Team Leader: Audrey Dupre Funded Date: November 8, 2025 Amount: $3,000 Location: Lafayette, LA
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Project Description
Our idea is to create a quarterly newspaper written entirely by kids in Lafayette, for kids in Lafayette, ages 7–12. This newspaper will provide a fun and creative platform where children can share their voices, showcase their talents, and contribute to their community. Each issue will feature sections like Kid of the Quarter, puzzles and games, jokes, trivia, local sports and arts highlights, local history, an art gallery, and a community calendar of kid-friendly activities. By putting kids in charge of the content, the newspaper will reflect the true creativity, interests, and ideas of Lafayette’s youth.
This is a good idea because kids in our community do not currently have a regular outlet where they can publish their work or highlight the achievements of their peers. Most local media is geared toward adults, leaving children without a place to be recognized or to connect with each other through writing, art, and shared experiences. Our newspaper fills this gap by giving young people a chance to take ownership, practice teamwork, and learn valuable skills in writing, art, communication, and leadership. It also builds pride and confidence by showing kids that their voices matter.
This project benefits the Lafayette community by creating something meaningful for kids and families to enjoy together. It provides children with opportunities to be seen, heard, and celebrated, while also helping them connect with their city in new ways. Parents and families will get to see the world from their children’s perspective, and local schools and organizations will have a new tool to highlight and encourage student achievements. In short, the kids’ newspaper will strengthen community pride, inspire creativity, and bring families closer together—all through the voices of Lafayette’s youngest citizens.
Team Leader: Sami Parbhoo Funded Date: November 8, 2025 Amount: $3,500 Location: Lafayette, LA
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Project Description
A one evening festival of flavors and culture from around the globe. In collaboration with Festival International, UL and local international organizations, we will celebrate the rich and diverse international cultures that reside here in our community. And what better way to do so than with food?
The concept is to have 8-12 different communities (Lao, Nigerian, Indian, Lebanese, Persian, Filipino,etc.) set up a tent and sell food items that would be sold as street food in their respective countries. Each community/tent would have 1-2 items that cost $1-$3. They would be just small tastes so that the food lovers have enough room in their bellies to try multiple things from multiple countries. All money raised from the food sales would go to the community or their organization to strengthen them and help them have a budget to do more things throughout the year. In these times of rising xenophobia, the best antidote is knowledge, and food is one of the best ways to bridge gaps and share culture. This would be a way for different communities to meet, eat and connect.
We would host this festival downtown on the eve of Festival International, serving as a kickoff to one of the most exciting events in Lafayette. The festival will also function as a fundraiser, supporting local international community organizations and a nonprofit that welcomes international dignitaries during official visits. Our hope is to raise enough funds annually to send local musicians to international festivals as cultural ambassadors, showcasing Lafayette’s rich music and heritage to the world.
Team Leader: Justin Robinson Funded Date: November 8, 2025 Amount: $3,500 Location: Lafayette, LA
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Project Description
Downtown Lafayette’s parks are lively gathering places, but many lack permanent, interactive features that invite people to slow down, connect, and engage thoughtfully with one another. Without accessible activities, these public spaces often go underused outside of significant events, missing opportunities to spark community connection and lifelong learning.
The Downtown Lafayette Chess Tables Project proposes installing one to two durable outdoor chess tables in key park locations. These tables will serve as free, year-round gathering points for players of all ages and skill levels—encouraging mentorship, strategic thinking, and friendly competition. Partnering with local schools, libraries, and chess clubs, the project will host casual “chess meetups” to help residents learn and play together.
This initiative transforms a small park corner into a hub for creativity, logic, and social interaction—adding a little lagniappe to the downtown experience. The estimated budget is $1,500–$3,500 for 2 tables, covering weatherproof chess tables, installation, seating, signage, and community launch events. With community support and local partnerships, the project aims to make Lafayette’s public spaces more engaging, inclusive, and reflective of our vibrant culture.
Team Leader: Ashley Hutchins / Grace Gallaspy Funded Date: November 9, 2024 Amount: $2,500 Location: Lafayette, LA
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Project Description
The National Alliance on Mental Illness recently reported that 1 in 6 children between the ages of 6-17 experience a mental health disorder each year in the United States. The American Psychological Association reports that in the 10 years leading up to the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a 40% increase in depressive symptoms, feelings of hopelessness, and suicidal behaviors among American youth.
The first step in ensuring children have the tools they need to seek assistance for their mental health is setting a standard of open and transparent communication about mental health.
Team Reel Connections is pitching an innovative approach to modeling and facilitating mental health conversations and improving community access to resources with our (e)motion picture family movie event. With this project, we will use a popular family film to engage participants in a dialogue about emotions and provide them the tools needed to replicate these conversations at home. We will treat all our attendees to the red carpet experience to create an atmosphere of fun and excitement.
We will follow the movie screening with brief, facilitated discussion groups led by mental health professionals to model discussion techniques for families to continue sharing and communicating about mental health topics at home. At the conclusion of the event all attendees will get their “VIP swag bag” of local mental health resources and materials designed to help foster healthy communication patterns for families. We believe engaging experiences like (e)motion picture events can serve Acadiana as a vital resource in battling the mental health crisis currently impacting all communities in the US and can improve social determinants of health in our region.
We look forward to collaborating with community partners, qualified mental health professionals and the families in Acadiana to shine a spotlight on mental health.
Dear Community, Thank you for celebrating Mental Health Awareness Month with our (E)motion picture event. We were able to connect with nearly 40 Acadiana residents and use film as a catalyst for conversation. Families attending were treated to a red carpet experience...
Dear Community, Since winning funding for a family mental health movie night in November, Team Reel Connections has been hard at work planning our event! We are pleased to share that we will be celebrating Mental Health Awareness Month by hosting the first of our...
A Silent Disco Prom will be a night for our autism and special education needs population to feel accepted, understood, and celebrated. Sensory Grooves will be an evening devoted entirely to helping individuals 14-18 years of age enjoy a traditional prom experience in an inclusive environment that feels safe and friendly.
Sensory Grooves participants will feel like prom royalty as they will control their experience, making it as unique as each of them. Participants will receive wireless headphones customized at a constant volume level featuring three different audio channels. These three channels allow participants to volley back and forth between three song choices from three DJs, all by clicking a button on their headphones. This control factor helps each participant feel more included and immerses them in a socially positive group experience.
Suppose participants sense they need a break from all the fun of dancing. In that case, they can still listen and observe or remove the headphones and have a conversation, never missing a moment of the grand experience of their evening. Having choices extends a safety factor, minimizing sensory overload and providing a successful and memorable evening.
Sensory Grooves participants will experience the feeling of being included and allowing each to celebrate and have fun together to the beat of their own headphones!
Project Details
Team Leader: Kelly Landry Funded Date: November 11, 2023 Amount: $3,500 Location: Lafayette, LA
Dear Groovy Community, On the magical evening of April 27, 2024, 24 HCP and Sensory Grooves opened the doors of Wonderland Performing Arts in true red-carpet fashion celebrating our sensory and neurodivergent 8th-12th graders in and around the Acadiana area. The night...
Dear Groovy Community, 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...
Dear Groovy Community, Thank you are two of the most simplistic words that are written in this moment filled with such sincere gratitude. Team Sensory Grooves is beyond grateful to you for opening doors and entrusting us to showcase the need for acceptance and...
