MLK Jr. School Students Help Keep Their Community Clean
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Charter School recently held “Let’s Give Back, NOLA,” a community clean-up day, on May 14.
This initiative brought residents and partners together to improve public spaces by removing litter and unsightly objects. Participants took pride in their hard work and commitment to contributing to a better society. It also brought awareness to the importance of recycling.
Students and chaperones were divided into groups with a designated area to clean. Each team was responsible for clearing out storm drains, carrying large debris to corners for 311 pick up, using trash grabbers to gather glass for recycling, and disposing of any trash items.
“We would like to thank our partners for helping us create a more sustainable environment,” said Danielle Jenkins, senior sponsor. “A clean community is a proud community. Cleanliness is next to godliness.”
Xavier University Gets $2.5 Million for New STEM Center
U.S. Rep. Troy A. Carter Sr. recently visited his alma mater, Xavier University of Louisiana to present the school with $2.5 million in funds that will be used for a new STEM and Pre-Health Advising center at the HBCU.
Carter says the project will directly benefit the people of Louisiana’s Second Congressional District, including funding student services at Xavier University. The center will be housed in the historic St. Michael’s Dormitory.
This project is one of several community projects funded by the budget passed by Congress in early March. The $1.5 trillion omnibus spending package included $17.5 million for community projects in Louisiana’s Second Congressional District. The spending package marked the first time in more than a decade that discretionary spending or earmarks were included in the federal budget.
An additional $14 million for two Sewerage & Water Board projects was also a part of the budget, bringing the total for local projects to $31.5 million.
Other projects funded as part of the $31.5million allocation to the Second Congressional District include:
• $6 million to the Sewerage & Water Board of New Orleans for wastewater and stormwater improvements
• $8 million for the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center for New Gravity Sanitary Sewer and Storm Sewer Project
• LSU Health New Orleans – $2 million for a project to learn more about the enduring effects of COVID in Louisiana and better prepare for successfully managing any future epidemic through discovery, research, and training. As one of the first places with a major COVID surge, it is important to understand what effects COVID has had on our population including health care workers and students.
• City of Baton Rouge – $1 million to create the Baton Rouge Institute for Growth and Healing After Trauma (BRIGHT), a community-based, trans-disciplinary resource and service center for trauma-healing in Baton Rouge. BRIGHT will build upon the success of several trauma-relief initiatives. It will create a center to support the health and well-being of Baton Rouge during a time of unprecedented collective trauma.
• Tulane University – $1 million to create a permanent home for an important collection that helps better understand the pathology, etiology, and epidemiology of trauma-related neurodegenerative disorders. This research is vital to understanding and treating traumatic brain injuries, including among U.S. service members. It will also help treat post-traumatic stress and other physical and psychological health concerns.