from Toni

WOW - What an enlightening experience! This is my first year participating in the NOLA experience. It feels good helping to facilitate and provide necessary support to Kipp Central Academy, which can boast of a strong and positive academic environment. The teamwork between NLU participants, and Kipp staff was phenomenol. The students that we met were ready to learn, as Kipp welcomed them with open arms. I especially took note of the students' cheers and chants that emphasized the importance of college preparation. This school-community partnership is one that will surely last.

from Carol

It's been so interesting to see what the teachers at Kipp use for their reading classes - leveled books, Reading a-z, etc. I haven't asked what math program they use, or what programs they use for their special ed. classes, or even do they have self-contained special ed. classes? If I get the chance, I'll try to ask someone today. And it's been interesting and helpful to hear about all the various programs my fellow volunteers use in their schools. I remember 20+ years ago when I first started teaching, there wasn't so much out there. We've come a long way, in terms of helpful programs and support for teachers in the classroom.

One thing I disagree with here at Kipp is apparently they don't recycle! They go through a ton of laminating materials and paper, so they use a lot of resources. I think all schools, because we are such consumers of resources, should be recycling on a daily basis.

What an interesting experience this has been...

from Eli

Well....I must admit that I came on this trip really not knowing what to expect. I know that I was super excited about coming but wasn't too sure what to be excited about.

As we arrived at the airport the first day, I formally introduced myself to the group, and really all I could think about was how fun it was going to be to work/play with a group of complete strangers for an entire week.... and now that the week is over, I will definitely remember these guys and gals forever! ( and i meant that in a great way!)

As for New Orleans, it was such an amazing and fulfilling experience. We spend most our lives investing in ourselves and to be totally honest, sometimes you just have to give back. It felt great to help others that really needed our help because so much goes into preparing schools for the new year and there just isn't enough man power. Although we were only there for a minimal amount of time, I hope that we were a big help. Thankfully, the teachers were so appreciative of our help and really treated us great. The enthusiasm I felt from the teachers out here has really set the standard for my own career!

Thank you New Orleans, this experience has been so humbling!

from Jordan

I'm not really the blogging type so I hope this goes well...

But the city is Beautiful and there is a lot of culture still here despite the devastation from Katrina. The city is strong and so are the people. Most are immersed in their heritage and proud of their history. The people are strong and very friendly. It was a very pleasant change of pace to be in a city where the people are friendly and greet you every morning just walking down the street.

The school is coming along very nicely and it looks great. The staff is very organized, professional, and diverse. They sincerely care for their students and are here to be role models, for the children they're working with; it's inspiring for new teachers. I'm confident the school will continue to grow in it's success and will continue serving the students greatly. I hope to return and help out with future upcoming schools.

Overall the trip was great. The work was fulfilling, the food tasty, and the night life...amusing. Haha I'm sure all who come will have an awesome 6 day experience.

Ain't no thang but a chicken wang.
Love, peace, n' chicken grease.

-Jordan C.

Days 1-2

Check out some of the work we've been doing here at the KIPP Central City Academy in New Orleans!

From Lisa, Jenna and Rebecca

Greetings from NOLA! We are learning so much in such a short time. The people down here are so wonderful and thankful. Honestly, I have never met so many people that go out of there way to thank us for our help.

The students are working hard getting ready for school, as do the teachers. It is very interesting to see so many teachers that come from all over the United States. The teachers even post their alumni t-shirts outside of their classroom! It is absolutely wonderful! Lisa has experience in the primary grades, she was amazed as the amount of resource and knowledge she is obtaining. She told many of us how she can not wait to come back to Chicago and bring the many wonderful things she has learn to her own school.

All of us absolutely loved Cafe' Reconcile. This restaurant is a non-for-profit in which the staff are from the ages of 16-22 and are learning the working atmosphere. They are stepping out and making their life better. Our waiter told us that it was only his second day and was very nervous. We all were in shock! He could of fooled us! Carol, Jenna, Lisa and Lauren are talking about possibly bring that this brilliant place to Chicago. We will see, well unfortunately we are heading out to the school. We will post again soon!

Tuesday Night

Carol, Lauren and Janet are exhausted from working so hard, well, not really, but some of us have become very good friends with the laminator at Kipp :-) Carol has had a great time with Evangenile, a former CPS teacher who is now teaching second grade at Kipp. Her classroom is remarkable and she has set up her classroom so that learning can really take place. You can tell she wants to celebrate the students' accomplishments. As she said to Janet. "I didn't want to be a teacher - teaching found me".

The atmosphere at Kipp is so positive. We can peek in on teachers working with the little first graders as they do beginning of the year assessments.The kid are adorable. It makes us excited to start our school year.

Part of the excitement for us too is to spend time getting to know the other NLU service team members. Who knew Koke was doing his student teaching in Australia??

And don't ask about the food. We're all so full - Carol and Janet finished off the evening with beignets and we didn't even share.

More when we can find free internet again!

Leaving on a Jet Plane

Well, it's almost time to go to New Orleans and I am really excited. I can almost smell the coffee and bengiets. It was great meeting everyone at the orientation and I am really looking forward to getting to know everyone better. I will be bringing my computer with me in case people want to blog durng the week.

See everyone at O'Hare bright and early tommorow.

Kathleen

A day full of inspiration..

This morning, after very few hours of sleep, I walked into the NLU Skokie campus to a very cheerful and absolutely wonderful Karen Roth. She was full of life and very excited to have everyone there to serve NOLA. In hearing peoples reason to participate in this service learning adventure, I continuously was inspired by other people's excitement about what we are here to do. I left orientation entirely elated about the possibilities of what we can and will accomplish.

In the afternoon, I had the extraordinary pleasure of having lunch with my mother, uncle, and the family of a man who said he was inspired by my mother. He found her, and contacted her to thank her for being the sunshine that helped him through a very rough time in his life. I couldn't help but feel honored to witness the stories of hardtimes this man went through in his life, and I will never forget the smile on my mother's face to know that she was able to help at least one.

I ended the day by watching two great teaching movies about influential teachers in California: Stand and Deliver and Freedom Writers. The teachers in these movies were there to motivate, nurture, and guide those students to success. It was after these movies concluded that I was able to reflect on what my day presented me. It was a day full of inspiration. I am inspired to help the students in NOLA. I am inspired to make a difference in at least one person's life. I am inspired to be the best teacher I can be. I believe in the trickle effect and karma. Good things are coming from all of this. I feel it in my bones.

Good luck to all the July group! Have a fantastic time and be great!

NOLA Service Learning Team 2010

Can't wait to return to Cafe Reconcile - I can taste the catfish already!
http://reconcileneworleans.org/about/mission

NLU's 4th Summer of Servce in New Orleans

This summer,2 teams have again been formed to help prepare NOLA schools for the new school year. The interest to participate in service to others from NLU's student population was overwhelming. In order for the teams to bond and engage in quality experiences, a limit of 15 was selected for each trip. In addition, faculty, students and "friends of NLU" who participated in past trips are also on board to help guide the new team as well as document their work and growth.

The first team departs on Sunday July 25 and will work exclusively with our partner charter school, KIPP Central City Academy. The partnership developed during our first summer in 2007 and to date we have set up 4 sections of classrooms each summer from K - 8th grade, including a library, science lab, teacher resource room and special education room. This could be our last year with KIPP CCA - but hopefully not our last summer with KIPP NOLA.

The second team is ready to arrive in NOLA on Sunday August 8 and will work with a couple of charter schools managed by First Line Schools, as well as spend time with our preschool partners, Happy Times Preschool and Royal Castle Kids. We continue to bring music and art programs to the young children and assist the teachers in any way possible.

I am thrilled to be returnnig to NOLA working along side our new "alumni" of NLU's Partnership with NOLA Schools Project. I look forward to reading their reflections of their growth and personal experiences and viewing their photos of their work. Good luck to all.

Returning to NOLA

This is Janet Lorch, faculty in the eled MAT program at NLU, I'm excited to be returning to NOLA again this summer. I was part of the 2007 trip and created the first NOLA trip blog (and my own first blog too!). See the link on the side for some stories and pics from that trip. I can't believe it's been 3 years and it seems there's still so much work to do in New Orleans. I wonder about the impact that the oil spill in the gulf has had on the local economy. I wonder how the schools look - when we worked with KIPP 3 years ago they were in a temporary site. I wonder if it will be 100 degrees again! Well, looking forward to meeting the 2010 team!