About Project Judges

The STLP Judge Golden Rule:

Although submitted judges are assigned to score a different school, pick someone you’d be proud to have evaluate and encourage your own students and represent your STLP.

Why Selecting the Right Judge Matters

A high-quality STLP Project experience hinges on meaningful interactions—especially during judging. STLP Judges aren’t just scorekeepers; they are mentors, listeners, cheerleaders, and ambassadors for vibrant student learning.

Whether judging Level 1 (Regionals) or Level 2 (State Semi-Finals), your chosen volunteer will represent your school, your students, and STLP as a whole.

The STLP Coach’s responsibility in selecting a great judge cannot be overstated.

Ideal Judge Characteristics

When considering someone to serve as your school’s STLP Project Judge, look for someone who is:

• A current or retired educator — ideally someone familiar with youth development, instructional practices, and digital learning.

• Comfortable interacting with students of all grade levels (K–12).

• Able to give constructive, specific, and kind feedback that supports growth and affirms student effort.

• Dependable and committed — they must be available for the full event window (Level 1 judges are scheduled, Level 2 judges are expected to attend the entire in-person day).

• Familiar with technology and willing to review the judging guides, scoring rubrics, and best practices ahead of the event.

• Aligned with STLP values — someone who celebrates student voice, problem-solving, leadership, creativity, and digital citizenship.

Where to Find the Right Judge

Consider reaching out to:

• A retired teacher or principal who still mentors students.

• A Digital Learning Coach (DLC) in your district.

• A CIO, technician, or IT specialist who understands how students use tech for learning.

• A librarian, counselor, or instructional coach who “gets” student-centered learning.

• A community leader or local university faculty member with a passion for PBL, STEM, or digital innovation.

An STLP Judge will:

• Use the STLP Project Scoring Guide to provide scores and written feedback.

• Ask thoughtful questions to help students reflect on their project purpose, progress, and impact.

• Represent your school and STLP with enthusiasm and professionalism.

• Help students feel seen, heard, and valued—no matter the score.

• Provide specific, meaningful, and kind feedback via digital format for teams to review after each event.

• Help all students have a successful STLP experience while also recommending which teams qualify to move on to the next round of judging.

Training for New Judges

All Project Judges will receive training both ahead of the event and the morning of each event. The time commitment to complete the training is minimal but important to the process. Self guided training will be included in materials and instructions sent to judges ahead of the STLP Project event.

If you're a returning judge, the training is still necessary to keep you abreast of new items. If you're a brand new judge, even new to STLP, don't worry... we'll give you all the resources you'll need to be successful. Your experience as a current or retired educator will be the most beneficial part of your role and counts as years worth of training. 

This is a Big Ask — And a Big Honor

Serving as a judge is a serious commitment, but we work diligently to make sure the time requirements are as small as possible. Judges will have all necessary training in advance of the event and will receive specific instructions and information directly from STLP via email.

We deeply appreciate the time, care, and attention our judges give to this experience. That’s why we ask STLP Coaches to:

• Choose the best possible candidate to represent your STLP.

• Ensure they are fully informed about the schedule and time commitment.

• Verify that they are receiving Judging information via their provided email.

• Confirm their availability for the entire judging window.

Your choice of judge could be the most impactful interaction your students have during the project cycle. Choose someone who will elevate, not diminish, that experience.

Who Is Allowed to Be a Project Judge?

The main considerations to remember as you select the judge you will submit as part of your registration:

1. Looking for current or retired educators (including district technology staff, adminstrators, district office leaders, etc.) 

2. Someone with a schedule flexible enough to meet the time commitment (or someone willing to utilize a sub to cover their absence at school during the event)

Can the STLP Coach also be the volunteer Project Judge?

While using yourself as the judge is perfectly allowable, know that supporting your project teams during events will not be possible as the time utilized for judging is incompatible with helping your teams. A couple examples:

• at State, Level 2 judges are required to be on site for kick off well before students arriving on buses. So travelling with your team in that scenario and arriving in time for the start of judging duties would be difficult. 

• during Level 1 online judging, judges are asked to find a quiet space away from students for the entirety of the Regionals event. That makes focusing on helping teams (or teaching classes for that matter) impossible.

So, while it is allowable, being the STLP Coach and the registered Judge would require the Coach to be out of contact with their teams during the event and, likely, require the Coach to attain a sub to cover for them during the judging process. If the coach is up to those requirements, then by all means sign up as the volunteer project judge. 

Final Thoughts

• Every participating school must submit a Project Judge for both Level 1 and Level 2 (can be two different people). Consider providing a judge to be the "cost of admission".

• That person should be the one you would want judging your own students.

• We count on you, the STLP Coach, to make the right call—and we thank you in advance for doing so.