A new style of teaching will soon be enriching students' lives in Dothan.

Teachers are learning a new approach to instruction called project based learning. It is an effort to help improve literacy, keep kids from dropping out and prepare them for life after graduation.

“In the environment we find ourselves we're trying to hold students accountable to the high state standards that they're going to be tested on and we're looking for ways to engage them in authentic real world projects,” says Leslie Texas with Educational Consultant.

For example, teachers will assign students projects that benefit the community or the environment. Learning in a project based environment teaches kids how to work in teams read and communicate and collaborate with other students.

“In a small community in Massachusetts students were doing a public service as a part of their project, they were testing the wells, they all have private wells, so they were testing the well for drinking,” said Texas. “They were doing the research by collecting the data and then they were communicating back to the community about what their findings were.”

This style of teaching is intended for all grades, K through college. Teachers are excited about taking this style of learning back to the classroom.

Beverlye Middle School math teacher Natalie Snell said, “We are teaching a different generation of children their interests are different the ways that they learn are different and we have to do whatever we can to capture their attention.

Education experts say it's a win-win situation for students, community and employers.

Teachers hope to roll out this new approach to learning sometime during this school year.

Educational experts say they are following the six A's of designing projects, authenticity, academic rigor, applied learning, active exploration, adult relationships and assessment practices.