LSU Rural Education Initiative Welcomes High School Juniors and Seniors To The LSU Campus
March 24, 2025
BATON ROUGE, LA – As an extension of LSU’s Day of Dialogue event, the Lutrill & Pearl Payne School of Education Rural Education Initiative hosted a campus tour for high school juniors and seniors
from the Tunica Biloxi Tribe and Houma Nation on January 27, 2025.
The students started their day with a welcome from Dean Roland Mitchell in the Huey P. Long Field House and transitioned to the LSU Student Union where they were provided valuable information on the benefits of being a student at LSU. The students were led through a series of information sessions, which included a tour of on-campus housing, navigating the financial aid process and pathway to scholarship opportunities, a visit to the Student Success One Stop, and the Campus Mounds. After experiencing a campus-style student lunch in the 459 Dining Hall, their afternoon sessions consisted of visits to the LSU School of Kinesiology with Nicholas Fears, PhD, and Xavier Thompson, PhD, the LSU Museum of Natural Science with Irene Marti Gil, PhD, Tiger Stadium, Jeff Boss Locker Room, and of course, a visit with Mike the Tiger.
"The foundation of a thriving society begins with education, and in rural communities, supporting teachers and students is an absolute necessity, but also a generational investment," said Willie Louviere, PhD, LSU Rural Education Initiative Program Manager. "By empowering certified and highly qualified educators and providing critical resources, we bridge gaps, unlock potential, and create a future where every child, no matter where they live, has the opportunity to succeed."
LSU’s Rural Education Initiative aims to provide access to high-quality education
to students in rural and remote areas by fostering innovative learning environments,
enhancing access to resources, and providing supports to rural educators. Through
collaboration, teacher certification pathways, technology integration, and community-driven
partnerships, we aim to empower students in rural and remote communities to become
confident, capable, and engaged learners in post-secondary learning.
About the College of Human Sciences & Education
The College of Human Sciences & Education (CHSE) is a nationally accredited division
of Louisiana State University. The college is comprised of the School of Education,
the School of Information Studies, the School of Kinesiology, the School of Leadership
& Human Resource Development, and the School of Social Work. CHSE has two model demonstration
schools, the Early Childhood Education Laboratory Preschool, enrolling birth to age
four and the University Laboratory School enrolling Kindergarten through grade 12.
The college also has four centers and institutes: the Early Childhood Education Institute,
the Healthy Aging Research Center, the Leadership Development Institute, and Social
Research & Evaluation Center. The college is committed to achieving the highest standards
in teaching, research, and service and aims to improve quality of life across the
lifespan.
Visit the College of Human Sciences & Education website.
About the LSU Lutrill & Pearl Payne School of Education
A school of the LSU College of Human Sciences & Education, the Lutrill & Pearl Payne
School of Education (SOE) offers undergraduate programs for students who want to pursue
a career as a pre-kindergarten through 12th grade teacher or acquire dual certification
in both traditional elementary and special education classrooms. In addition, SOE
offers 3 graduate certificates, 17 master’s degree program areas, 9 EdS certificate
programs, and 2 PhD degrees in 11 areas of focus. SOE’s focus is not only on preparing
highly qualified teachers but also in preparing educational leaders, curriculum studies
scholars, educational technology experts, applied researchers, higher education professionals,
school counselors, and clinical mental health counselors. SOE specializes scholarly
expertise regarding pressing educational and wellness issues across the entire lifespan.