Hello GTA2026 Track Leads, Trainers, and Helpers, With the 2026 Galaxy Training Academy (GTA2026) just one week away, We wanted to send a huge thank you to all of you for the time, energy, and expertise you are bringing to this event. GTA only works because people across the Galaxy community are willing to help build tracks, test tutorials, answer questions, troubleshoot issues, share their knowledge, and make participants feel welcome. We know this is a lot of work on top of everyone’s already full schedules, and we are really grateful for everything you have done to get us to this point. As we head into the final stretch, we wanted to send a few reminders about how we will be coordinating during the event. Please use the project board for track management Please continue using the GTA2026 GitHub Project Board for track management and event prep. This is where we are tracking tutorial updates, testing, install requests, video and caption tasks, track programs, and any issues that need follow-up. Keeping things on the board helps everyone see what is done, what is still in progress, and where help is needed. Please find the project board here.<https://github.com/orgs/galaxyproject/projects/86> Please use Slack for communication Slack will be our main space for day-to-day communication during GTA2026. Please use the Galaxy Training Network Slack<https://join.slack.com/t/gtnsmrgsbord/shared_invite/zt-3uw2e8uac-Ohv7YTNWj4bNa_ET1N~Ocg> for quick questions, updates, participant support, coordination with other helpers, and anything that needs more immediate attention. Let’s make Slack feel active and welcoming One thing we would really love to encourage this year is a more open and active Slack space. Because GTA is asynchronous, Slack is the primary way participants will feel a real community around them during the event. Even small messages can make a big difference! If you are able, please try to log on each day and start by posting a quick message in Slack. It can be something simple like: “Good morning, everyone! I’m online and happy to help with questions in the [track name] track. Hope everyone has a great day of training!” Or: “Hi everyone! I’ll be checking in throughout the day. Drop your questions here if you are working through [tutorial/track name].” You can also help keep things fun by sharing small prompts, trivia questions, encouragement, or conversation starters related to your track. Things like: * “What Galaxy tool are you most excited to try today?” * “Trivia question: what does the ‘Q’ in ‘FASTQ' stand for?” * “Drop a 🎉 when you finish your first tutorial!” * “What analysis question brought you to this track?” The goal is not to create extra work for anyone. The goal is to make the space feel alive, friendly, and supportive, so participants know there are real people here with them. Meet the Expert segments We are also introducing Meet the Expert segments for GTA2026 this year. Each day, a short expert video will be released on YouTube at midnight AEST, highlighting scientists, developers, trainers, and community members working across different areas of Galaxy and data-intensive research. Links and reminders will be shared through Slack, so please feel free to help amplify these when you see them. These segments are a great way to add energy to the week, give participants another way to connect with the Galaxy community, and highlight the people and work behind the platform. Thank you again Thank you again for helping with GTA2026. We know this event has a lot of moving parts, and I really appreciate everyone’s patience, flexibility, and willingness to jump in where needed. We are excited to see the community come together next week, and I am especially grateful to have all of you helping make that happen. Best, The GTA2026 Organizing Committee