Partnering with STLP: Supporting Kentucky Students

STLP partnerships are not viewed as vendor gifts/donations for any competitive purposes with services provided to schools, districts, and/or KDE.

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Organizations interested in partnering with STLP should follow a clear process to help ensure their proposed activity is a good fit for STLP, is manageable to implement, and provides a meaningful learning experience for students.

Students presenting in the Game Design Challenge at the 2026 STLP State Championship

Questions to Help Determine the Right Fit

Before submitting a partner interest form, organizations should discuss the following internally:

What kind of support can we realistically provide?
Do we have leadership approval to participate?
Do we have staff members available to plan and attend?
What expenses are we prepared to cover?
Can we meet STLP planning and communication deadlines?
Are we prepared to follow through once the opportunity is announced to schools?
What student learning outcome can we support?
How does our proposed activity connect to technology, innovation, digital learning, or student leadership?
Can our activity serve students across multiple grade levels or experience levels?
Are we approaching this as a student learning opportunity rather than a marketing opportunity?

Recommended Starting Points

Organizations new to STLP may want to begin with Event Volunteer Support or an STLPx Learning Experience. These options provide a strong introduction to the scale, energy, and purpose of STLP while allowing the organization to learn what works well with students.

Organizations with previous STLP experience, strong internal support, and clear content expertise may be ready to propose an STLP Challenge or Competition.

Organizations seeking a deeper relationship with STLP may explore year-round learning support after a successful event-based partnership.

Step 1: Review the Partnership Opportunities

Organizations should begin by reviewing the participation tiers and identifying which type of support best matches their capacity, expertise, timeline, and goals.

Potential partners should consider:

How much staff time can we commit?
What expenses are we prepared to cover?
Can we follow through once the activity is announced?
What student learning outcome can we support?
How does our work connect to technology, innovation, or digital learning?
Do we have internal approval to participate?
Can we meet STLP planning deadlines?

Step 2: Submit an Interest Form

Interested organizations should submit a partner interest form with basic information about the proposed activity or volunteer support.

The form will ask for:

Organization name
Primary contact
Type of partnership requested
Brief description of proposed activity or challenge
Target student audience or grade levels
Connection to technology or digital learning
Possible connection to Kentucky Academic Standards for Technology
Staffing plan
Anticipated space, equipment, power, internet, or AV needs
Materials or supplies the partner will provide
Any student data, accounts, software, or permissions involved
Preferred timeline or event connection
Confirmation that the organization understands the commitment involved

Click here to access the STLP Partner Interest Form

Step 3: STLP Review

STLP will review the proposal for alignment, feasibility, student value, and event capacity.

Review considerations may include:

Is the activity student-centered?
Is it hands-on or interactive?
Does it connect to the Kentucky Academic Standards for Technology?
Is the activity age-appropriate and inclusive?
Is the organization prepared to cover its responsibilities?
Does the activity create any privacy, safety, accessibility, procurement, or endorsement concerns?
Does the activity duplicate another existing opportunity?
Is there enough space, time, and staff capacity to support the activity?
Is the partner prepared for the scale of STLP participation?

STLP may approve the proposal, request revisions, suggest a different participation tier, or determine that the proposal is not a fit at that time.

Step 4: Planning Conversation

Approved or promising proposals may move to a planning conversation with STLP staff.

This conversation may clarify:

Activity goals
Student learning outcomes
Standards alignment
Staffing expectations
Schedule and deadlines
Space and setup needs
Communication responsibilities
Materials and supplies
Promotion and naming
Awards or recognition, if applicable
Onsite expectations
Risk areas or special considerations

Step 5: Written Commitment

Before an activity, booth, challenge, or competition is publicly promoted, the partner organization should provide written confirmation of its commitment.

This confirmation should include:

The final description of the activity
The name and contact information of the lead partner representative
Confirmation of staffing
Confirmation of materials and expenses the partner will cover
Agreement to meet deadlines
Agreement to follow STLP/KDE expectations
Understanding that once the activity is promoted to students and schools, the organization is expected to follow through

Step 6: Planning and Promotion

After commitment is confirmed, STLP and the partner will coordinate any approved promotion, publication, or communication to STLP coaches and schools.

For challenges or competitions, this may include:

Student instructions
Coach guidance
Rules
Rubrics
Registration information
Deadlines
Awards information
Finalist information
State Championship logistics

For STLPx activities, this may include:

Activity title
Short description
Standards connection
Student participation instructions
Location information
Onsite expectations

Step 7: Event implementation

Partners are expected to arrive prepared, staffed, and ready to provide the approved experience.

Partners should be ready to:

Set up on time
Stay for the full assigned time
Welcome students enthusiastically
Manage activity flow
Support students of varying ages and skill levels
Communicate with STLP staff if issues arise
Clean up after the activity
Follow all venue and event expectations

Step 8: Reflection and future planning

After the activity or event, STLP may invite partners to reflect on what worked well and what could be improved.

Reflection may include:

Student engagement
Activity design
Staffing level
Materials and logistics
Standards alignment
Communication
Overall fit
Potential improvements for future years

Strong partnerships may continue, expand, or evolve over time.

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