The College of Education enrolled 125 evacuees, majority from UNO and created program to accommodate alternative certification students from UNO. In addition, faculty and staff have taken in faculty, family, and friends.

PK-3 students worked in shelters across the area helping with developmental activities and reading while providing child care services for parents’ in several shelters (in collaboration with Human Ecology).

Counseling outreach - offered workshops for teachers, health care professionals, school counselors and parents.

Supply collection and distribution to the City of Baker School System to assist in providing school supplies to influx of many new students into the area (in collaboration with the National Science Teachers Association).

Kinesiology faculty and students taught classes at the River Center, working with evacuee children playing games and engaging them in physical activity.

Other Kinesiology faculty volunteered at the animal shelter, organized by the LSU Vet School.

Kinesiology instructor collaborated with other executive directors from across the country in the Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance and with the support of AHA was able to collect donations and supplies that were distributed to physical education teachers affected by the hurricanes to help replenish their teaching materials (most teachers received approximately $300 in funds).

COE students volunteered across campus.

Baton Rouge Area Foundation and International Rescue Committee outreach collaborations

* Developed and field tested shelter surveys
* Conducted interviews at area shelters
* Child-safe spaces program (COE students volunteered)

Rachel McKinney, an educational leader with the International Rescue Committee trained a team of LSU students, hosted by LSU COE, to assist displaced individuals, especially those living in the community shelters. The training involved awareness of the psychosocial needs of children and youth in such situations and ways in which volunteers can be more supportive and effective.

Several of these LSU students participated in the Fun Day at the Istrouma Baptist Church shelter, playing outside games with the children and youth, engaging in art activities, reading stories, visiting and eating lunch together. Some of the volunteers continued to spend time at the Istrouma Baptist Shelter where there were almost 100 children in residence at the height of the census.

LSU students also participated in activities at the Green Chapel shelter where they engaged the children in outside games and assisted some of them with homework.
The shelter closest to campus that this team served was Shilo Baptist Church. One of the teams spent time visiting with the young residents there and playing outdoor games with them.

An elementary education junior served at all of the above sites as well as the River Center Shelter and the Groom Road Renaissance Village, and took a semester off in order to focus on working with the displaced children.

Current Initiatives

LSU College of Education is working in partnership with Access 2, a California initiative, establishing the training, technology infrastructure, and networking capabilities to provide teleconferencing for displaced students with out-of-state mentors/tutors.

Other partnerships associated with the Access2 project include Apple, W2Cog, Ole Miss, Tulane, and UC System schools.

The College of Education is exploring further partnerships with local schools who are trying to establish charters.

ELRC faculty in Counseling currently working with area schools in Counselor Education by providing training and online resources.

" Coping in the Wake of Katrina/Rita"