We strive to keep from jamming your inbox with too many emails, but some information is just too important not to send out to every STLP Coach. Check the archive below if you think you've missed any recent communications.
Hi STLP Project Coaches!
Now that STLP26 State Championship registration has closed, we need your help with a quick final check.
Please take a few minutes to review your Level 2 Project registration information and make sure everything is accurate:
View your Level 2 Project information here: STLP26 Level 2 Project Registrations
If for any reason your team is no longer able to attend, just let us know, we’re happy to remove the project.
Note: If you’re unable to make changes using your form edit URL, no problem- just reply to this email with any updates or corrections, and I’ll take care of it for you.
Also, a quick reminder to make sure your Volunteer Judge is registered if you haven’t already. This is required for schools with Level 2 projects, challenges, or CDA Semi-Finalists and helps ensure everything runs smoothly at State. Sign up your Judge here.
If you’ve already taken care of both- thank you! Feel free to disregard this message.
Deadline for all updates and judge registrations: Friday, March 27
If you need anything or have questions, don’t hesitate to reach out, we’re happy to help.
Thanks again for all you do, and we’re looking forward to a great State Championship!
STLP Kentucky Team
Jeff Sebulsky | Matt Kresslein | Erin Wofford
Office of Education Technology
Kentucky Department of Education
stlp@education.ky.gov | stlp.education.ky.gov
300 Sower Blvd. – 4th Floor
Frankfort, KY 40601
Thank you for volunteering to serve as a judge for the STLP26 State Championship! We truly appreciate your willingness to support our students and help make this event a success.
Volunteers & Judges are vital to STLP.
STLP relies on each participating school to provide one current or retired educator to serve as a judge, and your role is incredibly important. Our judges are one of the most essential parts of the State Championship, helping ensure everything runs smoothly while also providing meaningful feedback and encouragement to students as they showcase their work. Thank you for investing your time and energy into the students at the 2026 State Championship!
STLP26 State Championship Event Details
Date: Friday, April 24, 2026
Location: Rupp Arena & Central Bank Center (Lexington, KY)
Time: Judge activities will take place throughout the day, with final schedules and assignments coming soon. Plan for start by 9:00AM ET, and ending no later than 4:00PM ET
We are currently finalizing judge assignments and will share your specific role, schedule, and additional details as soon as they are ready.
In the meantime, please take a few minutes to review important information on the STLP State Judge Page, which includes expectations, resources, and helpful guidance for the day:
STLP State Website – Judge Information Page
If you are unable to attend, please notify the STLP coach who registered you as soon as possible so they can arrange a replacement. Having all judge positions filled is critical to ensuring a smooth and successful experience for our students.
If you’re unsure who registered you, you can check here: STLP26 State Championship Judge Assignments.
Thank you again for your support of STLP and for helping create meaningful learning experiences for students across Kentucky. We’re excited to have you as part of STLP26!
If you have any questions, feel free to reach out.
STLP Kentucky Team
Jeff Sebulsky | Matt Kresslein | Erin Wofford
Office of Education Technology
Kentucky Department of Education
stlp@education.ky.gov | stlp.education.ky.gov
300 Sower Blvd. – 4th Floor
Frankfort, KY 40601
Today, Friday, March 20, 2026, is the final day of registration for the 2026 STLP State Championship competitions!
Visit https://stlp.education.ky.gov/state before midnight tonight to submit you registration for:
Level 2 Projects
Challenges
Volunteer Judges
School who are attending only
Quick reminder: if your school is competing at State, the “price of admission” is to provide a judge/volunteer to help at State. Without our volunteers, State simply cannot happen. Schools who do not provide a judge will not be eligible to complete. 1 judge/volunteer per school is required for participation in:
Level 2 projects
Challenges / Robotics
CDA Semi-finalists
Not sure what you’ve already registered, or just want to double-check? Go to: https://stlp.education.ky.gov/state to review your current submissions.
We want to see you at Rupp on April 24th. Please, register today!
STLP Kentucky Team
Jeff Sebulsky | Matt Kresslein | Erin Wofford
Office of Education Technology
Kentucky Department of Education
stlp@education.ky.gov | stlp.education.ky.gov
300 Sower Blvd. – 4th Floor
Frankfort, KY 40601
Hello, STLP friends and coaches!
2026 STLP State Championship Registration Deadline 3/20
The countdown is on! The STLP State Championship registration deadline is THIS FRIDAY, March 20 - only a few days away!
Who needs to register before the deadline? Here’s the list:
Level 2 Project teams (advancing from Level 1)
Challenge categories
Volunteer Judges (including judges representing CDA Semi-finalists)
Schools coming just to attend and explore State activities.
>> Register here by 3/20
What about CDA Semi-Finalists?
Good news, since CDA is all online, we’ve already auto submitted your work for State judging. All that CDA Semi-Finalists need to do by March 21 is submit the name of your judge. You’re of course welcome to come to State, but CDA Semi-Finalists do not need to be present to win.
After March 20, the only option left will be “Attend Only” registration for schools coming to Lexington on April 24 but not competing in any challenges or project presentations (there’s still an entire day’s worth of learning and exploration even if you choose not to compete at State). Don’t miss your shot!
Get all the info you’ll need at https://stlp.education.ky.gov/state
Judges Needed – Your “Price of Admission”
If your school has projects, challenge teams, or CDA semi-finalists, you’re required to provide one volunteer judge to help make State a success. You can choose which area your judge would like to assist with using the volunteer judge sign up form. If you’re attending as “Attend Only,” you don’t need to provide a judge—but you’re welcome to! Sign up to Judge or view Judge Info at these links.
Lunch Pre-Orders Available Now
Start planning your trip to Rupp by visiting the STLP26 State Planning Hub here. Then jump to the Food and Lodging page to access the Lunch Pre-Order form.
While you’re under no obligation to pre-order lunch, the benefits are great: have the lunches ready for pick up at the time you select and already paid for. No waiting in long lines. Keep in mind, lunches prepared by your school are allowed at State, but other outside food is not permitted.
Pre-orders placed before Friday, April 3rd for a discounted rate. Download the lunch Pre-Order packet here. All pre-order forms are due to Central Bank Center no later than April 16th.
Get registered for STLP State Championship… the clocks running out!
STLP Kentucky Team
Jeff Sebulsky | Matt Kresslein | Erin Wofford
Office of Education Technology
Kentucky Department of Education
stlp@education.ky.gov | stlp.education.ky.gov
300 Sower Blvd. – 4th Floor
Frankfort, KY 40601
Hello STLP Friends!
Here are the hot topics we want to get in front of you for STLP this month. Topics include:
Meet us at KAST!
Register for STLP State by March 20
Creator Zone Application
Announcing CDA Semi-finalists…
STLP Engineer/Ambassador Visit
Looking ahead to April
Meet us at KAST!
Kentucky’s premier EdTech conference is next week at Louisville’s International Convention Center. We hope to see you at the KAST Spring Conference on March 11, 12, & 13. Entire thread of sessions will be STLP related and led by STLP Coaches, Library Media leaders, and district technology leaders!
Download the KAST Conference app for your device and search for “STLP”. If you’re at KAST next week, we can’t wait to connect with you!
Register for STLP State by March 20
The heat is on as every STLP across the state is busy preparing for their trip to Rupp Arena for April 24th and the 2026 STLP State Championship!
Registration is open until March 20th. Every advancing Level 2 Project team needs to register and while you’re at it, sign up for some for the STLP Challenges. Many Challenges happen live while at State and others are prepped in advance and presented at State. Check out the STLP Discovery Hub for a quick guide to all the STLP Challenges.
A note on trip planning: start all your planning with the STLP State Championship Info Page at https://stlp.education.ky.gov/state. Helpful info and resources include:
Registration forms
Access to AED/Emergency Safety Plans for your field trip forms
Travel and parking information
Links to Challenge specific info
Everything you need to know about Level 2 (and Level 3) project presentations & prep
Creator Zone Application
Heidi Neltner and James Allen are pumped to continue an opportunity for your students at this year’s STLP State Event in the KyGoPlay Creator Zone! We would again like to invite students to share their projects, tech tips, and tricks with an audience of fellow creators, educators, and technology enthusiasts.
This is a great chance for students to showcase their skills, demonstrate innovative uses of technology, and inspire others. Presentations can range from quick tech tutorials to in-depth project showcases. Students will have access to AV equipment, including microphones and display capabilities, but they will need to bring their own device for presenting and dongle if needed.
If your students are interested in presenting, please let us know by completing this form, so we can work on scheduling sessions. More information will be provided as we get close to the state event.
Announcing CDA Semi-finalists…
The CDA semifinalists email went out last week! If you’re unable to locate it, be sure to check the 2026 CDA Feedback page to see how your products performed!
On behalf of Erin, we want to sincerely thank all the volunteer CDA judges who returned their feedback within the requested timeframe. Your timely responses made this process possible. There were a few late submissions we had to track down, as we needed every score from every judge to ensure each CDA product was reviewed by as many judges as possible- keeping the process fair and consistent for all participants.
We appreciate the support from coaches who helped follow up with their judges when needed.
Thanks again to everyone who played a role in helping us reach this milestone!
STLP Engineer/Ambassadors Visit Frankfort
Last week, our STLP Engineers and Ambassadors spent the day at the Kentucky Department of Education in Frankfort! Students had the opportunity to engage in meaningful conversations and planning sessions with Commissioner Dr. Robbie Fletcher, along with leaders from KDE and the Office of Education Technology.
Throughout the day, students shared their perspectives, provided input, and collaborated on ideas to help shape upcoming opportunities- including planning for the KAST Conference and the 2026 STLP State Championship at Rupp Arena.
It was an incredible day of student voice in action, and a powerful reminder of the impact our STLP leaders can have when given a seat at the table.
Looking ahead to April
We all know that March will blow by in a flash…so we’re already looking ahead to April when we’ll be hyper focused on STLP State Championship prep and details to help make your visit to Lexington the vibrant a learning experience of the year for your students. Until then, as always, please reach out if you have any questions to STLP@education.ky.gov and we’ll be happy to help.
See you in Louisville next week (we hope)… Thanks!
STLP Kentucky Team
Jeff Sebulsky | Matt Kresslein | Erin Wofford
Office of Education Technology
Kentucky Department of Education
stlp@education.ky.gov | stlp.education.ky.gov
300 Sower Blvd. – 4th Floor
Frankfort, KY 40601
Happy February, STLP!
A quick note this month to give some updates and reminders about opportunities and deadlines on the horizon. Message topics include:
CDA Judging Update
State Info Page & Registration are LIVE
You Belong: Attendance Matters Contest
STLP E/As Visit KDE
Looking Ahead: What’s Next?
CDA Judging Update
The massive task of organizing the thousands of CDA entries and hundreds of volunteer CDA Judges into groups for scoring was an enormous undertaking. Some brilliant new workflows (via Google Classroom) this year promise to prove helpful at making the judging process as smooth and easy as ever for the CDA Judges. Thanks to Erin.Wofford@education.ky.gov for leading CDA for STLP Kentucky!
As of today, all judges have been contacted via email with their scoring assignments. STLP Coaches, this is your cue to reach out to the judge(s) you submitted with your CDA registration to make sure they’ve seen the communications from Erin and have started the judge training/scoring process. Don’t snooze on starting the judging assignments… the sooner we get scores back the sooner we can announce whose products will be moving on to Semi-Final judging as part of STLP26 State Championship!
State Info Page & Registration are LIVE
The 2026 STLP State Championship info page and registration forms are now live on the web at https://stlp.education.ky.gov/state
The State Info Page will be your go to resource for all things STLP State. Registrations forms for Level 2 Project, Challenges, and judges are live and ready for your submissions up until the March 20th deadline. Explore the different Challenges, check out the STLPx activities, access the optional lunch pre-order process, and use the planning resources to get ready for your trip to storied Rupp Arena in Lexington on April 24th!
Coming soon: the final minute-by-minute schedule (general schedule overview available now), venue maps, and parking/bus instructions will be updated. Bookmark the STLP State info page today for easy access later.
You Belong Attendance Matters Contest
Students from across Kentucky are being invited to use their creativity and voice to highlight what makes their schools special through the new You Belong! Attendance Matters video and poster contest, debuting at the 2026 Student Technology Leadership Program (STLP) State Championship on April 24 in Lexington. Open to K–12 public school students, the contest challenges students to create a short commercial or digital poster that promotes belonging, connection, and why showing up to school matters. The initiative elevates student perspectives while supporting the Kentucky Department of Education’s statewide Attendance Matters campaign.
Registration to compete closes February 13, and winners will be announced during the STLP State Championship on April 24. Selected student work will also be featured in future KDE statewide social media campaigns. Full contest details, rules, and resources are available in the official video and poster contest packet and on KDE’s Attendance Matters website. For more information check the STLP Super Sheet, STLP Discovery Hub and KDE’s Attendance Matters website.
STLP E/As Visit KDE
As mentioned last month, the STLP Engineer/Ambassador Team will be joining together for their first meeting of the year in Frankfort at the Kentucky Department of Education’s Office of Education Technology on February 26th. We’re looking forward to bringing this team of exceptional student leaders together at KDE ahead of their important roles as Conference Technical Support at KySTE Spring Conference and as student leaders at STLP State Championship.
Note for all STLP E/A’s and E/A Coaches: As discussed in our meetings, if inclement weather keeps your E/A from travelling to KDE on the 26th, we’ll announce an alternative virtual option. Stay tuned!
Looking Ahead: What’s Next for STLP?
Spring is always a particularly busy time of year for STLP… like everyone else. Next time we reach out, here are some of the topics we’ll be focusing on:
Join us at KAST in Louisville in March for a series of focused sessions in the STLP presentation thread
Several new big-time partnerships are coming to STLP and State with some names you’ll recognize
Tips, tricks, and ideas for planning your trip to STLP26 State.
…and much more!
Thanks for reading the February update. As always, reference the STLP website, STLP important dates calendar, the STLP Supersheet, and the different STLP event info pages (State, CDA) for details moving ahead. On behalf of Matt, Erin, and the whole STLP team, we hope you stay warm, dry, healthy, and safe!
STLP Kentucky Team
Jeff Sebulsky | Matt Kresslein | Erin Wofford
Office of Education Technology
Kentucky Department of Education
stlp@education.ky.gov | stlp.education.ky.gov
300 Sower Blvd. – 4th Floor
Frankfort, KY 40601
Watch here as more email communications are archived here as they are sent throughout the spring. Thanks!
