A group of 14 NA students and faculty members traveled to New Orleans, Louisiana, for our first-ever NOLA service trip. The theme of the trip, Lessons From the Storm, challenged students to analyze the devastation of the area by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and apply their findings to service projects at home, including those aimed at Hurricane Sandy restoration.

 

The program was divided into four areas of recovery:

-Culture
-Education
-Housing
-Wetlands Restoration

The group had the opportunity to build houses for the St. Bernard Project, a non-profit that helps with recovery efforts after natural disasters like Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Sandy. They toured the Lower Ninth Ward, one of the areas hardest hit by Hurricane Katrina, and met some of the residents of the neighborhood. They also visited Tulane University’s Center for Public Service to discuss the Tulane model for student community service requirements. Finally, they spent time in a Louisiana swamp, trying to rebuild and fortify the area, still vulnerable to erosion almost nine years after Hurricane Katrina.

 

The culture of The Big Easy was woven the group’s experiences. The NA delegation listened to the music of the region during a trip to a jazz club, and discovered its natural beauty as they traversed the famous Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve.

 

As a follow-up to the service trip, the students will create their own programming in New Jersey this fall to tie in their learnings from the NOLA trip. Those projects and programs may include partnerships with service organizations and applications of their findings on the trip to local disaster relief.