diff --git a/API_calls/StudentDatafromLDRESTAPI.py b/API_calls/StudentDatafromLDRESTAPI.py
index 48b7655..00c2046 100644
--- a/API_calls/StudentDatafromLDRESTAPI.py
+++ b/API_calls/StudentDatafromLDRESTAPI.py
@@ -1,10 +1,12 @@
 import requests
 import time
 import logging
-from config.settings import BASE_GESSI_URL
+from config.settings import BASE_GESSI_URL, LD_API_KEY, LD_API_KEY_HEADER
 
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
+LD_HEADERS = {LD_API_KEY_HEADER: LD_API_KEY}
+
 def fetch_projects() -> list:
     """
     Retrieve the list of projects from the LD REST API.
@@ -16,7 +18,7 @@ def fetch_projects() -> list:
     
     for attempt in range(max_retries):
         try:
-            response = requests.get(url, timeout=60)
+            response = requests.get(url, headers=LD_HEADERS, timeout=60)
             response.raise_for_status()  # Raise an exception if status != 200
             projects = response.json()
             return projects
@@ -36,7 +38,7 @@ def fetch_project_details(project_id: int) -> dict:
     """
     url = f"{BASE_GESSI_URL}/projects/{project_id}"
     # Use increased timeout here as well
-    response = requests.get(url, timeout=60)
+    response = requests.get(url, headers=LD_HEADERS, timeout=60)
     response.raise_for_status()
     return response.json()
 
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 5210ac5..6fc8542 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -98,10 +98,11 @@ docker compose up -d --build ld_eval
 | `MONGO_USER` / `MONGO_PASS` | Credentials (leave blank for local dev) |
 | `MONGO_AUTHSRC` | Auth DB (usually `admin`) |
 | `BASE_GESSI_URL` | REST endpoint of the public dashboard |
+| `LD_API_KEY` | Shared Learning Dashboard API key sent as `X-LD-API-Key` |
 | `QUALITY_MODELS_DIR` | Path to `QUALITY_MODELS` folder |
 | Scheduler: `_Start_scheduler_date`, `_End_scheduler_date`, `_Hour_scheduler` … | Daily refresh window (see `config_files/config_variables.py`) |
 
-All vars can be placed in `.env` and are loaded automatically.
+All vars can be placed in `.env` and are loaded automatically. Generate `LD_API_KEY` once from the repository root with `python3 -c 'import secrets; print(secrets.token_urlsafe(48))'` and copy the same value into local consumer `.env` files when running outside Docker.
 
 ---
 
diff --git a/config/settings.py b/config/settings.py
index 302986a..6fbe1ef 100644
--- a/config/settings.py
+++ b/config/settings.py
@@ -4,14 +4,29 @@
 
 # Determine the base directory (adjust if needed)
 BASE_DIR = Path(__file__).resolve().parent.parent
+ROOT_DIR = BASE_DIR.parent
 
 
-# Load environment variables from the .env file
+# Load centralized root configuration first, then module-local values for
+# standalone runs. Existing environment variables keep priority.
+load_dotenv(ROOT_DIR / ".env")
 load_dotenv(BASE_DIR / ".env")
 
 
+def _require_env(name: str) -> str:
+    value = os.getenv(name)
+    if not value:
+        raise RuntimeError(
+            f"Missing required environment variable: {name}. "
+            f"Please set it in the root .env or this module's .env file."
+        )
+    return value
+
+
 QUALITY_MODELS_DIR = os.getenv("QUALITY_MODELS_DIR", "QUALITY_MODELS")
 BASE_GESSI_URL = os.getenv("BASE_GESSI_URL", "")
+LD_API_KEY = _require_env("LD_API_KEY")
+LD_API_KEY_HEADER = "X-LD-API-Key"
 
 
 # Mongo database settings
diff --git a/template.env b/template.env
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2c282d7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/template.env
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+# LD Eval local configuration.
+# Docker receives LD_API_KEY from the root .env; use this file only for standalone runs.
+
+BASE_GESSI_URL=http://localhost:8888/api
+
+# Generate once in the repository root:
+# python3 -c 'import secrets; print(secrets.token_urlsafe(48))'
+# Copy the same value from the root .env.
+LD_API_KEY=
+
+MONGO_HOST=mongodb
+MONGO_PORT=27017
+MONGO_DB=mongo
+MONGO_USER=
+MONGO_PASS=
+MONGO_AUTHSRC=mongo
diff --git a/tests/conftest.py b/tests/conftest.py
index e855bd4..3d8e8c5 100644
--- a/tests/conftest.py
+++ b/tests/conftest.py
@@ -1,8 +1,11 @@
 import sys
+import os
 from pathlib import Path
 
 
 ROOT_DIR = Path(__file__).resolve().parents[1]
 
+os.environ.setdefault("LD_API_KEY", "test-ld-api-key")
+
 if str(ROOT_DIR) not in sys.path:
     sys.path.insert(0, str(ROOT_DIR))
diff --git a/tests/test_student_data_api_key.py b/tests/test_student_data_api_key.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..02e1169
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_student_data_api_key.py
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+from unittest.mock import Mock
+
+import API_calls.StudentDatafromLDRESTAPI as student_api
+
+
+def test_fetch_projects_sends_ld_api_key(monkeypatch):
+    response = Mock()
+    response.json.return_value = []
+    response.raise_for_status.return_value = None
+    mock_get = Mock(return_value=response)
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(student_api, "BASE_GESSI_URL", "http://tomcat:8080/api")
+    monkeypatch.setattr(student_api, "LD_HEADERS", {"X-LD-API-Key": "test-ld-api-key"})
+    monkeypatch.setattr(student_api.requests, "get", mock_get)
+
+    assert student_api.fetch_projects() == []
+    mock_get.assert_called_once_with(
+        "http://tomcat:8080/api/projects",
+        headers={"X-LD-API-Key": "test-ld-api-key"},
+        timeout=60,
+    )
+
+
+def test_fetch_project_details_sends_ld_api_key(monkeypatch):
+    response = Mock()
+    response.json.return_value = {"id": 1}
+    response.raise_for_status.return_value = None
+    mock_get = Mock(return_value=response)
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(student_api, "BASE_GESSI_URL", "http://tomcat:8080/api")
+    monkeypatch.setattr(student_api, "LD_HEADERS", {"X-LD-API-Key": "test-ld-api-key"})
+    monkeypatch.setattr(student_api.requests, "get", mock_get)
+
+    assert student_api.fetch_project_details(1) == {"id": 1}
+    mock_get.assert_called_once_with(
+        "http://tomcat:8080/api/projects/1",
+        headers={"X-LD-API-Key": "test-ld-api-key"},
+        timeout=60,
+    )