NORDC will hold a special meeting on Monday, February 6, 2012 at 5pm in City Council Chambers to interview the remaining CEO candidates, finalize the selection process and hear from the public. We encourage all interested community members to attend this important meeting and help make sure the needs expressed by youth are heard. The Commission’s regular meeting is scheduled for the following day, February 7, 2012 at 5pm in City Council Chambers. If the Search Committee provides a way for community members to submit questions to the candidates prior to the meeting we will pass on that information.

NORDC Special Meeting
Monday, February 6, 2012; 5pm
City Council Chambers, City Hall
1300 Perdido Street, NOLA 70112

NORDC will hold a special meeting on Monday, February 6, 2012 at 5pm in City Council Chambers to interview the remaining CEO candidates, finalize the selection process and hear from the public. We encourage all interested community members to attend this important meeting and help make sure the needs expressed by youth are heard. The Commission’s regular meeting is scheduled for the following day, February 7, 2012 at 5pm in City Council Chambers. If the Search Committee provides a way for community members to submit questions to the candidates prior to the meeting we will pass on that information.

NORDC Special Meeting
Monday, February 6, 2012; 5pm
City Council Chambers, City Hall
1300 Perdido Street, NOLA 70112

NORDC will hold a special meeting on Monday, February 6, 2012 at 5pm in City Council Chambers to interview the remaining CEO candidates, finalize the selection process and hear from the public. We encourage all interested community members to attend this important meeting and help make sure the needs expressed by youth are heard. The Commission’s regular meeting is scheduled for the following day, February 7, 2012 at 5pm in City Council Chambers. If the Search Committee provides a way for community members to submit questions to the candidates prior to the meeting we will pass on that information.

NORDC Special Meeting
Monday, February 6, 2012; 5pm
City Council Chambers, City Hall
1300 Perdido Street, NOLA 70112

NORDC will hold a special meeting on Monday, February 6, 2012 at 5pm in City Council Chambers to interview the remaining CEO candidates, finalize the selection process and hear from the public. We encourage all interested community members to attend this important meeting and help make sure the needs expressed by youth are heard. The Commission’s regular meeting is scheduled for the following day, February 7, 2012 at 5pm in City Council Chambers. If the Search Committee provides a way for community members to submit questions to the candidates prior to the meeting we will pass on that information.

NORDC Special Meeting
Monday, February 6, 2012; 5pm
City Council Chambers, City Hall
1300 Perdido Street, NOLA 70112

NORDC will hold a special meeting on Monday, February 6, 2012 at 5pm in City Council Chambers to interview the remaining CEO candidates, finalize the selection process and hear from the public. We encourage all interested community members to attend this important meeting and help make sure the needs expressed by youth are heard. The Commission’s regular meeting is scheduled for the following day, February 7, 2012 at 5pm in City Council Chambers. As soon as the Search Committee provides a way for community members to submit questions to the candidates prior to the meeting we will pass on that information.

NORDC Special Meeting
Monday, February 6, 2012; 5pm
City Council Chambers, City Hall
1300 Perdido Street, NOLA 70112

As soon as the Search Committee provides a way for community members to submit questions to the candidates and publicly announces the schedule for the final interviews we will pass on that information. We encourage all interested community members to attend the NORDC Chief Executive Director Search Committees’ final candidate interviews and help make sure the needs expressed by youth are heard.

As soon as the Search Committee provides a way for community members to submit questions to the candidates and publicly announces the schedule for the final interviews we will pass on that information. We encourage all interested community members to attend the NORDC Chief Executive Director Search Committees’ final candidate interviews and help make sure the needs expressed by youth are heard.

As soon as the Search Committee provides a way for community members to submit questions to the candidates and the schedule for the final interviews we will pass on that information. We encourage all interested community members to attend the NORDC Chief Executive Director Search Committees’ final candidate interviews and help make sure the needs expressed by youth are heard.

With our community partners, we are asking New Orleans children and youth what they need from a leader and will be sharing their responses as the NORDC Chief Executive Officer final interview schedule moves forward. Every NORDC stakeholder agrees that creating exceptional service and opportunities for New Orleans children, youth and families is the ultimate goal of the Chief Executive Officer search so please help us reach this goal by sharing these direct pleas from youth to the adults who help shape their future.

We will post each video here on our website, via facebook and Twitter. Please share with your mailing lists to help publicize youth voice! As soon as the Search Committee provides a way for community members to submit questions to the candidates and the schedule for the final interviews we will pass on that information. We encourage all interested community members to attend the NORDC Chief Executive Director Search Committees’ final candidate interviews and help make sure the needs expressed by youth are heard.

Eric was able to interact with officials during meetings with the Department of Commerce, the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, the White House Office of Public Engagement, and Senior Advisor to the President Valerie Jarrett. In addition, he was also able to meet with several officials from the Department of Education for a more in depth interface regarding the policies and priorities of the agency moving forward. During all of these briefings Eric was able to share the successes, challenges and ideas from a New Orleans perspective to the White House in hopes to improve communication between local efforts and the administration’s.

It was an honor for me to represent both the out-of-school time world, and the New Orleans region at the Community Leaders White House Briefing. It was encouraging to have so many leaders from across the nation sharing their ideas, success stories, and experiences with each other and the White House administration.
– Eric Jensen, Director of Youth Engagement

Dear Friends –
Today marks the 6th Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina and the devastating levee breaks that severely damaged our city and dramatically changed our way of life in New Orleans.  It is hard to think about those days and the ensuring six years without remembering those of you who have worked — and continue to work — tirelessly for better lives and opportunities for all the children and youth of our community.   From those who stayed and rebuilt, to those who relocated to New Orleans and joined us in this work, to those who have given the important and necessary dollars to sustain this work, a huge THANK YOU for your investment in the future of our city.  We could not do this vital work without all of you! And certainly, our thoughts are with our family, friends and colleagues who live along the East Coast as you recover from Hurricane Irene.  Please know, as beneficiaries of your generosity, we stand ready to offer assistance to you.

While the anniversary brings time to reflect back, we’re also excited to be looking forward!  This fall marks the return of our monthly meetings – and we’re looking for ideas from you as to how to make these meetings valuable to you in your work.  See below how you can get involved in that planning and mark your calendars to join us on September 13th at 10:30am for our first network meeting.

I want to close with a final note of thanks to someone who has been a tremendous supporter of New Orleans youth and youth programs.  We learned last week that Councilmember Arnie Fielkow will be leaving the City Council and New Orleans to become CEO of the National Basketball Retired Players Association.  We know from our work with David Robinson and his Admiral Center of the power of investment by former players in the communities they call home and beyond. It is hard to imagine a stronger, more consistent and more passionate supporter for children and youth.  Our organization was privileged to closely with him on a number of important issues, most recently the reform of NORD.  We wish the best to him and his family and we thank them for their dedication to our city.  — Gina

You can download the complete Strategy Guide by visiting the National League of Cities, Institute for Youth Education and Families.

The findings in this report suggest that the City of New Orleans is lacking many of the opportunities that support the success of young people (ages 14-24). When confronted with questions about existing programs in the city versus what programs are needed, the respondents overwhelming reported the need for increased programming, services, and opportunities across the board. In particular, the youth respondents clearly noted their desire for increased workforce development opportunities, specifically paid opportunities. In general, these youth not only felt disconnected and not taken seriously by New Orleans, but also expressed an overwhelming majority feeling that the City of New Orleans does not fully support the success of its young people.

Applications for the Fellowship must be received no later than May 15th, 2011. Applications available here.

Fellows will design and complete a research project rooted in their own work experience with youth. In the past, fellows published analytical works studying everything from how authoring comic books can contribute to positive development in young people to the centrality of thriving afterschool programs in highly functional communities. Fellows collaborate to study effective classrooms, afterschool programs, and school-afterschool partnerships. Fellows will enhance their observational and analytical skills, improve upon existing programs, connect directly with parents and community members to create opportunities for youth tailored to their specific communities, and then summarize and disseminate their findings in research articles and presentation to the public.

Visit our Resource section to find:
• The 2011-2012 New Orleans Afterschool Matters Practitioner Fellowship APPLICATION.
• An announcement about the Fellowship including the other cities participating in this work.
and
• A Fellowship overview from the National Afterschool Matters Fellowship office.

The Fellowship runs from September 2011 to May 2012. Meetings will be held two Saturdays per month from September through December; and one Saturday each month from January through May. Fellows must have a Bachelor’s Degree, a year of experience in the field, and be able to show the ability to self-reflect on their work with youth.

All course materials (books, reading packets, journals) will be provided. Upon completion of the Fellowship, Fellows will receive a $500 stipend as an award for their service.

This Fellowship is an initiative of the National Institute on Out-of-School Time (NIOST) at the Wellesley Centers for Women at Wellesley College, in partnership with Afterschool Partnership and the New Orleans chapter of the National Writing Project (GNOWP).

Applications for the Fellowship must be received no later than May 15th, 2011. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis, so please apply early! If the Fellowship class reaches capacity before May 15th, we will announce an early closure of the application process.

Applications must be emailed, faxed, or mailed to:

National Institute on Out-of-School Time
National Afterschool Matters
Practitioner Fellowship Program
Wellesley College, Waban House
106 Central Street
Wellesley, MA 02481
niost[at]wellesley.edu
fax: 781.283.3657

Questions about the Fellowship?
Contact Lauren Bierbaum at GNOAP: lbierbaum[at]gnoafterschool.org
or
Cassie Seiple at GNOWP: cassieseiple[at]gmail.com

Questions about the application process?
Contact Karen Lachance at NIOST: klachanc[at]wellesley.edu

“It provided a professional environment…with like-minded individuals and [was] an example of the kind of reflective community that could be created. It was great to hear other people’s experiences. I still draw from the Fellowship and think back to that time.”
– Practitioner Fellow

After facing a critical shortage of summer youth programs post-Katrina, a group of local foundations and organizations created the Unified Summer Grants Collaborative in 2006 to support safe activities for New Orleans-area youth. The collaborative has continued to address the ongoing need for affordable, safe, educational and recreational youth activities and to leverage partner resources through this collaborative effort.

The Collaborative continues as a partnership between United Way for Greater New Orleans, Emeril Lagasse Foundation, and Women’s Leadership Council. Information on Summer Programs will be available at neworleans.ilivehere.info. Once programs are announced you will be able to find summer specific details by clicking on the ‘Summer Programs’ tab located above the resource map at neworleans.ilivehere.info. This resource will provide children, youth, and families with the most up to date resources available in New Orleans Summer 2011.

If you are running a program that is not listed or know of an addition resource please register on the site or contact Eric Jensen (ejensen@gnoafterschool.org) as soon as possible for inclusion.

Over three years, the Collaborative has awarded grants totaling $3.4 million to a variety of summer programs across the New Orleans area that serve vulnerable, low-income youth, who, with this support, have had opportunities to engage in academic enrichment, cultural and arts programs, sports and physical recreation, cooking, and nutrition activities.

For the NORD Commission to be successful it will need a strong commitment from the community to make sure all citizens of New Orleans – young and old – have access to safe playgrounds, accessible green space, neighborhood pools, and the highest quality programming. Spread the word about this wonderful opportunity for community engagement and plan to attend!

NORD Commission Meeting
Tuesday, 1/11/2011, 6pm
New Orleans City Council Chambers
City Hall, 1300 Perdido Street, New Orleans, LA 70112

Our Youth Leadership Fellows participated in a Youth Engagement in Cities conference call with members of established youth commissions in San Francisco, CA, Portland, OR and Boise, ID this past Saturday. These three cities all have successful youth programs that teach leadership and involvement in all levels of community and government. The conference call is a part of a Youth Leadership Fellowship, the first of its kind for New Orleans youth. Launched by the Partnership with funding from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, the Fellowship will develop policy, advocacy and leadership skills for 20 youth, ages 16-21. The curriculum focuses on youth programming at the city, state and federal level, alignment of programs with education and workforce development, strategies for black male achievement and cross coordination of services and resources to increase equality of access.

Upon completion of the six month fellowship, these young adults will return to their schools and organizations armed with the knowledge and skills developed to lead their communities in meaningful, significant ways. For more information on the Youth Leadership Fellowship, please contact Eric Jensen at ejensen@gnoafterschool.org.

The 2011 City budget hearings are now in progress at the New Orleans City Council and offer the opportunity to demonstrate how funding priorities to children and families have a crucial role in economic development in our city.  On Tuesday, October 26th, the Afterschool Partnership was present to hear the Children & Families budget presentations from representatives of Community Development, Recreation, Health, Libraries, Job1, and Human Services.

In 2011, the Recreation Department proposes to double its budget to $10,000,000 to fund increased services for youth including additional recreational programs, cultural programs and summer and teen camps.  Funding includes $8,002,700 in general funds and a $940,552 allocation from Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) specifically for 30 summer camp sites.  The Recreation Department plans to include over 40 new staff positions to provide additional services under the new budget.

At the hearing, Gina Warner spoke in support of the budget increases on behalf of community- and faith-based organizations to highlight the importance of strengthening collaborations between Recreation and the existing network of organizations already providing high-quality summer programs in many of our communities.