PHOTOS: 2026 STLP State Championship

(LEXINGTON, KY) – More than 20,000 people attended the 2026 Student Technology Leadership Program (STLP) State Championship at Rupp Arena in Lexington on April 24.

Students, educators, district education technology leaders, administrators, Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) staff and community members witnessed students from all over the state showcasing their technology projects.

Run by KDE’s Office of Education Technology, the Student Technology Leadership Program uses project-based learning, technology utilization and digital content creation to empower student achievement.

All photos are by Joe Ragusa, information office supervisor with the Kentucky Department of Education’s (KDE’s) Division of Communications.

Penelope Levenda, a 5th-grade student at Bloom Elementary School (Jefferson County), talks to judges about her group’s STLP project, “Bloom News Kidz,” an interactive website to help students stay up to date with current events in a fun way modeled after “News Quiz” on KET. The group won the K-5 Division Best STLP Project in Kentucky award.

Robbie Fletcher talks to a group of people

Commissioner of Education Robbie Fletcher meets with parents of STLP participants.

A student points to a poster board and talks to a couple of judges

Eryn McDowell, a sophomore at Lyon County High School, speaks with judges about her group’s STLP project, which was a website that sought input from fellow students on issues affecting them. “So many people just don’t feel like they have a voice in our school, and we do not want that to happen,” said Karadari Hornback, another sophomore from Lyon County High School who worked on the project. “We want everyone to walk in that building and feel included in anything and everything they do.”

A student holds her hands out as she demonstrates a point to two judges

Heidi Castle, a senior at George Rogers Clark High School (Clark County), makes a presentation to judges about her group’s STLP project, the Mental Health Petting Zoo, which incorporates sheep from the school’s agriculture program and other animals to benefit students and staff.

A student taps a remote control as he talks to a judge

Sawyer Howton, a 5th-grade student from Southside Elementary School (Jefferson County), explains a robot his group built, “Haiden the Hall Guide,” to an STLP judge. “The problem or challenge we’re trying to fix is kids playing in the halls and kids getting lost,” Howton said.

A man holds his hands up as a girl reaches down toward an upside-down robotic car

Blake Konny with KDE’s Office of Continuous Improvement and Support volunteers in the Robot World exhibit at the 2026 STLP State Championship and helps a student – 5th-grader Macy Jo Davis of Tompkinsville Elementary School (Monroe County) – with the off-road racing course.

Three students holds tablets and watch robotic cars play with a soccer ball

A group of students from Camden Station Elementary School (Oldham County) – from left, 5th-graders Ollie Gomsak, Rudy Ross and James King – play robot soccer in the Robot World exhibit.

A group of students from Rowan County pose for a photo at one of the STLP selfie stations.

A group of kids pose for a photo with a woman, holding up signs saying they love KET, News Quiz and STLP

Kelsey Starks, host of “News Quiz” on KET, takes a photo with students from Bath County. Starks hosted an edition of “News Quiz” during the STLP award presentations.

A woman points to a table in front of a group of kids

Donna Arnold, an education outreach specialist with KET Education, assists students with a virtual face painting program on a tablet.

A woman smiles in front of a group of kids

Ashley Gates, program consultant with KDE’s Division of Student Success, speaks with a group of students about a design challenge KDE hosted where students detailed what their ideal learning environment looks like.

A girl holds a remote control and flies a drone through a green hoop as a man in a red polo supervises

Riley King, an 8th-grade student from Pikeville Independent Middle School, flies a drone as part of the Kentucky Aerospace Education Center’s exhibit as part of the STLPx section of STLP while volunteer Gary Lowe supervises. STLPx offers students a way to show progress towards each of the seven core areas of the Kentucky Academic Standards (KAS) for Technology while attending the STLP State Championship. Students earn one or more badge ribbons that are aligned with the KAS for Technology performance indicators at various booths throughout the STLPx exhibit.

A trio of students – from left, Piper Crigler, Olivia Brotzge and Briley Kate Sherwin – from Sacred Heart Middle School, a Catholic school in Louisville, participate in a game of “Simon Says” that was created by volunteers with the Kentucky Valley Educational Cooperative with the use of artificial intelligence.

A girl extends her hand toward a robotic car as a boy watches

Addison Rhodes and Hunter Shannon, 5th-grade students at Charles Russell Elementary School (Ashland Independent), plan out their robot’s path on a map during the Robo Challenge Extreme competition.