WISD brings home awards at Student Technology Leadership Program state championship

When it comes to mastering technology, students from the Williamsburg Independent School District can hold their own and recently proved as much bringing home awards during the Student Technology Leadership Program (STLP) State Championship, which was held on April 20 at the Central Bank Center in Lexington.

Among those awards was a state championship in an individual event for eighth grader Candace Sutton.

Nearly 14,000 students, educators, volunteers, community members and parents joined the event to watch preschool through 12th grade students showcase what they know and can do with technology in arts, STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) and demonstrate many career-ready skills. Students participated in nearly 50 different STLP competition areas, like robotics, coding, web design and newscasting.

STLP students created projects, products or services as part of the program and demonstrated their learning by competing in various technology-rich events, including instructional, technical or community development projects; digital content creation such as digital art, photography, design, programming, app development and robotics; and technical services, like student help desk, network engineering and wireless applications.

Williamsburg took 17 competitors that ranged in age from elementary to high school. Events included digital product design, coding, robotics, help desk scenarios, and project based competitions, along with many others.

Williamsburg entered an elementary school project (K-5) which was to digitize the school’s extraordinary sports, band, and choir team photos. The displays of their work will be next to the school’s auditorium.

The high school team (9 – 12th grade) entered the project-based competition with the invention of an app called “Jacket Strong.” The concept of the app is to allow students to chat with counselors when they are feeling overwhelmed.

The “Jacket Strong” app also included machine learning to where “Leo” could help facilitate the student’s needs. The app is under beta testing.

Williamsburg had one student that participated in the state digital product. Freshman Chelsie Adkins entered her digital photo of a snow covered road taken during one of the many snow storms over this past year.

Sutton won a state championship in an individual event after competing in a two-hour scenario with other students around the state. She placed first in Python Coding.

Williamsburg also finished in second place with students that took a certification exam. These certifications allow students to demonstrate their work and are recognized in the field of computer science.