RUSTON, La. (KNOE) – Louisiana Tech University’s Diane Madden has been awarded more than half a million dollars to expand environmental education for students in grades K-8.

Madden is associate director of the Center for Science and Technology Education (SciTEC) at LA Tech.

The Gulf Research Program (GRP) of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine awarded $5.1 million to 12 projects.

The Madden project, Understanding Place: Students and teachers seek and engage in authentic meaning (UP: STREAM), is an initiative that provides educators and students with the tools to develop environmental skills and solve problems in their communities.

“As a teacher with a background in earth and environmental sciences, I have always emphasized the importance of caring for our environment and recognizing our interconnectedness,” Madden said. “My work with GEAR UP students during summer camps at Louisiana Tech reinforced this focus, as we explored local environments through hands-on scientific investigations.”

The project hopes to have a lasting impact on students, teachers and the community at large.

“We aim to inspire schools and communities to become more environmentally friendly and aware of how their actions affect their environment,” Madden said. “Ideally, this would create a ripple effect, encouraging neighboring communities to adopt similar practices. »

UP:STREAM is also a collaborative effort with Dr. George Noflin of Grambling State University who leads environmental camps for local fifth graders.

“Partnerships with other universities promise to make a significant difference in the lives of students, faculty and communities,” Madden added.

For more information about UP:STREAM and its initiatives, contact Diane Madden at [email protected].

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