December 9th, marked a significant moment in STEAM Academy’s journey. As part of Lexington’s 250th anniversary, STEAM Academy partnered with the 250LEX Commission to host a finale at the school. The events tagline read, “A Conversation with Tomorrow’s Leaders.” The evening was supported and promoted by Lexington’s City Council, the Mayor’s Office, Publix, and Chick Fil A. The evening contained ten exhibits that were created by students in every major content area at STEAM, including many electives. Students stepped into the role of researchers, storytellers, and visionaries as they explored the past, present, and future of Lexington. This became an opportunity for teens who are not traditionally in places to make decisions or share ideas with the city’s government. It allowed them to take center stage and be heard by those is positions of influence and leadership. Co-chair of the 250 Commission, Dr. Eunice Beatty noted, “This [event represents] tomorrow’s leaders, today.” Tammy Lane of FCPS shared in an article with the district, noting, “Their cross-curricular, project-based learning prototypes and proposals spanned social health, environmental stewardship, arts, education, engineering, infrastructure, and more.”
For the event to have the intended impact, it was necessary to bring civic and business leaders to the table. STEAM Academy staff realized the importance of this component, and made countless calls and emails to local leaders to ensure their attendance. Among many notable guests that evening, Robbie Fletcher, Kentucky Commissioner of Education commented, “This event is a great example of the Commonwealth’s three pillars of quality education: vibrant learning, innovation, and collaboration.” The new Dean of the College of Education at the University of Kentucky, Nick Pace, further remarked in the town hall: “As I went around and visited exhibits tonight, the word that stood out for me was ‘Passion’. These projects came from a place of passion, and I don’t think you can fake that.”
Dr Lu Young was also on hand to encourage students and praise their hard work. She said in a closing speech, “The four promises of Fayette County’s Portrait of a Graduate are on display tonight. Well done STEAM.” Dr. Justin Bathon, part of the founding leadership of STEAM was seen engaging with students at several exhibits. He mentioned that STEAM had worked for years in creative and innovative spaces to refine exhibitions of learning that worked for students and staff, fostering authentic conversations around research, growth, and the STEAM habits.
STEAM’s Principal Dr. Flores addressed the crowd during the town hall portion of the evening, saying, “I am so excited, and so proud of our students and staff for what I am seeing tonight. I challenged our staff to dive even deeper into PBL this Fall and what you’re seeing is a great example of how we do school”.
With a packed building and palpable energy throughout the hallways, it felt as though the evening was a tipping point for STEAM. The event marked the 10th large-scale, cross curricular project at STEAM, spanning the 13 years since the school’s launch from her humble beginnings on 6th Street in Lexington.
Freshman David Campbell had several interactions with VIP guests as he shared his English 1 project, which explored leadership lessons found in ancient Greek literature. “What I learned during the event is that leadership comes in multiple different ways, there are different ways to show leadership, and that anyone can find leadership inside themselves,” Campbell said following the event.
A sophomore named Jack Friedman also presented at the 250Lex event. He explored the legacy of the Clay family in Lexington, mentioning their impact on politics. Jack played in the band and seemed to enjoy working with others during the entire experience. “Normally, I’m not much one for collaboration, but I enjoyed being able to see others’ projects and being able to see what the students can do when they put their minds to it,” he said.
This level of interconnected study and research proves to bolster not only meaning and context to the classroom, it expands the civic and community responsibility that students feel about their learning journey. STEAM Academy currently hosts annual exhibitions of learning that center around science and physics, led by the science department, along with a Defense of Learning that is partitioned by grade level where students defend their understanding and growth of the STEAM Habits. While in-school defenses typically see an influx of outside visitors, the scale at which the 250LEX event brought in discipline-specific experts to witness student work was unprecedented. There are whispers of an event that might re-visit and measure the progress of a healthy city in 2027, though this has not yet been confirmed.
As a way of distilling and reflecting on the event, Freshmen were asked to write free form poetry the following day. This low stakes exercise was meant to highlight the importance of creative and critical thinking while considering the takeaways from the evening. Below are a few selections chosen by the students for publication.
Lanterns in the Crowd by Ben A.
A leader stands—lantern raised among the team, A light not brightest, but steady, never dim.
With courage cast across both voice and choice, They amplify each hope and anxious voice.
They listen—truly listen—finding gold In every story, every view retold. Their laughter carries
others when they tire, Their vision sparks a collective fire.
They chart a course while trusting every hand, Believing dreams are better when they’re
planned. With gentle pride, they fold away the fears, Awaken purpose, wiping doubt and tears.
Together, side by side within the stream, They guide the team not just to chase, but dream.
Each member shining, every strength in sight— United by a leader’s steady light.
Coins by Walker C.
Leadership is like a rusty old coin. To the naked eye, it may seem unimportant, but having that one coin could put you on the map as a coin collector.
As you become a better leader, you become a better person and inspiration for others.
You may have seen many old rusty coins before, and never cared enough to pick it up, but the moment you decided to, bang, you opened the gates for countless coin collectors.
That one day where you decided to take a stand, or in this case take a knee, could end up changing your perspective and who you are as a person. As you grow as a leader, you may start to think back on your first instance of leadership and why it played out like it did. Some old coin collector could have been walking down the street when they accidentally dropped a coin, and, whether they knew it or not, you would eventually pick up that coin and become a collector of your own.
In your job as a coin collector, you will have collected many different kinds of coins, and, while you may have a favorite, you have a mixture of all of them. As a good leader you will practice different aspects of leadership, and having experience with all of them is what makes you a great leader.
Untitled by Mai Lin.
In the happiest days
Where my life lays
The happiest thing
That lays somewhere in me
The person who is there
When I need them
Is always someone who I can see
Who is always by a tree
They look like a bright sun
Who always gets things done
The person who leads by example
Who always makes things look simple
The person who guides people
People look up to them
Where they help them lead
To become very successful
And Respectful people
Where leadership hides
In everyone we see
The path for leadership
Can be hard
But as long as we try
We can leader in high
If we have no leader things become dry
Dry isn’t good so we should try
Allow leaders to help
Those in need
Allow every boy and girl
See the power of leadership
Many rest for pearls
And not parentership
Many don’t trust the path
That is there for fame
All of that wasted time
Leadership comes in different forms
Everybody has a choice
Just not everybody makes the choice
Leading isn’t just a role
But a skill
The Leader’s Light by Ben K.
A leader stands a compass in the storm,
Guiding lost ships through waves that crash
and roar. Their voice, a lantern glowing in
the dark, Shows paths unseen, where hope
ignites a spark. Like roots that hold a tree
through wind and rain, They anchor hearts,
steady through joy and pain. Leadership is
not a crown or throne It’s the quiet strength
that makes us feel at home. The future
bends beneath their steady hand, A bridge
that spans the gaps we cannot stand. With
every step, they carve a path anew A
metaphor for all that’s brave and true.
