Other Projects

First Responders Project

First Responders Project provides advocacy and support for New Orleans' emergency services. The project assists New Orleans EMS, Fire and Police Departments in community outreach and education, and will work to ensure that these departments and their employees have the resources to effectively serve and protect the citizens of New Orleans.

Leader: Will Hales, whales@iberiabank.com.

Park It

Park It is a beautification program that works with the city's Department of Parks and Parkways to clean up neighborhood parks. Once a month, YLC volunteers get together on a Saturday morning to ambush a designated park, mowing grass, trimming shrubs and cleaning up trash to make the green space more useable for area residents.

Leaders: Tiffany Delcour, tdelcour@tulane.edu and
Chalon Dominick, chalon.dominick@marriott.com.

Pave The Way

Pave The Way, previously known as Project GreenLight, was created in the spring of 2007 to support the work of the city's Department of Public Works in recovering from Hurricane Katrina. It continues to support increased infrastructure repair and enhancement through advocacy and volunteerism.

Pave The Way recently launched an awareness campaign. The campaign advocates that Public Works needs a greater share of the city budget in order to properly maintain its street network. It's because our Public Works department is so severely underfunded that it does not have a Pavement Management System in place to manage the repairs of the road network. Since a systematic road maintenance inventory is lacking, coordination is lacking between utility providers and Public Works as well. To learn more about the campaign, visit Pave The Way's site at www.pavethewaynola.org/.

Leaders: Tommy Jay Dlabola, Kristi K. McKinney and Ryan Lips, info@projectgreenlightnola.org.

Power Ties

Power Ties is a career awareness program that links professionals from various occupations with middle school students at KIPP: McDonogh 15 through a series of career-oriented workshops. The YLC operates this program in cooperation with New Orleans Outreach.

Leader: Jenny Durkin, jenny.durkin@gmail.com.

Project Prodigy

Project Prodigy is a summer music camp for inner city kids who otherwise would not have access to music education. The kids are taught by certified music teachers in the Orleans Parish school system, and the camp is managed by YLC volunteers.

Leader: Lee Reid, lee.reid@arlaw.com.

Teacher Assistance Network

Teacher Assistance Network is a program designed to collect classroom supplies and get them to teachers who need them.

Leaders: Alex Haayen, ahaayen@review.com and Christy McMannnen, clmcmannen@christovich.com.

Volunteer in the Arts

In an effort to support the rich artistic culture of New Orleans, the YLC has a dedicated program focused on coordinating volunteers for arts-based events. The program is a win-win for the YLC as it allows young professionals who may not otherwise be able to afford admission to some of these events a chance to experience them as volunteers.

Leaders: Shannon Williams, shannon04@yahoo.com and Danielle Boveland, danielle.boveland@lsba.org.

Where Ya' Rack?

Where Ya' Rack? - the YLC's newest project - works to install unique and secure bicycle parking racks throughout New Orleans to encourage cycling as an environmentally friendly and healthy transportation option for commuting, short trips, and errands. Racks are purchased by citizens, businesses or property owners and installed by YLC member-volunteers.

Check out the Where Ya' Rack? website at www.whereyarack.org.

Leaders: Mike Harowski, mike@whereyarack.org and James Lancaster, james@whereyarack.org.

YLC Building Project

In 2007, a committee of YLC members embarked on a project meant to leave a permanent legacy for the YLC in our community - the renovation of a blighted property in Central City. The renovated space is the permanent home of the YLC's staff and serves as a gathering place for YLC activities. Construction and enhancement is ongoing.

Leader: Jamie Christovich, jchristo@landisllc.com

YLC Education Support

The YLC Education Support program provides a venue for YLC members to perform basic volunteer duties at local schools. Addtionally, through this program, YLC members may design and propose enrichment classes for New Orleans middle-school students in an area of their expertise (i.e., yoga, etiquette, money management, etc.).

Leaders: Damian Tatum auturgy@gmail.com, Jacob Daniels jdaniel8@tulane.edu, Michael Duplantier mdupla1@yahoo.com

YLC Toastmasters Club: Where Leaders Are Made

A Toastmasters meeting is a learn-by-doing workshop in which participants hone their speaking and leadership skills in a no-pressure, supportive atmosphere. Our members come from all walks of life and all professional backgrounds, but we are there to help each other as we practice being better leaders and speakers.

- Feel nervous when asked to speak before a group?

- Wish your presentations were more honed so you can win that big promotion?

- Ever wonder how to properly communicate with your peers, boss or subordinates?

By working your way, step-by-step through the provided workbooks, you can take control of your or professional development and start becoming a better leader, today. We have 12-15 dedicated members at each meeting which last about 60 minutes.

Leader: Beau Read beauread@msn.com.