YouthForce NOLA

Since time immemorial, Indigenous peoples have been stewards of Bulbancha, the stolen land where New Orleans sits. On Indigenous Peoples Day, YouthForce NOLA acknowledges the Indigenous nations and tribal communities whose land we work on, including the Chitimacha Tribe of Louisiana, Jena Band of Choctaw Indians, United Houma Nation, and Acolapissa tribes. We express gratitude for these Indigenous people's contributions and the beautiful, diverse culture they add to our community.

Calling YouthForce NOLA Internship alumni! Did you participate in our internship in 2023 or prior? If so, you should have received an email asking to take our Annual Alumni Survey! Every year, YouthForce NOLA asks alumni to complete our Annual Alumni Survey to help us understand the impact of career-connected learning in life after high school. As a thank you for your time and effort, we are paying each participant a $25 Visa gift card. Reach out to the email above with any questions!

We are excited to announce that two more awesome professionals have joined the YouthForce NOLA team! Shania Nowlin is our new Intern Supports Manager position, bringing with her 5 years of experience working in charter schools and non-profit organizations in the Greater New Orleans area. She recently graduated from Southern University of New Orleans with her Masters of Social Work, and is currently working on obtaining her LMSW. After two summers of working as an Internship Enrollment contractor, Trina Delpit has joined our team as our new Operations Coordinator. She brings with her a passion for art and providing students with career opportunities. Welcome to the team Shania and Trina!

We’re excited to share an article from Biz New Orleans Magazine about a new partnership that will help middle school students explore STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math)! Junior Achievement of Greater New Orleans, Inc. is teaming up with STEM NOLA and YouthForce NOLA to create fun STEM Festivals. These events will let students do hands-on activities and meet professionals in STEM fields, making learning exciting and real! The STEM Festivals will start during the 2024-2025 school year and will be free for students from local schools. Each festival will have 50 different stations where kids can try experiments and discover new things about STEM careers. This is a great chance for students to dream big and see what amazing jobs they can have in the future! #STEMNOLA #JuniorAchievement #YouthForceNOLA #STEMFestivals #LearningIsFun #FutureCareers https://lnkd.in/g9Z5HfZX

Did you know that from 1763 to 1803, New Orleans was under Spanish rule? Even if you didn’t know that, you have definitely seen the influence of Spanish culture all over the city. From the iconic architecture of the French Quarter (not so French!) to cemeteries and streets named after Spanish Saints, our ties to Spain built New Orleans- not to mention the influence of Mexican, Caribbean, and Central and South American cultures have on New Orleans’ music, food, and traditions. To celebrate New Orleans is to celebrate rich Hispanic culture; Happy Hispanic Heritage month!

On Saturday, YouthForce NOLA Internship alumni and staff gathered at City Park to reconnect with each other over pumpkin painting, Wingstop, and competitive rounds of UNO and Jenga. It’s always reenergizing to spend time with the awesome young people in the YouthForce NOLA community, and the picnic left our team excited for our next summer Internship season. Thank you to all the alumni who attended!

UPDATE: Due to inclement weather, NOLA STEM Summit has been rescheduled for October 2nd, 2024. Check out the Eventbrite for up-to-date information. YouthForce NOLA is excited to be participating in the NOLA STEM Summit this Thursday at New Orleans Career Center. If you are a STEM educator in New Orleans, this is a great (and free!) opportunity to connect with industry leaders, learn about new tools for enhancing student engagement, and equip yourself with information to help prepare your students for STEM careers here in New Orleans. Click the link below to reserve your spot and check out the itinerary for the day. We hope to see you there! https://lnkd.in/gH36Hd_s

Last week, we collaborated with YouthForce NOLA to bring a soft skills workshop to The Net:East EQA Schools . This semester, we will be bringing in mentors to work with the educator’s Soft Skills class in a small group setting. The workshops will cover different lessons from JA It’s My Job. For this session, students learned about professional networking and created their own elevator pitch that they practiced with their mentor. A huge thank you to our wonderful volunteer, Stephanie Blue from Three Pillars HR Solutions, who worked with the students!

This summer, YouthForce NOLA welcomed Denise Ellis as a Soft Skills Program Manager. An educator and instructional coach in the New Orleans public school system for 19 years, Denise brings with a wealth of knowledge and experience as well as connections to the community. In her role as a Program Manager, she will coach educators on how to elevate and target soft skills with students in high school classrooms, regardless of subject . As a native of New Orleans, Denise is an alum of Warren Easton High School and earned a Bachelor's degree from Nicholls State University. Welcome to YouthForce NOLA Denise!

Happy Labor Day! Expanding options, opportunity, and prosperity for our youth and our city takes all of us, working together. We're grateful for the education, employer, and community partners who work along side us for a brighter future. Our office is closed today, we'll be back tomorrow!