Articles celebrating academic excellence in Lawrence and Douglas County, KS.
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Free State High School takes 5th-straight state speech championship; LHS finishes 5th overall
Free State High School has won its fifth straight KSHSAA 6A state speech championship, and two students won three individual championships. Lawrence High School came in fifth overall.
Cuyler Dunn/Lawrence Times
Workshop encourages Lawrence middle schoolers to imagine solutions for the future
Lawrence middle school students put their imaginations to use Friday, working in teams to craft solutions for the future at the Alternative Futures for Kansas Workshop.
Free State High School theatre students nominated for Blue Star Awards
For artistry shown in their fall production, Lawrence theatre students have been nominated in seven Blue Star award categories, including Outstanding Ensemble.
Contributed
Quail Run students win award for spirit, teamwork and respect at international competition
Lawrence fifth graders Esther Kong and Sarah Song took their STEAM project on the road last week and scored big by bringing home the Core Values Award from the FIRST LEGO League Challenge in Houston, Texas.
Free State sweeps speech and debate national qualifier; Lawrence High qualifies 7
Free State High School’s forensics team dominated the speech and debate national qualifier, winning all four sweepstakes awards and seeing nine students punch their tickets to the national tournament. Lawrence High qualified seven students for nationals.
Lawrence High School student’s art comments on sexualization of young women; piece to be displayed on Topeka building
Lawrence High School junior Adele Erickson’s award-winning art piece, ”Babydoll,” is meant to make people uncomfortable.
KU music student selected for Bob Dylan Center Songwriter Fellowship
Taylor Zickefoose, a KU School of Music student, has been selected from among applicants worldwide as one of two rising talents who will participate in the inaugural Bob Dylan Center Songwriting Fellowship.
KU students from Lawrence, Olathe selected as Goldwater Scholars
University of Kansas juniors Cecilia Paranjothi, of Lawrence, and Kit Savoy, of Olathe, have been chosen as Goldwater Scholars.
Contributed
KU debate pair finish second in country at national tournament
The KU debate duo of Graham Revare and William Soper finished second in the country in policy debate Monday at the 78th National Debate Tournament.
Free State junior achieves highest national speech and debate honor
Free State High School junior Anwen Williams has reached a prestigious milestone after scoring in more than 375 rounds of speech and debate competition so far.
Molly Adams / Lawrence Times
KU’s History of Black Writing project celebrates more than 4 decades of preserving Black literature
Certainly Black writers have always contributed to American literature, Maryemma Graham recalls thinking during her college class one day in 1972. That day, a seed was planted that would become the History of Black Writing.
Molly Adams / Lawrence Times
‘We were just us’: Kansas Master Teacher brings authenticity to Sunflower Elementary classroom
It’s early Friday morning and eager students patiently form a line at Jessica Brown’s desk. Several want to congratulate the first grade teacher for her new award. Others want to say hi to a beloved former teacher before starting their day.
Molly Adams / Lawrence Times
Lawrence High’s Maya Smith earns Kansas Student Journalist of the Year award
Lawrence High School senior Maya Smith was named the state’s top student journalist Wednesday by the Kansas Scholastic Press Association.
Ceramics piece by Lawrence High School student chosen for national conference
Lawrence High School senior Oliver Elwell’s ceramics piece has been selected to be showcased at a national ceramics conference this spring.
Tricia Masenthin/Lawrence Times
Lawrence team to vie for FIRST LEGO League world title
Two Quail Run Elementary fifth graders soon will take a project inspired by monarch conservation to an international STEAM competition.




