Houston Middle’s Katie Howard Earns LEADS Grant for Forensic Science Class

Houston Middle School teacher Katie Howard has secured a $1,000 LEADS Grant from the Leaders Education Foundation to bring hands-on forensic science activities to her seventh-grade elective class. The LEADS (Leadership in Education, Advocacy, Dream, Service) Grant program awards classroom project funds to educators across West Tennessee, and Howard was selected from a competitive pool of 32 applicants to be among 25 recipients in 2025.

With those funds, Howard plans to create mock investigations featuring shoe and tire impressions that will allow her students to work through real-problem solving. “We don’t have a ton of materials, so the kids are really excited about this,” she said. “This will give us a chance to have some mock mysteries for them to solve and some really neat supplies for our classroom.”

The forensic science elective is offered to seventh graders, but Howard hopes to spark interest among sixth graders for future enrollment. Currently, students in the class have been analyzing shredded documents and detecting fraud, building skills in critical thinking and evidence analysis. Howard said that interacting with physical evidence drives engagement and helps students make connections between forensic science and sociology.

By linking the grant-funded project to her elective’s curriculum, Howard is expanding learning opportunities and supporting student curiosity, creativity, and academic readiness. The experience aligns with the district’s vision of providing rich, hands-on learning that prepares students for success. With the project materials arriving soon, students are eager to begin their next investigative challenge!