New Orleans Neighborhoods Partnership Network

AmeriCorps VISTA at Tulane

Program Description

Given the widespread destruction from Hurricane Katrina and the following floods, many of Tulane’s community partners required assistance in accepting volunteers or repositioning their services to meet the needs of the New Orleans community. This program utilizes AmeriCorps*VISTA members to aid Tulane students, faculty, and staff as they assist community partners with capacity building as the city recovers. Each VISTA member works with one partner agency in the New Orleans area.

During their year of service, VISTA members work at their assigned agency and meet weekly at Tulane for training, reporting, and other duties. VISTA members work on tasks for the agencies as identified by their site supervisors. VISTA members receive training and support from Tulane which allows them to better serve the partner agencies and to further their personal and professional development.

Additionally, VISTA members organize the activities of Tulane service learning students and public service interns placed at their partner sites. The infrastructure and capacity created by Tulane’s VISTA program will allow organizations and communities to utilize the services provided by public service students and the university more effectively and creatively. VISTA members serve as liaisons between Tulane and the partner agencies, helping to create job descriptions, prepare trainings and orientations, organize public service students in activities designed to reduce poverty, enhance civic engagement, and encourage economic sustainability .

For more information, see http://tulane.edu/cps/programs/americorps-vista-index.cfm

Help NOLA

Program Description

The HelpNOLA program assists national and local universities and organizations with their efforts to effectively volunteer in New Orleans. Through the program, we are able to match interested parties with local service organizations, locate potential housing and other services.

Through the program, we are able to match interested parties with local service organizations, locate housing and transportation options, and coordinate panels to discuss life and community service in New Orleans.

For more information, see http://tulane.edu/cps/students/community-service-helpnola.cfm
or contact Bridget Smith at

Tulane Public Service Internships

Program Description

Through the Public Service Internship Program, students earn 3 credit hours at the 400-level and complete their second tier graduation requirement by completing a 60-70 hour internship with a community site and a coordinating internship seminar. For more information, contact:
Craig Willie
Internship Coordinator

504-862-3357

Sarah Andert
Internship Coordinator
504-862-3355

Agnieszka Nance
Assistant Director, Faculty Training and Support

504-862-3348

Tulane Semester in NOLA

Program Description

Semester in NOLA is a five week summer program that incorporates an internship experience with academic coursework. Participants will complete intensive service assignments in local and national organizations and participate in an interdisciplinary academic course taught by Tulane faculty – earning up to
six hours of Tulane University credit.
For more information, visit http://nolasemester.cps.tulane.edu/

Tulane Service Learning Program

Program Description

Academic Service Learning is an educational experience based upon a collaborative partnership between the university and the community. “Learning by doing” enables students to apply academic knowledge and critical thinking skills to meet genuine community needs. Through reflection and assessment, students gain deeper understanding of course content and the importance of civic engagement.

The number of students participating in service learning at Tulane has grown steadily through the years. A new requirement instituted in the 2006 Renewal Plan requires incoming undergraduates to complete one semester of service learning course work. This is followed by another semester in which students choose from a variety of public service components.

Placed at numerous sites throughout the city for a variety of courses, students spend 20 or 40 hours (depending on the class) completing their service throughout each semester.

Students engage in both direct service activities and in projects for the community. For example, seniors in Biomedical Engineering participate in a year-long design project for the service learning component of their course. Students in an environmental sciences course will be doing land-loss measurements on the Louisiana coast.

For more information about Service Learning, contact the Tulane Center for Public Service at 504-862-8060