Hi Community! I think our update is relatively the same as the very first update, with one change. Instead of our training weekend being the weekend of June 21, it is now going to be June 28, just a weekend later. Up to this point, we have trained 33 doulas, AND several of them are making a profession out of it. Some are even going into midwifery! My hope with this training you have funded (the weekend of June 28) is that we will inspire them to do the same. The more doulas we have out there, the better outcomes our community will have.
One other change is that our trainers are using Asana to track our tasks for the training weekend. It keeps us organized. Canvas is also being used and is an education program we added as a bonus to the training they will already receive training weekend. Instead of 3 long days of training, we are teaching the doulas online in 4, 2-hour segments and then one Saturday of intense doula skills training. We will also have one evening for awards/certificates and socialization.
We are still excited about being chosen as one of the 24hr Citizen Project awardees of funding for our Barbers, Boys, and Books literacy initiative. The 100 Black Men of Greater Lafayette is an advocate of academic excellence. The 24hr Citizen Project and its donors provided us the opportunity to increase literacy within the community. For that, we are extremely grateful.
Reading is paramount to the educational success of our kids. For students experiencing poverty, reading levels are stunningly low. Study shows that there’s a correlation between reading level and income. Higher income is linked to higher literacy. We aim to increase the literacy rate by placing a mini library in barbershops throughout the north side of Lafayette. The libraries will include age-appropriate books for elementary and middle school age kids.
In doing so, we acquired 21 mini bookshelves that were placed in barbershops and salons located in North Lafayette. Each mini-library was filled with children’s books mainly donated by Save the Children HeadStart.
As part of our education platform, this initiative will truly have a significant impact on reading levels in our community. The 100 BMOGL is appreciative of the investments through 24hr Citizen Project. We encourage current donors to continue their generosity and ask potential philanthropists to consider investing in the work and outcomes of 24hr Citizen Project.
What a whirlwind the past few months have been – and not necessarily in a good way, unfortunately. As a group, we have really been learning about what it is to lead community work that gets people excited but it is hard to find folks offering a real commitment to joining the mission. We have been eager to get things rolling and really had assumed we would have so much to share by this time, so here’s what has been going on:
We had a group who was super excited about the plan and willing to build our art closets free of charge, which was thrilling! We could then use the allotted funding for strictly art supplies. Because it was such a promising lead, we really hung on for probably longer than we should have… passions seem to have shifted a bit for those folks, and we don’t blame them.
We then had another passionate “YES” to being involved and building some closets for us. Similar to the first group, it seems that more important work took precedent.
SO – we have regrouped. If you attended the Big Event last year, you would be familiar with the Art Closet we had on wheels. We have tapped that builder for ONE MORE closet for us, this one being the biggest of the ones we have planned to be installed outside of J. Wallace James Elementary. Speaking of JWJ, they have a new Principal, Ms. Tassin, who has voiced her excitement over the project, too. More info is coming once we get this one going.
We were gifted a closet by School Board Member, Dr. Joshua Edmond, and plan to get this one set up to be partially mobile and housed at the Fightingville Fresh Market, which we are pumped about.
We also have another very talented carpenter interested in helping out with the last few boxes…but you can imagine how we are holding on to this excitement with some hesitancy…!
We are still as excited and determined as ever to bring art to the art deserts, so don’t think this slow slow pace has us down. 2024 is STILL going to be the year of the Acadiana Art Closet!
We hope this message finds you well and enjoying the transition into fall! We are excited to share an update on Team Fais Doo Doo’s efforts to install pet waste stations in Downtown Lafayette. As many of you know, keeping our community clean and enjoyable for everyone—pets included—is a top priority for us.
While we experienced a couple of setbacks over the summer, we’re pleased to report that things are back in full swing. Thanks to the hard work and dedication of our team, we’re making significant progress toward having the waste stations up and running this fall. In addition to our efforts downtown, we’ve partnered with our neighbors in the Freetown-Port Rico community to relocate one of our ten pet waste stations to Heritage Park, a popular grassy area across the street from Gary’s. This collaboration will help extend the benefits of clean, pet-friendly spaces to even more of our community.
We’re happy to report that all supplies have been delivered, the waste stations have been assembled, and locations for installation have been marked. The only thing left is for gas lines to be marked so we can safely install the stations.
We’re looking forward to getting these stations operational soon, and we appreciate your patience and support as we complete this project. Together, we’re making Lafayette a cleaner, friendlier place for all! Thank you for being a part of this important initiative.
Since you last heard from us in December, Team Sensory Grooves has been “strutting our stuff” in preparation for the grooviest night coming in Acadiana – Sensory Grooves: Silent Disco Prom! We look forward to celebrating our sensory and neurodivergent 14 to 18 year olds (8-12th grade) community on Saturday, April 27, 2024, at Wonderland Performing Arts. Team Sensory Grooves guarantees a night to feel accepted, understood, and celebrated.
As this is your child’s night to shine and showcase the star they are, we are encouraging comfortable formal attire. They will groove to the beats in their individualized headphones through Dohm Collective out of New Orleans. Each attendee will be in control of the volume, ensuring they can feel their best while dancing or simply sitting back and relaxing to their choice of music!
In January, our friends at BWPR and Montz Design completed the designs, event information, and Eventbrite page where a parent or guardian can request a ticket to the prom. This link will go live soon, so stay tuned and visit educationdestination.org for additional details! We are eager to begin sharing in the excitement on social media and around Acadiana in the upcoming weeks. If you spot a post or flyer, please share it or take a picture, then blast this wonderful evening to your community. We want to make sure everyone who can attend will be there, grooving to their personalized beats.
One of our primary goals is for our children to feel celebrated by experiencing a night dedicated to those within a unique and misunderstood community. It is an evening for them to feel like royalty and shine in a friendly and safe environment. We are diligently working to find party favors and volunteers who understand the needs of those attending. Additionally, we are looking at the food we serve that evening to meet any possible dietary restrictions. And if you have ever danced so much you need to quench your thirst, then you know the importance of having light refreshments! Whether through individualized music, party favors, drinks, or snacks, we will have what is needed to cater to everyone’s needs! But that is just the start!
Upon entering, an immediate photo opportunity with a professional photographer from Lynn’s Captures Photography will make each child feel like they are on the red carpet!
And parents or guardians, we are planning for you, too! If you want to take this opportunity to have a few hours to yourself while your child is grooving, that is an option. We will also have a suite on-site dedicated to you near the prom.
Upcoming for Team Sensory Grooves is to finalize all invoices and send payments, create decorations to make the venue as magical as possible, and promote the event so we can get tickets filled and aid in growing your child’s social circle!
We are ecstatic as we continue progressing into the final stages of Sensory Grooves: Silent Disco Prom! This night will surely be an evening to celebrate the stars of our community in a safe, friendly, and accepted environment.
