After Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, young people from New Orleans followed their families to new cities, new communities, and new schools. Uprooted from friends, family, and home culture, many of these young people have struggled to find a place in their new environments. There have been few programs to help these young people process the pain, and transform the trouble of Katrina and its aftermath into new sources new strength and success for their lives. New Roots is here to help.
New Roots is a program that helps young people deal with what they are going through, build academic and personal skills, and to become socially active through creative expression.
What does New Roots offer?
New Roots curriculum is designed to produce the following outcomes:
1. Personal healing through self-reflection and creative expression
2. Mutual group support in dealing with personal difficulty
3. Improved reading, writing and speaking skills
4. A compilation of youth works in written, audio, and visual media formats
5. Increased awareness and understanding of New Orleans culture
6. Increased awareness and understanding of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and their aftermath
7. Travel home to New Orleans to connect with other youth
What do youth do in New Roots?
New Roots meets every Tuesday and Thursday from 4-7pm. We open with journaling/free-writing, learn about important issues, gain skills in internet research, filmmaking, writing and public speaking. We will watch and discuss films, read and discuss articles and books, welcome speakers and presenters, and take field trips. Past programs have produced spoken word poets, debaters, public speakers actors, writers, activists, community organizers and college students. As with anything, you get out of it what you put in to it.
Who leads the program and does it cost anything?
New Roots founder and lead facilitator Michael Otieno Molina is a New Orleans native educator, writer, community organizer, and New Voices fellow with 15 years of experience working to help young people develop into self-loving, successful, productive, and active members of their communities. This program is free!! For more information about the program or if you have any questions please contact me.
Mike Molina
emailmikemolina@gmail.com
