Volunteers Needed

Basic Information

Contact: William Stoudt
Keywords: Construction, Katrina, Rebuilding, Rebirth
Descriptions: Youth Rebuilding New Orleans is a nonprofit that works to reduce blight in the New Orleans area by rebuilding homes destroyed by Katrina. This combines volunteer and skills training opportunities for youth with home ownership opportunities for area teachers. We teach applicable topics such as financial literacy, geometry-based math, homeownership and practical skills such as basic carpentry, many of which can be expanded upon in a service-learning environment.
Product of Partnership: Partnering students will have a unique New Orleans experience by rebuilding Katrina-blighted homes.
Final Product Special Instructions:Students' tasks would vary depending on the stage of construction that the project is on. Students would be asked to engage in non-skilled labor such as gutting a house, sanding, or painting, as well as other construction-related tasks. Students will be closely supervised when working with tasks with any degree of hazard.
This service activity is availble for .

Requirements

Students are asked to bring water bottles and work gloves with them, though neither are required and we have spares for both.
Evaluations/surveys will be requested by community partner to be completed by students.
A short exit survey will be given to volunteers by their coordinator or supervisor, typically during their lunch break. This information will be used by Youth Rebuilding New Orleans to improve the volunteer experience in the future, as well as to track the number of volunteers YRNO engages for grant purposes.
Students allowed to take pictures or video.

Required PSA dress code

closed-tied shoes
Long pants

Availability

Location and Travel

Students will work at a Mid-City site run by Youth Rebuilding New Orleans. We have several houses in progress that students can volunteer at, and often we change between sites.

Supervision and Risk

Check-in at the site: Students will need to undergo a brief training period during the morning of their service, to orient them to the hazards and projects at the current site.
Students track their hours at site: Students will check in with a site supervisor or with their volunteer coordinator when arriving, and again when they are leaving.

Semester-long Activity Syllabus