Recent Press Releases
3/19/01
Ammonia Producers Promote Fertilizer and Leap Skills Through School Kits
Donaldsonville, La. - The Louisiana Ammonia Producers recently donated 200 fertilizer school kits to teachers across the River Parishes. This is part of a multi-year effort to discuss the benefits of ammonia produced in Louisiana and improve Louisiana students' math and science skills.

Since 1997, the Louisiana Ammonia Producers have targeted second graders in a six-parish region with the award winning school kits, "Raising Radishes with Amazing Ammonia," which are designed to teach children about plant growth and how ammonia fertilizers help farmers grow enough food to feed the world.

"Each year we reach about 5,000 second graders through the fertilizer school kit. The unique thing about the kit is its ability to educate children about the product we make -- ammonia -- and at the same time help teach them basic math and science skills at a very early age," said Adrian Wories of CF Industries in Donaldsonville.

The Louisiana Ammonia Producers have worked with the Baton Rouge-based Louisiana Resource Center for Educators (LRCE) since the inception of the program. Last year, the industry association partnered with the Department of Education to enhance the merits of the program.

"This is a perfect example of how the business sector can work closely with the education community to produce a win-win outcome for the children. The kits have everything needed to teach measurement, writing and the process of investigation, which is so important for the critical thinking skills required to do well on the Louisiana Educational Assessment Program (LEAP) test," said Nancy Roberts, Executive Director of LRCE.

The "Raising Radishes with Amazing Ammonia" lesson plan was originally developed in 1997 and was modified in 2000 to highlight LEAP skills.

This effort is especially important in light of the new challenges facing students and schools with regard to school performance scores, which show how Louisiana public schools are doing in educating students. Each March, students take state tests, and fourth-and eighth-graders have to pass the LEAP test before advancing to the next grade.

"When we delivered the school kits this year, the teachers were waiting on them," added Roberts. "These kits have become an integral part of their classroom instruction, especially with the implementation of the LEAP test."

The school kits have been made available for use in second grade classes in both public and private schools in Ascension, Assumption, St. John, St. James, St. Charles and parts of Iberville and Jefferson Parishes. The companies sponsoring the "Raising Radishes with Amazing Ammonia" school kits include CF Industries in Donaldsonville, Cytec Industries in Waggaman, IMC Phosphates in Uncle Sam, PCS Nitrogen in Geismar and Triad Nitrogen in Donaldsonville.

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