STLP Championship draws record crowd to Lexington

LEXINGTON, Ky. — More than 20,000 people gathered at the Central Bank Center and Rupp Arena on Friday for the 2026 Student Technology Leadership Program State Championship, showcasing Kentucky students' innovation in technology-driven projects and digital content creation.

According to Kentucky Teacher, the statewide event celebrated student achievement across multiple categories featuring hands-on learning in technology, coding, robotics and digital arts.

The Kentucky Department of Education's Student Technology Leadership Program uses project-based learning principles to empower student achievement, providing students with opportunities to design, make, connect and learn through technology utilization and creation of original digital content.

The championship featured competitions across numerous technology disciplines, including digital photography, animation, video production, music composition, augmented reality, storytelling, robotics and programming challenges. Student projects and services are showcased through local, regional and state events, with top performers representing Kentucky at national conferences.

The event's massive attendance reflects the growing prominence of STLP in Kentucky schools. According to program officials, the competition encourages students to use technology to learn, lead and solve problems in creative and collaborative ways while developing real-world project and problem-solving skills.