“The amount of involvement Louisiana Tech has with K-12 schools throughout Louisiana and in surrounding states is amazing and very beneficial to the students,” states Ms. Linda Ramsey (College of Applied and Natural Sciences). One program that had a major impact is her multi-year program Project LIFE (Laboratory Investigations and Field Activities) that has been offered since 1992 with funding from LaSIP, the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Education.  Project LIFE provides opportunities for science teachers to learn science content and new instructional and assessment strategies that can be incorporated into the classroom.  Project LIFE is one of a number of professional development programs that is provided by CATALyST, Louisiana Tech University’s K-12 science and mathematics education center. Many teachers today have not been trained to deliver the science content background needed to effectively prepare their students for a world in which technological literacy and a high level of education are critical for success.  It is crucial that Louisiana Tech work to provide teachers with opportunities to increase their skills and knowledge in ways that lead to increased student learning.

Project LIFE utilizes activities, experiments, and teaching methods that are easily transferred to the classroom. This three-pronged approach is reinforced by a strong academic year follow-up including a Science Expo (at which participants present results of independent research projects they have conducted), four academic year workshops, newsletters, and classroom visits by the project site coordinator. During the summer following the Project LIFE Year One program, selected teachers have the opportunity to participate in the Project LIFE Leadership Institute Level One. Teachers who complete the first two components of the Project LIFE program are eligible to take part in the Project LIFE Leadership Institute Level Two program the next summer.

In Project LIFE, teacher participants work as scientists (in both the classroom/laboratory and outdoors) to gain new knowledge, practice process skills through investigative activities, and develop increased confidence in their abilities to teach science using standards-based instructional and assessment strategies. They work in cooperative groups to design and conduct experiments, collect and analyze data, and communicate their results to the class.  Project staff members employ questions that require participants to explain, analyze, synthesize, and evaluate. Participants experience the use of card sorts, concept mapping, science demonstration assessments, and pictorial assessments to determine understanding of science concepts. Physical science and mathematics are integrated with the biology as participants are involved in reading and writing about the scientific data they are acquiring.


Project LIFE has been in place for 12 years and has spread to Texas, Alabama, and South Louisiana. Although Project LIFE is not currently being offered here, there are other programs available that are based on the same guidelines in different areas of science such as chemistry.  Ms. Ramsey said that it may be offered again in the future, but until then they are using materials from Project LIFE to provide workshops to surrounding schools.  This program has a documented record for improving participants’ content knowledge and confidence in their abilities to teach science through inquiry. In addition, the project has increased participants’ use of standards-based instructional and assessment strategies. For more information about Project LIFE you can visit the website http://projectlife.latech.edu.