Louisiana State University has entered into a $500,000 interagency agreement with the Louisiana Department of Education to offer the Ignite Initiative, free computer science professional learning for elementary teachers. The Capital Area STEM Network Center (CASN), housed within the LSU Gordon A. Cain Center for STEM Literacy at LSU, will oversee the program. CASN previously led the successful Ignite Project during the 2023-2024 school year, training over 750 teachers in computer science education. This collaboration among the Louisiana Department of Education, LSU, and LASTEM—a network of nine strategically positioned STEM organizations across Louisiana—will provide the Ignite Initiative to elementary educators who were unable to participate in the original Ignite Project training program.
Summer Dann, Director of CASN and Associate Director of the Cain Center, said,
“Our team is pleased to offer training in foundational computer science skills for elementary teachers. By integrating computer science with existing subjects, teachers can help students strengthen their math literacy, critical thinking, and problem-solving abilities—skills that will have a lasting impact on their futures.”
The Ignite Initiative will start this November and continue throughout the academic year. The project will offer training to 200 elementary public and public charter schoolteachers in computer science fundamentals through project-based learning activities for K–5 students in Louisiana. The workshops, totaling 24 hours, will consist of multiple cohorts, varying in time and format, with 2 fully in-person options, 1 hybrid option, and 3 virtual options. Participants will be introduced to a variety of educational resources in computational thinking, block programming, and cyber-safety. The project will host 2 regional kick off events that provide opportunities for elementary school leaders to join a think tank to discuss challenges and strategies for incorporating computer science in their schools.
“Working with elementary teachers and students, I have seen first-hand how excited and involved students become when they are introduced to computer science. Students who normally hesitate to participate will join in and become engaged in classroom like never before,” said Nicole Foster, Project Lead for the Ignite Initiative 2.0.
For more information or to express your interest in the program, please visit: https://capitalareastem.org/ignite/ignite-initiative.html or contact Kaleb Gardner at kgard22@lsu.edu.
For those seeking to further their computer science education, we offer additional training options through the LSU Gordon A. Cain Center for STEM Literacy. These include 40-hour professional development programs, available either to individual educators during the summer or to districts as part of their PD sessions.
About the LSU Gordon A. Cain Center for STEM Literacy:
The Gordon A. Cain Center for STEM Literacy fosters STEM education policy and best practices while developing curricula, courses, and maintaining high-quality standards. As a reporting unit within LSU’s Office of Academic Affairs, we link the university with K–12 schools, emphasizing career and college readiness for high school and incoming LSU students.
About LASTEM:
The Louisiana Regional STEM Center Network is a system of STEM leadership entities strategically positioned across Louisiana, similar to the Regional Labor Market Areas (RLMAs) identified by the Louisiana Workforce Commission, whereby communities, parishes, multi-parish regions, and the State can achieve improved access to STEM education, participation, and advancement.
