Field Trips In and Around New Orleans for the 2014 GCC

One of the most essential aspects of being a changemaker is learning what has already been accomplished. The Melton GCC field trips combined organizational focus with local, New Orleans' solutions to global challenges.

The Power of You

"List seven things that you have in common." This was the instruction given to the four groups. Each group consisted of Melton Fellows and the students of Youth Empowerment Project's Village (named after the famous proverb "It takes a village to raise a child"). Within minutes, each group had learned what they had in common. Even though they all came from different parts of the world, different socio-economic backgrounds and different age-groups, they discovered much in common. This then led to a round of introductions and subsequent work with Jennifer Hardin and Evacuteers.org. The Melton Fellows and students from the Village spoke about the issues that mattered to them most and filled out a survey for Evacuteers that will help populate their database, which will in turn help them better work with some of the most vulnerable neighborhoods in New Orleans.

Starting Young

Be kind. Simple words but they radiate and ripple throughout the world and are the basis of global citizenship for students at Lusher Public Charter in New Orleans, LA. The school is an Ashoka Changemaker school, dedicated to fostering skills such as leadership, empathy and problem-solving in their school community and beyond. The morning meeting was an impressive event--a confluence of students, teachers, parents, and on Thursday, Melton Fellows. As an arts charter, kindergartners and older students play through dance, sing songs in music class and learn about primary, secondary and tertiary colors in art. The school culture was impressive and a true testiment to how global citizenship can start as early as we are willing to teach it.

Combating Street Harassment

Have you experienced street harassment? This was one of the questions Melton Fellows asked during their street interviews in the French Quarter. Accompanied by Alicia from Hollaback Bahamas, Melton Fellows got an insight into what people in New Orleans experience in their everyday life. People on the street were very eager to share their stories on that topic, and this lead to interesting discussions among Melton Fellows and those around them. They discussed different situations when they felt offended and how they handle street harassment in their home countries. This confrontation with the topic will be useful in preparation for the upcoming workshop with Emily May, founder of Hollaback! on Saturday and Sunday. This interactive activity served as a great introduction to the French Quarter and its historical significance to New Orleans.

photo credit: Wikipedia