and advanced manufacturing, including through Motlow’s Automation & Robotics Training Center.

💡 Event materials list a range of topics, including edge computing, broadband infrastructure, cybersecurity, AI and emerging technologies, energy and future infrastructure, workforce development and STEM education, and community opportunities. Attendees are invited to bring their questions for the symposium Q&A.

🎟️ How to go

🎉 Admission is free, and the symposium is open to the public. No ticket purchase is mentioned in the event materials. Organizers encourage attendees to bring a friend or neighbor.

✨ Why you’ll want to be there

🌟 This is a chance to hear from a leader in technology education without leaving the area. For parents, students, job seekers, and working adults, the conversation is practical: it looks at how technology trends may affect local employment and what skills could help people prepare. For residents who simply want to understand the changes ahead, the event offers a clear, community-centered place to ask questions.

❤️ Community impact

🏘️ The event is hosted by S&S Community Consulting, and its poster describes the symposium as a free community educational event with the goal of empowering rural Tennessee communities through education, collaboration, and technology. The theme of building knowledge, connections, and a stronger future reflects a shared interest in keeping opportunity within reach for people in smaller towns.

📣 Mark your calendar for Thursday, November 19, 2026, and plan to join your neighbors at the UT Extension Van Buren County Agricultural Building in Spencer from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. Bring a friend, bring your questions, and be part of the conversation about what the future could mean for rural Tennessee.