Every successful student has a champion.
Sometimes it’s a teacher who stays after school to help. Sometimes it’s a bus driver who starts every morning with a smile, a cafeteria worker who knows every child’s name, a counselor who never gives up, a volunteer who mentors, or a business that invests in opportunities for young people.
On Thursday, September 17, the Fayette Education Foundation invites our community to celebrate those champions at Champions for Students, our annual breakfast benefiting Fayette County Public Schools.
Formerly known as the State of Schools Breakfast, this year’s event is more than a new name. It’s a new way of telling the story of public education.
Instead of focusing on statistics and reports, Champions for Students will focus on the people who make our schools extraordinary. Through authentic stories, student voices, music, and conversations, guests will experience the heart of public education and the partnerships that help students succeed every day.
This year’s program will be emceed by Maggie Davis, an award-winning journalist and proud FCPS graduate, alongside student co-hosts who will help guide the morning. Attendees will hear directly from students, educators, volunteers, and community partners whose stories demonstrate what is possible when an entire community rallies around its public schools.
The event also recognizes the volunteers whose time, talent, and generosity strengthen educational opportunities through the presentation of the Golden Apple Awards.
Why It Matters
Public schools belong to all of us.
Whether you have children currently in school, graduated years ago, or simply believe that a strong public education system creates a stronger community, you have a role to play.
The Fayette Education Foundation exists to connect caring individuals, businesses, and organizations with opportunities to invest in students and educators. Every dollar raised helps remove barriers to learning, supports innovative classroom experiences, and expands opportunities that might not otherwise exist.
Champions for Students is an opportunity to see that work firsthand—and to become part of it.
Join Us
If you’ve attended our breakfast before, expect something different.
If you’ve never attended, this is the perfect year to experience it.
Come celebrate the people who make Fayette County Public Schools stronger every day. Leave inspired by the stories, the students, and the reminder that when a community invests in its public schools, everyone benefits.
Champions for Students
Thursday, September 17, 2026
8:30 a.m.
Alltech Arena at the Kentucky Horse Park
Together, we can ensure every student has a champion.
We hope you’ll join us.
