Lawrence High Students Share Real Skills at Innovation Expo

When students at Lawrence High School brought live chickens, kittens, and pig hearts to school on Wednesday night, they weren't just showing off. They were proving that learning happens best when you're having fun.

The school's fourth annual Innovation Expo gave 800 students across eight Career and Technical Education pathways a chance to showcase what they've learned all year. Students demonstrated real skills in fields like animal science, biomedicine, culinary arts, and engineering.

In the culinary section, Chef Rose Barry's students prepared fresh spanakopita bites and fruit pizza cookies while guests watched. "We just want our kids to keep learning," Barry said. "There's not one path."

Across the expo floor, biomedical students displayed a dissected pig heart and demonstrated how they create simulated wounds to identify real injuries. Senior Ru Yother painted a zombie self-portrait on an old X-ray light box, while her teacher Todd Poteet cheered her on despite her worries about making money as an artist.

Student Urijah Cummins brought chickens and kittens he'd raised with his teacher Rachel Landers to sell to community members. "It's all because of Ms. Landers," Cummins said. "Without her, I wouldn't have this in my life."

The eight CTE pathways offer students practical experience in careers that might not require a four-year college degree. Options range from Animal, Plant and Environmental Systems to Visual Arts and Media, giving every student a chance to explore what excites them.

The Ripple Effect

Video and animation teacher Zach Saltz, who chairs the CTE department, said the expo does more than showcase student growth. It shows younger students what opportunities await them at Lawrence High, sparking curiosity about pathways they never knew existed.

Barry captured the heart of hands-on learning perfectly. "Learning is so much easier when you're having fun and you don't even know you're learning," she said. "If you're just enjoying yourself, learning happens."

The expo proves that when teachers give students room to explore their interests through real projects, everyone wins: students gain confidence and practical skills, teachers watch their kids thrive, and the whole community gets to celebrate young people doing meaningful work.