Students of Greenwood Elementary (Jefferson County) – from left to right, Sydney Vance, 5th year student, 4th year student, 4th year student Abigail Westman and Zoe Winebrenner of 5th year – present their project to a judge during the leadership program of student technology 2025. Education, April 23, 2025
More than 20,000 people attended the state championship of the technological leadership program of students at Rupp Arena in Lexington on April 23.
Students, educators, District Edtech, administrators, Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) and community members could see students from the whole state presenting their technological projects.
Managed by the KDE education technology office, the Student technological leadership program (STLP) uses project learning, the use of technology and the creation of digital content to allow students’ performance. Education leaders, volunteers and sellers’ partners help organize the annual championship event.
The STLP 2025 state championship included more than 500 K-12 schools of 107 school districts. Students participated in more than 20 live challenges in fields such as coding, robotics and cinemania, which is a film competition where teams create short videos within 48 hours. These competitions allow students to test creativity, problem solving and technical skills.
Education Commissioner Robbie Fletcher said that the program is a wonderful opportunity for students to have dynamic learning experiences, one of the central ideas Kentucky’s united we learns vision.
“Our students get practical experiences creating real world projects and resolving real world problems in the context of the STLP,” said Fletcher. “These competitions encourage students to use technology to learn, direct and solve problems in a creative and collaborative way. Today, we see the future commercial and community leaders of Kentucky, and they are doing a great job. ”
As part of the Sumo Bots competition on the Student Technological Leadership Program program in 2025, Kaden Morgan, Senior of Cumberland County High School, on the left, and the Junior Parker Shelley watch their robot fight another robot of a Western Hills High School team (County of Franklin). Photo by Joe Ragusa, Kentucky Department of Education, April 23, 2025
More than 600 project teams presented their work based on one year and a base built on the Kentucky academic standards for technology.
Students were judged in more than 24 categories of creative digital arts, including animation, photography, podcasting, video production, 3D design, augmented reality and digital music.
KDE Associate Commissioner and Kindergarten Information Director in the 12th year, David Couch said that students demonstrated both their creative expression and their technical mastery in digital narration.
“The STLP state championship is a live overview of what dynamic and authentic learning looks like,” he said. “This event celebrates the power of students as creators, managers and problems of problems in a connected world.”
The judges have selected the champion project teams of the best project entries. The four selected state champions are:
- K-5 Division Best STLP Project in Kentucky: “Mystery History”, Summit Elementary School (Boyd County)
- 6-8 Division Best STLP project in Kentucky: “Girls in Flight”, Kammerer Middle School (County of Jefferson)
- 9-12 Division Best STLP Project in Kentucky: “The Paw Print”, Fardale High School (County of Jefferson)
- DAVE SIGN AWARD for the best technical project of the STLP: “Lockdown of the project”, Russell High School (Russell Independent)
Champions will represent Kentucky as a special presenters at the conference of the International Society for Technology Technology 2025 in San Antonio, Texas, which is one of the largest Edtech gatherings in the world.
Peak