Still a few blog posts to make (since we lost WIFI at the end of last week), but I hope you all are enjoying your Monday…. it’s surely different from last Monday, our first days on the “job”!

Yesterday was a day of rest & reflection (& laundry!) for me, as I’m sure it was for the other ASB participants. It feels great to get back to a routine, but I can surely say that that routine will be a little different for me now.

Like I said, there’s a post from the Carrollton-Dunbar group still to come (be looking for an email from me, Breanna/Destiny/Sophia!) & I’m sure we’ll post some picture, but I’ll leave you with a Notes From the Universe quote that sums up the goal that I think we all accomplished last week:

First, choose from the options that thrill you.
Then, choose the ones that also teach you.
And from these, choose the scariest.
Butterflies in your tummy are good

(From 3/18/11)

From Tina

Our experience at Royal Castle has taught us so much about the people of New Orleans. In the beginning, the children were shy but they gradually began to welcome us into their daily activities. Everyday, they would learn to interact with other students through playing in different learning centers. What surprised me the most was the fact that the children were provided a generous amount of food and they were always yearning to please the teacher. Over time, I grew attached to these children as I learned about their past and how the hurricane had made a significant impact on their lives. Though these children were born after the hurricane, the scars still remain on them because their parents have had to endure such hardships. Initially, our presence at Royal Castle seemed like a regular baby-sitting job, but our purpose gradually became clearer as time progressed. Even though we are helping the teachers with minor duties, we learned that every great accomplishment begins with a baby step, and we feel that we have helped the children become one step closer to a successful career as well as a better life.

The staff at this development center have also been very kind and generous. Ms. Harris, the director, explained to us how Hurricane Katrina had permanently changed their lives. For instance, many children have expressed their anger through violence instead of peaceful measures because their parents were frustrated about the situation. It was difficult to believe that one storm had caused so much damage, both physically and emotionally. Six years later and New Orleans is still devastated and struggling to leave the past behind. But we believe that this city is strong and resilient. One day it will rise up to the state it used to be prior to the hurricane, and the children will evolve into responsible adults because even though their parental supervision may not be as strong as before, there are people out there who care and volunteers such as us will help make that dream come true.

From Jeff

Initially, I came on this trip as part of my 2011 Challenge: to do as many things as I possibly can before I turn 21. But now that the week is over, I realize that this trip was much more than just a simple item to cross off a checklist. I have changed so much from this opportunity. This city and it’s people have truly grabbed a hold of me (much like the many times kids latched onto my ankles) and hasn’t let go. I doubt it will. Outside the lights, sounds, and smells of the French Quarter is a city that is slowly but surely coming back. The people are as hospitable as you can get outside of Texas and the city is just as breathtaking as it was before. But, the monster still remains. Hurricane Katrina is still a shadow that lingers in the alleys of neighborhoods throughout the city. Buildings still stand abandoned and the Lower Ninth Ward…well, it is something to seen to be believed.

Katrina’s Kids. The name of the organization we worked with means so much more to me now than when we first began this journey. The kids I spent this past week with are truly some of the most incredible people I have ever met. They are also some of the most angry and violent, which was something I hadn’t quite anticipated. But, who could? Like Tina mentioned above, this storm hasn’t quite left yet. These kids have come from broken homes and broken families. I would be angry too. But to see how the children changed over the week from just us being there was incredible. Seeing how much the staff was excited we were there also helped me to see why we were there. These kids need the stability these schools and the people who staff them provide. For a week, I was part of the most stabile thing in a child’s life. That still amazes me. It was hard to let these kids go. I hope the best for them. I see future athletes, businessmen and women, doctors…The sky is the limit for these kids. I hope they know that. I hope they won’t forget me. I only wish I could do more. And, I plan on that. Stay tuned.

When first approached about going on this trip, I jumped at the opportunity to go to Nawlins and work with these children we met over the past week. I can honestly say that this week, although emotionally draining and challenging, will be one I won’t ever forget. I have learned a lot about myself and grown a lot as a person. I have a renewed appreciation for this wonderful city, its colorful cast of characters, and most importantly, the work that still needs to be done. This city needs our help. These beautiful people, as strong and resilient as they are, can’t do this alone. I will be coming back to this city, sooner rather than later. You should too.

(From 3/17/11)

When we arrive the kids are finishing up breakfast and getting ready to start their day. Each day they go through a specific routine which includes interactive learning, two recesses, lunch, nap time, and snack. In all the classes majority of the children like to put on a performance by dancing and singing pop culture songs. The kids have a theme song “super fun show” which they love singing and dancing which is part of their educational curriculum. During their recess we taught them how to play duck duck goose, which has become the talk of the week. When the teacher calls them to go outside they are already choosing to be the goose. In the four classes we have noticed consistent traits that consist of kids who bully, kids who are shy, and kids who know the answer to everything.

The children are served nutritional and traditional meals twice a day plus a snack after nap time. The foods are made the same day in the school’s kitchen. The teachers are very welcoming and make us feel like we are part of their school. Also they are very curious of why we chose to come here and spend time with the children during spring break, instead of going somewhere more traditional.

Teachers participate in activities with the kids to encourage shy kids to be involved in the activity they are doing, which gives them the attention they need. Overall, our time with the Annette branch of Head Start was a wonderful experience. The heart-warming staff and overly enthusiastic children definitely left a lasting impression on us, and have a place in our hearts. We hope that they always remember their fun week with Alex, Jennifer, Winnie and Ify.

We all started the morning off with our 3rd day of grits and eggs.  Not exactly our first choice but we are thankful for the food that so many others may not have.  We were out the door by 8:30 and on our way to our sites for the morning shift.  Pretty much all the groups talked about how rowdy the kids all seemed to be today.  At our site, the MLK Hope Head Start staff lead the students in some new centers that turned out to be quite messy.  Sandbox and the water center don’t exactly mix too well, even though the children tried.  It was a lot of fun though to come back and be so welcomed by the students and staff.  Today’s lunch menu was spaghetti and meatballs which might be the messiest food ever to give a 2 year old child.  Many of the kids didn’t want to use the fork so they went for the hands in the food and try and find your mouth method.  Needless to say it was a mess and literally raining meatballs.

In the afternoon, our group decided to meet up at 12:30 for lunch for New Orleans Hamburger and Seafood. This restaurant was recommended by Alicia and Tawanda from the MLK Head Start center. Upon leaving the center to go eat, the teachers gave us a hard time about leaving early and that they were jealous we were getting to go eat such good food- all in good spirit.  We left our site to go pick up the Annette Center group and headed back to St. Charles area to eat at the restaurant. Once there, we all chose between a variety of fried seafood or New Orleans-style burgers. These large portions, paired with unlimited vanilla ice cream, made for a great meal. When we finished, we ran outside to steal some beads left over from the Mardi Gras parades that were all still hanging from the trees.  It was interesting and Ify was attacked by a tree- literally. Pictures to follow!

From there we drove down St. Charles to the beautiful Audobon park. Before we went to the park we pit-stopped at the 2010 Real World house where we took group pictures in front of the house and spelled UTA with our bodies (Wear your Maverick Pride photo entry for sure!) Afterwards, curiosity led Ify to leave a voicemail in the intercom system at the front gate asking the owner wether the house was really the Real World house. Then we cruised through the neighborhood to get to the famous Audobon park. We found an amazing tree that must have been over a hundred years old. Most of us climbed and straddled the tree for a group picture. We had an impromptu team builder where we helped one another climb up and down the tree. Even Destiny, who was wearing a dress, decided to come up for the picture. While on the tree many of us discovered a fear of height however, after coming down we realized it wasn’t all that far up there after all. So many beautiful and historic homes are along  St. Charles all with nice gardens and lots of flowers.

We cruised down St. Charles until we got back downtown and then headed off to the canal in the Lower 9th Ward.  We ended up finding a nice deck where you could look out over the bayou and see where all the water came from.  It was an interesting transition, going from the richest neighborhood to the site of so much devastation. Even after nearly six years since Hurricane Katrina hit, much of the 9th Ward was still left in pieces. The two main thoughts that were held while visiting were of the tremendous amount of water that it must have taken to pour over the levee and how being there felt like walking around a graveyard, since so many lives were lost in the storm at that very location.  As we drove around many of the lots were vacant; some of the homes in the same condition now even 6 years after the storm had hit them. These homes were identified with an X which told the date the house was checked, whether or not the gas and electricity was shut off, and sadly about the number of human and animal deaths. There were homes people were now living in that still had the X on them.  It was depressing to see the devastation but we were hopeful for the community when we saw the homes that had been restored and the people that were living in the area now.

For the remainder of the day, we were given free time to explore more of New Orleans. Most of the girls went shopping and walked down to the River Walk. Some folks came back to work on homework and go to bed early.  We have another long day ahead of us and will all need the rest to keep up with the energy levels of our kids tomorrow!

Night-
Eurika, Gabriel and Lauren

Day 3 is coming to a close and we had a great day.  The general opinion was that it was far less overwhelming for us today now that we understand more about what we are doing and the schedule the kids are all on.  We were able to really regroup and talk about ways we can be more helpful and effective in the classroom.  For some of our college students this has been the first time they have really worked with students in this age group and I am so proud of the work they are doing.  It has been a struggle to find games that all the kids can play and to keep them focused with the differences we see in each kid’s motor-skills and development.  Just in our group we have 5 and 6 year olds that can’t count and 2 year olds that can tell your their moms cellphone number.  So many of them struggle to identify colors or even just count to 5.  I think this is really reaffirming that we are here to help with these things but so much more important that we have programs like this for kids and teachers that are incredibly dedicated to helping and working with this very important population.

On our way to the Annette Center and MLK Hope site we saw a parade/protest and then later found out that is was actually a group of actors for a movie they are filming here in N’awlins.  Rumor on the streets is it’s a Brad Pitt film, which might make sense that he would be doing a film here, given the amount of relief work that he does in the city.  Either way, it was an exciting start to our morning.

The kids at the Annette Center have already formed close bonds with our college students and were really excited to see them return. Ify, Winnie, and Alex all taught them games yesterday, and so many of the students requested them again.   The kids all know the girls names and really love all the singing and dancing lead by Ify.

The MLK site was so welcoming to us yet again.  The other 2 teachers that were off yesterday were back today and I must say it made a huge difference is managing the kids.  Alicia, one of the teachers, talked to us about the students’ backgrounds and really helped explain the missions of the program and how much this really does help give these kids a head start.  The best part of the day was when Gabriel was wearing a Mavs for Unicef shirt that had a large Blaze on it.  Several of the students were curious about Blaze, and one was convinced that Blaze was a motorbike. Explaining that he was a horse was not really making sense… either way a funny moment to our day.

The Royal Castle crew – Jeff, Jennifer and Tina – did a lot of work really helping the teachers.  The kids were very loud when they first got there, but calmed down as the day went on.  It was nice to see a lot of the kids share and work together during center time.  Jennifer has had the job that is really the least like the rest of us.  She is working in the infant room where the interaction level is not as intense but she has really handled it all so well.  There were several observations this group had including helping teachers prepare for lesson plans that have really impacted their appreciation for our teachers.  These teachers really are so thoughtful and many of them purchase things for their classrooms out of their own pocket, all because they believe in these kids.

Carrollton Head Start worked with new staff and students today and had a great day. They also did some projects for the teachers and helped do new bulletin boards in the building.  Sara, Breanna, Sophia, and Destiny were all in different classrooms during the day, but were able to come together at the end of the day while waiting for the parents. There were several students in these classrooms that said a number of things that really paint the picture of how sad their story really is but yet how hopeful we are for them.

After we all got back from the day and took our mini-naps, we were able to grab some dinner and have discussion and reflection time.  We talked about our Roses and Thorns for the day and shared some of our highlights.  There were a few common themes to this conversation, including how hard it is going to be leaving these kids on Friday.  I’m not sure any of us really expected to bond so quickly with these kids and manage the empathy we have for their situation.  We also talked about the fact that there were just a number of variables for us that were not exactly what we were thinking they were going to be, but we are trying to remain positive and still focus on the importance of the work we are doing.  As we closed the discussion time Ify had brought up and interesting comment for the group that was really helpful.  She shared that what we are really doing here is planting the seed but we wont be a part of watching it grow.  And all though watching it grow can be so exciting someone has to plant the seed.

After our discussion time we had free time in the city or the St. Jude’s Center.  Several of our students went to get gelato and Lucky Dog hotdogs and there were a few that chose to work on homework and spend quiet time reflecting.

As we close out for the evening, I think we are all excited for our day tomorrow.  We are volunteering for a half day tomorrow and then spending the day exploring a few things in the city.  We are planning to tour several areas that were affected by Katrina, so I am sure we are going to really understand more as it becomes more real for us.

We’re sitting around in the cafeteria of St Jude’s Community Center after a long day in New Orleans and most of the students are working on their journals.  We had an exciting and eventful day.  First, we woke up and had breakfast and packed our lunches for the day.  We knew we were going to be divided into 4 groups all working with Head Start programs throughout the city.  We divided up into vans to start our morning and we were off.

The first group Ify, Alex, and Winney all worked at the Annette Center, pretty close to the French Quarters.  They had 4 classrooms of kids ages 3-4.  They helped with learning centers, meals, and getting ready for rest time.  The kids really embraced them and were somewhat clingy – but in a good way.  It really reassured them that it was good that we were there.

The second group – Gabriel, Eurika, Lori, and Lauren – were all assigned to work at the Hope Center on MLK Blvd, just north of the famous St. Charles street.  It was definitely a scenic route getting to the site, but they enjoyed the impromptu tour of the neighborhood.  The teachers were all so nice and were really excited to see them, given that 2 teachers were out that day.  There were 2 classrooms – infants and toddlers.  They had more energy than they thought possible at times but the team had so much fun to spend time with them.

The third group – Jeff, Tina and Jennifer – were assigned to the Royal Castle (the hidden yellow building… a bit of an interesting trip trying to get to the site, given that there are a million one way streets in this town). The kids were full of really interesting questions for Jeff.  They asked him “What’s on his face” (the beard) – needless to say, this was a good laugh for the team when we all got back for dinner.  The kids are all 5-6 years old and a very talkative bunch.  The older children were born immediately post-Katrina and they noticed a lot of acting out that they were constantly policing.

The last team was Brianna, Sophia, Destiny, and Sara.  They spent the day at the Carrollton-Dunbar Head Start site working with 3-5 year old kids.  They split our time between 4 classrooms, noticing a lot of the same things the other students saw. The kids were well behaved but certainly loved attention, and were full of questions.

The staff at these sites all work so hard.  It was a common thing mentioned by so many of our students that they really have a lot of respect for all the staff they’ve encountered.  They have so much patience doing this great work day in and day out.

We wrapped up our evening when we got back by walking to the famous Cafe Du Monde for coffee and beignets.  It was a classic New Orleans experience with sticky shoes and powdered sugar all over the place.  Jeff was a sport and let us deck his shirt out with Maverick pride/ powdered sugar art.  We split up from there and did some shopping.

The last thing we should probably share that cracked us up was when a little girl named Jada at the Annette Center told Alex that she was from “The Weeziana” … Might be the new favorite pronunciation of the city name!

…till tomorrow!

We finally made it! After a drive through the East Texan and Louisiana countryside, UTA’s New Orleans Alternative Spring Break group has arrived in the Crescent City!

After a long drive, we arrived at the St. Jude’s Community Center where we will be staying for the week. We are staying here with nearly 200 other people who are here to serve the great people of New Orleans! Once we settled in and met with our coordinator, Amanda, we were set loose on the streets of the French Quarter!

After taking in the sights and sounds of the city, we settled on eating dinner at Stanley’s on Charles Street behind the St. Louis Cathedral. Stanley’s was amazing! If you ever end up on Charles, get the Breaux Bridge Boudin Eggs Benedict. Sooo good.

Once we finished dinner, we came together as a group to share our thoughts on the upcoming week. We talked about what we were excited to see and do and the things we are hesitant about and also set some group and personal goals.

Our Group Goals:

-To see the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina 6 years later, and it’s lasting effects on the surrounding area

-To be a positive energy for the kids we will interact with

-To be fully involved in the situation

-To not complain about the facilities

-Breaux Bridges Eggs Benedicts = bomb.com

-Focus on the new experiences we are sharing, and learn to accept the different experiences we will have

-Mind our manners – representing UTA and remembering everyone’s names

-Cooperate with the other groups staying in the facility, and respect the facility itself

It’s going to be a long week, but our spirits are high as we lay down in our beds. In the morning, our work begins!

Keep checking back all week to see our progress, and follow us on Twitter @UTAonASBinNOLA.

You know!

The crew is loaded up in the vans and ready to roll out…time to get on the road! Now, all we need to do is leave. Everyone is ready to get to Nawlins and do some good work this week. Make sure to check in as we blog all week! You know!

NEW ORLEANS, HERE WE COME!!!

We are less than a week away and everyone is getting excited to leave for the Big Easy!  We will be cruising in a stylish mini-van and super large 15 passenger van.  New Orleans or bust!  Check back for daily updates!