Blocks, Blueprints, and Big Wins: 

EPIC Esports and Boone Contracting wrap up a ‘LEXtreme Makeover’ season.

A groundbreaking collaboration between quality local craftsmanship and award-winning student gamers has wrapped up an exciting school year, leaving a lasting blueprint for career-based gaming in Fayette County Public Schools. 

Our district’s EPIC Esports program partnered with Boone Contracting for an unforgettable learning experience. Known for their custom design-build services and community engagement, Boone Contracting stepped off the job site and into the classroom this year, helping our students connect the dots between digital design and real-world opportunities. 

LEXtreme Makeover

EPIC Esports students dove into LEXtreme Makeover, a series of high-stakes build challenges hosted within Minecraft Education. The curriculum pushed students to solve authentic design problems specific to the Bluegrass region.

During the virtual challenges, Boone Contracting experts joined digitally to review the progress. In the challenge "Our Old Kentucky Home," students renovated a historic Lexington fixer-upper for a blended-heritage family, balancing historical preservation with modern accessibility to ensure the home was safe for an elderly grandfather.

The season culminated in the ambitious final challenge, "Rickhouse to Penthouse," as students were tasked with:

• Transforming a historic distillery rickhouse into a sustainable, fully accessible apartment complex
• Creating functional spaces for five unique families, ranging from young professionals to retirees
• Balancing vibrant communal living areas with the quiet privacy required for individual homes

Live Judging & Custom Trophies

The final build challenge brought the entire competition to life with an exciting, live judging event at the University of Kentucky’s Esports Lounge. Representatives from Boone Contracting served as the expert panel, evaluating the students’ digital renovations and providing feedback on how their creative choices translated to actual engineering and architectural principles.

After an intense round of presentations, top honors went to teams from Athens-Chilesburg Elementary and Leestown Middle School. 

Boone Contracting’s commitment to our students extended well beyond their expertise. Representatives routinely visited schools throughout the season to present trophies and awards to the winning design teams after each build challenge. Additionally, Boone Contracting generously funded the 3D printing filament used to create the custom-printed trophies, giving students a tangible reminder of their hard work.

“Our esports program continues to strive to show our students that gaming is so much more than playing," said Shad Lacefield, a district STEM learning coach. “It is an avenue to gaining real-world experience and exploring future careers right in their community.”

By bridging the gap between local industry and the classroom, EPIC Esports and Boone Contracting proved the next generation is already building the future of Lexington’s skyline!