LEXINGTON, Ky. — Frederick Douglass High School students excelled at the 2026 Educators Rising National Conference this summer in Portland, Oregon, where aspiring educators from across the country gathered to compete and network. According to Fayette County Public Schools, the Douglass delegation brought home multiple honors at the June event.

The conference, held at the Oregon Convention Center, featured the theme "Teach with Purpose, Lead with Passion," and brought together more than 3,300 aspiring educators, teacher leaders, and professional educators from across the nation. Educators Rising is a career and technical student organization focused on middle and high school students interested in pursuing careers in education.

Douglass students earned recognition in several categories. Paige Crouch received a red ribbon for her work on teacher-created materials, while Alexandria McMullen and Alayshia Catching earned a white ribbon for an interactive bulletin board. Karan Ayala-Mast placed 7th in the Exploring Non-Core Subject Teaching Careers junior varsity division.

The Douglass delegation also claimed two eighth-place finishes: one team competed in the Researching Learning Challenges category, while another advanced to the finals for a public service announcement on teacher recruitment in the junior varsity division.

Frederick Douglass, located on the eastern side of Lexington, is one of the Fayette County Public Schools' six high schools and serves approximately 1,700 students. The school is known for its academy pathways and career-focused programs.