Interacting with New Orleans

The Harry Tompson Center is a day shelter dedicated to serving the basic daily needs of unhoused individuals. Harry Tompson Center provides a calm and caring environment in which to serve the needs of unhoused individuals in New Orleans. The Harry Tompson Center is dedicated to improving the quality of life for all those who come to us in need, not only by responding to physical needs, but also by attending to the whole person with respect and compassion. Their services include: Hygiene facilities, medical care, case management & housing placement, mental health care, legal and protective services, bike program, personal care items and more.

Youth Empowerment Project was founded in 2004 by three juvenile justice advocates to support formerly incarcerated young people as they transitioned back into their communities. It was the first program of its kind in the state of Louisiana. Since then, YEP has expanded to engage young people who live in poverty, are out of school or work, or have experienced trauma. Today, they provide mentoring and youth advocacy, adult education and high school equivalency preparation, employment readiness and career exploration, and out-of-school time enrichment programming. As a community-based nonprofit, these programs have been developed in response to unmet community needs and are aligned with YEP’s core purpose, which is to empower young people to improve their lives and the lives of others.

YouthForce NOLA is an education, business, and civic collaborative that builds bridges between school and work. Through our network of partner schools, employers, training providers, and community organizations, YouthForce is opening more doors to economic opportunity for New Orleans students. YouthForce vision is: “New Orleans public school graduates will thrive economically as a result of being the most sought-after talent for hiring and advancement in our region’s high-wage, fast-growing industries.”

STEM NOLA is a national leader in the design and delivery of STEM-based activities, programs and events to K-12 students, families and communities. Participants in STEM NOLA programs receive a unique interactive, hands-on learning experience that allows learners of all ages to deepen their knowledge in STEM studies, gain confidence in their abilities and chart a course for career opportunities in STEM fields.

Electric Girls’ mission is to develop leadership skills in young girls through their learning of electronics and computer programming skills. They offer after school programs, summer camps, and activity kits. Donations help ensure that STEM programs are available to all girls through full scholarships to Electric Girls’ programs.

Operation Spark is a New Orleans-based non-profit code school on a mission to help people get great jobs in tech. They provide coding programs for high school students and adults with no prior coding experience.