(soft music) - Good afternoon.

This is one of the most awesome events each and every year.

And one of the things that you'll hear from the Kentucky Department of Education and your commissioner, Robbie Fletcher, is we are focused on three main pillars when it comes to decision making.

One, vibrant learning, two, innovation, three, collaboration.

That is what we want for our students to experience each and every day, because we believe that you are more than just a test score.

We believe that you're more than just a math score, more than just a reading score.

You are about vibrant learning.

You are about doing things in your classroom each and every day that is meaningful, that is relevant, that is useful.

Project-based learning should not be just an event.

It should be something we do each and every day in our classrooms.

How much different does your classroom look now that you're a part of STLP?

(people clapping) So, as I go through each and every day and I see things like this, I see so many great things going on in our classrooms, so many things going on in our schools.

I realize first and foremost, vibrant learning is so important.

That is learning that is relevant to each of the students in your buildings, in your classrooms, your friends.

It's what you do each day that means so much to you.

Don't get me wrong, it's important to do well in our math scores and our reading scores and things of that nature.

But you know what?

What gets me outta bed each morning as a student is the fun things, the vibrant things I get to do each and every day.

Innovation.

You cannot walk through these hallways without seeing innovation.

There are so many things that just blew me away today, and I consider myself a pretty cool guy, but when you go through and see the things that kids are doing each and every day in classrooms, I wanna say thank you.

And then first of all, I'd like to give all of our STLP coordinators and all of our teachers that are a part of this, let's give them a round of applause.

(people clapping) And of course, the last part is collaboration.

We cannot get to this point each and every year in our classrooms each and every day, unless we have businesses that are behind our students that are working with our students, that we get the opportunity to work with each other.

STLP embodies all three of those major pillars that we want to make for each of our students each and every day.

So keep doing the work that you're doing.

Keep innovating.

And there's so many of you who've already changed how your district looks at learning by what you're doing each and every day as a student.

Keep up the great work.

You make me proud.

I am honored to be your commissioner and best of luck to all throughout the rest of the day.

(soft music)