Search Results

The newest addition to the OneRouge mural series was officially unveiled to the public on Thursday, April 14. The entire press conference was streamed live by BRProud . “It is my distinct honor as a steward of this program to connect our native sons and daughters to opportunities that celebrate our shared gifts, goals, and collective memory,” Morgan Udoh, Public Arts and Placemaking Programs Coordinator for Walls Project, said during her speech. The mural is the brainchild of Baton Rouge-based artist Bryson Boutte, who is a regular participant in the annual MLK events. This is his second major mural he’s completed for Walls Project. “The mural itself is about the future of transportation in Baton Rouge,” he explained. “I really tried to encapsulate many different ways that people might move according to how we could build the city and have less cars on the road.” The 2200-square-foot mural is located on the backside of Toussaint Customs and Collisions , which is located at 1824 Highland Road. Owner Marcus Toussaint talked about his reasons for starting his company, his expansion to his current location, and his reasons for working with the Walls Project to add the mural. “We started out in my dad’s garage. I always had a passion for cars and so I started customizing my car just bit by bit,” he said. “I graduated LSU in mechanical engineering and I went into the field of engineering and had a very successful career. I loved it. My brother saw the vision I had and he invested in me. When I didn’t have the money to finish a project, he was right there for me with the money. “Unfortunately, my brother passed away in a car accident, and so this was kind of the turning point of my career. I realize that this life is a promise. I was fulfilling a life of someone else’s dreams and it was time for me to step into my true role. That’s when I quit my engineering job and career and became a full-time entrepreneur. “When we moved to this location, when we first got here, I painted the building white and everyone always told me it’s a beautiful canvas. They kept using the word canvas. And that sparked the idea, so that’s when I started digging. “We recognize the need for local transportation in Baton Rouge. We were able to find the Walls Project and ever since then they worked with us to create a design that fits the needs of the city.” Business owners providing the location is only the first layer when it comes to completing a mural of this magnitude. The help of financial supporters is also required to make the project a reality. The largest financial supporter of the mural is the Capital Area Transit System (CATS). “Thanks to our partners at the Walls Project for not only this mural but the ongoing conversation that we are having about transportation and how it fits into everything else,” said Cheri Soileau, Director of Planning, Scheduling and Program Development for CATS. “Transit is part of the economic fabric of a city as well as giving dignity and respect to people who might be right there and not have an opportunity.” Individual donors also provided financial support for this mural. They include Joe Salem, Chris Walters, Anthony Moorehead, Tim Paslay, the Downtown East Social Ride, Emily Jackson, Hannah Walker, Thomas Donley, Joe and Cary Skaggs. Closing out the press conference was co-founder and Executive Director of the Walls Project, Casey Phillips. He put into focus the significance of the mural and how its theme is something you’re going to see more of from the organization. “As the Walls evolves, over this last decade, what you see here, this is just on the surface of the wall, this is just the beginning. It’s always just been the beginning,” he said. “As we’re coming into this next decade of work, we’re really focused on the nine systematic drivers of poverty in our community. And one of those is access to reliable and affordable transportation, specifically in regards to social mobility.” This is the fourth mural that addresses those nine drivers of poverty. It’s not too late to provide financial support for this mural, and for the ones we hope to complete next. Photo gallery by Maya Miller.

Baton Roots Community Farm is like Hannah Wascomb’s second home. Wascomb spends five days a week at Baton Roots in Howell Park and knows all four acres like the back of her hand. She knows the names of all of the plants in the ground, when the crops need to be watered or weeded, which bugs are pests or friends, and what plants are edible or poisonous. This is the life of a Baton Roots farm manager. Wascomb became the farm manager of Baton Roots at Howell Park, the largest site in the farm and garden network, in Fall 2021. For as long as she can remember, Wascomb has always been interested in gardening. Both of her parents loved the outdoors, plants and flowers. In 2020, Wascomb lost her job in the hospitality industry due to the pandemic and started growing plants for fun. Later that year, she became a farmhand at Baton Roots and six months later she was promoted to farm manager. “I just asked a lot of questions,” Wascomb says about preparing for her job. “It’s a lot of trial and error and observation. When you know the seasons and how they affect the crops, it helps to grow better.” Baton Roots grows everything under the sun. Crops include potatoes, arugula, sugar snap peas, sweet corn, okra, carrots, sweet peppers, bell peppers, lettuce, parsley, basil, cilantro, kohlrabi, eggplants, habanero peppers, cucumbers, kale, tomatoes, watermelons, sweet potatoes, and assorted flowers. Each plant is treated with special care. Wascomb’s attention to detail is reflected in the generous weekly harvests of vibrant, lively vegetables and plants from the farm. As she walks through tall rows of sugar snap peas growing up to the sky, Wascomb stops to find the thickest sugar snap peas on the vine, plucks them, snaps them in half, and eats them for a snack. “Snap peas are good all-around because for one, they’re tasty and two, they’re beneficial to other plants because they produce nitrogen,” Wascomb says as she bites into a crunchy pea pod. It’s not all snacking and planting for the farm manager, though. While most of her time is spent on the farm, she divides her days between answering questions from the public, inputting farm data into the computer, dropping off fresh harvests around town, and problem-solving issues like water mitigation at BREC Howell Park, pesky pests, or other unpredictable events. “A lot of things are just out of human control,'' Wascomb says. “The earth is unpredictable. The weather is unpredictable. No matter how badly we want to predict it. Farming requires some flexibility. You can’t take things personally if something doesn’t grow well. It also gives you this sense of peace with the world because you know you’re not in control of everything and you kind of just have to go with the flow.” Urban agriculture is gaining traction in cities looking to shorten the distance between food and consumer. Starting or being a part of an urban farm network is a tangible step toward food sovereignty. Wascomb, like many staff and volunteers of Baton Roots, finds pride in working towards a more sustainable food system. And of course, the limitless Vitamin D supply from Mother Nature is a nice perk too. Want to try out urban farming? Sign up here today to volunteer with Wascomb and the rest of the team at Baton Roots.

There are many ways to code, much like the old saying about cats, but front-end web design is the perfect marriage of creativity and engineering. When learning code for the first time, many new trainees find it daunting to learn without support. Just like any language, repetition and confirmation are just as important as understanding the function and exact formula to input. Futures Fund Coding Boot Camp offers the ability to take your dreams and through practice, make them tangible, via a website. Every semester, Futures Fund hosts a Capstone project. This project is the trainee's chance to present their work over the semester. Of course, it could be a standard site with a mock client and customer base, but more often than naught, the trainees at the Futures Fund use this as an opportunity to plot out their new business idea or help a family friend with their new ventures. Kalyn Acy, a US Veteran living in Gonzales, LA sees learning coding as a way to give herself the flexibility she wants so that she can travel and photograph while working remotely. “I hope to find something in front-end development because I love designing.” Kalyn Acy in Beginner Coding beams as she shows her photography website. She plans to sell photography through her website as a means to add supplemental income aligned with her passion. Another coder, in Advanced JavaScript, Vinh Nguyen shows the third iteration of his website to help people understand the importance of life insurance. Vinh hopes to create a website with functionalities that will help people place themselves in potential situations to substantiate the comfort that having life insurance brings. Using a website to explain a complicated function in a novel or tangible way of understanding is what makes a coder just as much as a creative as anyone in an arts-focused field. Does coding spark your curiosity? Learn it with us! Apply for the next class on May 3.

In honor of Earth Day on April 22, the Walls team is reflecting upon ways we as individuals are being eco-conscious in the workplace and at home. Here are some of the ways our team makes sustainable, earth-friendly choices. What are some ways you are reusing, recycling, or preserving the planet? Tell us in the comments! Mitchell Provensal: “My favorite thing to do is save kitchen scraps that I can make into vegetable stock. When I cut up onions, carrots, peppers, garlic, celery, etc, I take all the leftover scraps and put them into a bag in the freezer. Once the bag gets full, I'll make it into veggie stock. Once the stock is made, I will compost the boiled scraps. Also, any cooking water that I strain off when cooking, I will save till it cools down and water my plants with it.” Laura Siu Nguyen: “Here is what the Nguyen household does: We recycle plastic bottles, I personally do my best to take a retail bag (like Trader Joe's) when I shop for groceries and I change all of my light bulbs to LED.” Morgan Udoh: “My home and work eco-initiatives flow seamlessly into one another. At the height of the pandemic, pregnant at home I had the opportunity to compost, reuse, and reimagine all of our delivery packaging for cheap storage solutions at home and now craft supplies for my toddler. When you get food delivery, like Hello Fresh, the box gets reused as storage for cardboard candles, slides, and 'houses'. The cardboard inserts become paintable masks for [my toddler]. The coolant packs go straight into my deep freezer as a hedge against power outages with the impending hurricane season. Toilet paper rolls become dyed garland and flowers, or this winter, the perfect fire starters with a little dryer lint tucked in. Anything that I can't reuse at home gets used by the art program as found object sculptural supplies, containers for organization, etc. In my goal to make our public art program as close to zero waste as possible, all brushes/roller pads are soaked in a mixture of water and hand sanitizer to dilute the paint (yay, pandemic stocks), then rinsed, dried, and combed for reuse. Any tools that are too far dried out with acrylics get donated to our artists to use in sculptures. Empty paint buckets too! The leftover paint water is then evaporated until thick enough to repour into smaller containers for mini paint kits. The cardboard packaging goes to our Baton Roots farm to be used in our beds to block seed growth in-between plantings .” Helena Williams: “Of course, there's having your own reusable shopping bags or a silicone straw, but I also look for items when purchasing that are not made of plastic. I may choose an item that comes in a paper box rather than plastic packaging, or a yogurt cup that is glass rather than a plastic cup. When I do have a plastic item, I consider its reusability. If they have a lid, can I reaffix it and create a new container? How many uses could this plastic cup hold? Can I use it for planting if there's proper drainage? Also, as I make plans for purchasing, I try to consider its longevity versus novelty. I ask myself: is this purchase going to look out of style in a few months or years? Can I update it easily by repainting it? After all my considerations, I make a choice. Not every choice is perfect. Many good intentions fall by the wayside to convenience. But I allow myself the grace to focus on the big picture and understand my place in it.” Samantha Morgan : "At home, I am an avid composter because I use it in my garden! It not only helps my plants grow bigger, but it prevents food waste from ending up in landfills. It's a real win-win. Another small thing I do is try to conserve energy when possible. I use a washing machine, but I wash all my clothes with tap cold water, which prevents unnecessary use of the water heater. Around the house, we have all of our lights automated. We don't have to remember to turn off the lights because the house does it for us. Our thermostat is also automated to prevent it from running unnecessarily throughout the day. Other small things around the home include using reusable items when possible. From the kitchen to the bathroom, we try to avoid one-time-use products as much as possible. In our closets, we avoid purchasing any new synthetic fiber clothes, which causes microplastics to enter the waterway. We try not to buy new things when possible. Creating more should be a goal to avoid, even though we live in a consumer-based society. We look for opportunities to share out what we have as well. Most importantly, we try to educate ourselves on the products we're using. Sometimes things say they're good for the environment, but when you dig a little deeper, the company is actually a big-time polluter. With the environment becoming the focus of so much attention, people will try to take advantage of that. So, look beyond the label to find out more about where you're putting your purchasing power."

Youth gather around Digital Photography instructor, Antoine Lacey, discussing the settings that even the average smartphone has. Learning technology and how to utilize it for finding your own style, voice, and focus is what Saturdays with Futures Fund is all about. It's been 24 long months since COVID landed our first lockdown as a nation, which happened to be right in the middle of the Spring 2020 semester of Futures Fund. Just like many other programs, Futures Fund had to pivot to accommodate the new mandates. With a digitized curriculum on Moodle and a slew of virtual classes, Futures Fund maintained its programming and made sure all trainees had access. Related Story: Cox and ExxonMobil Laptop Giveaway Now, back in person, Tech Academy is excited to restart the fellowship that made the program a place of comradery and confidence-building. Spring 2022's semester will conclude on April 30th with a capstone event, our biggest celebration in two years!

On a beautiful weekend of February 19th and 20th, volunteers of all ages gathered at the retired BRFD fire station 2 on 2182 Osage Street. This event, part of Mayor-President Sharon Weston-Broome's MLK BR Holiday, was focused on beautifying the station after years of being overlooked. Teaming up with Mid City Redevelopment Alliance, the work was split into two days. The first day focused on blight remediation with debris removal, landscaping, and overall cleanup of the area. With help from DPW and volunteers, overgrown vegetation was cut and hauled, and the large garage doors were primed. Additionally, plywood was installed onto the windows to later become canvases for the following day. Sunday morning saw groups of individuals come in and fill in the "paint-by-numbers" like outlines, set up by the two site artists, Morgan Tanner and Kelly Jackson. Program Coordinator, Morgan Udoh describes the day, "I was really pleased seeing everything flow so well together. Painting with volunteers can be tricky, but our team did a really good job of keeping everyone on the same page." After the event wrapped up, artists stayed to finish the more advanced-skilled lettering. Empowering wording flowed over the walls, creating a vibrant juxtaposition of background colors and white lettering. To help with future volunteer paint events, stay up to date by following us on social media or signing up for our newsletter!

After the launch of the Coalitions, OneRouge has been taking steps to build a sturdy framework in which these very faceted focuses will function. The framework is centered around the shared aspirational statement: Creating an inclusive community culture in our city that leads to equitable opportunity for all and demonstrates everyone's voice, beliefs, and experiences are valued. Food Insecurity Coalition: After the pilot year of FIC, supported immensely by Capital Area United Way, we have been working to improve the structure and impact of the coalition. Utilizing the Collaborative Impact Model 3.0, the OneRouge Coalition (ORC) leadership team has made great strides in creating a more effective and action-oriented framework for the work we look to accomplish together in 2022 and beyond. To create this structure, ORC created a Community Leadership Council, made up of stakeholders and leaders (read more about this here) was formed in the fall of 2021. Within the Leadership Council, co-chairs for each of the first three ORC coalitions were selected. For Food Insecurity, Jan Ross of the Huey & Angelina Wilson Foundation was named as the the FIC co-Chair. To represent the community stakeholders, Emily Chatelain and Dr. Caityln Scales of The Three O’Clock Project were named as co-chairs as well. With these important leaders in place, we are finalizing the FIC direction, goals, and tactics informed by last year’s Jamboard feedback sessions and pointing the collaborative work towards the ORC guiding aspirational statement. Education Coalition: Utilizing the Collaborative Impact Model 3.0, OneRouge has made major steps in creating a framework for the work we look to accomplish. To create structure, OneRouge began its Leadership Council, made up of community stakeholders and interestholders in Winter ‘21 (Read more about that here). Within the Leadership Council, Co-chairs for the first three coalitions’ Steering Committees were determined. For Education, Adonica Duggan of Baton Rouge Alliance for Students and Dustin LaFont of Front Yard Bikes were named as the first Steering Committee Co-Chairs. Together, with the team of Walls and MetroMorphosis, the Steering Committee will develop the overall size and scope of the Coalition, as well as pinpoint the areas of impact and tactics we want to identify from the onset. The Education Coalition will convene in Q2 with a robust vision and purpose, baked with the Collective Impact Model 3.0 (see below) and the OneRouge Coalitions’ Aspirational Statement. Transportation Coalition: For Transportation, Reverend Alexis Anderson was named as the first Steering Committee Co-Chairs. Additional interest and stakeholders from CATS, BREC, and CRPC will join our planning with the team of Walls and MetroMorphosis, to develop the overall size and scope of the Coalition, as well as pinpoint the areas of impact and tactics we want to identify from the onset. The Transportation Coalition will convene in Q2 with a robust vision and purpose, baked with the Collective Impact Model 3.0 (see below) and the OneRouge Coalitions’ Aspirational Statement.

Thanks to YOUR generous donations, the Baton Roots team has purchased a truck and trailer to move the operation forward and further out into the community. “The Baton Roots truck and trailer are going to make a world of difference in our ability to care for Baton Roots satellite sites around EBR parish,” said SK Groll, Baton Roots Program Coordinator of Operations. “With this set of wheels, we are excited to be more mobile, and continue our mission to decentralize food access and agriculture education.” The fundraiser for the truck was the focus of our 225 Gives campaign, which is held annually in conjunction with Giving Tuesday. We wanted to put all of our focus on raising funds for the truck and trailer because it was such a necessity for our team. RELATED: 225 Gives 2021 - Help Us Bring Baton Roots to More Neighborhoods “We currently maintain 11 gardens within housing authority communities and 3 gardens at local high schools, in addition to our 4-acre farm at BREC’s Howell Park,” Groll noted. “A truck allows us to transport supplies for those gardens, support larger educational and volunteer events, and continue to meet people and plants where they are at.” Until now, the team had to rely on their own vehicles to transport supplies. “Managing 15 different garden sites is a big challenge and having the right tool for the right job can be tricky when running all over town,” said Michell Provensal, Baton Roots Senior Program Coordinator. “Our new truck and trailer will allow us to be prepared for any and every task at any and every site!” Provensal said the new trailer will hold irrigation and harvesting supplies, hand tools, wheelbarrows, materials for trellising, seeds, and items for our education classes as well. The truck is a used Ford F-150 and was purchased with the assistance of our vehicle broker Chad Shaffer with Paradise Auto. The trailer was purchased from Mike Gerald’s Trailer Depot. If you would like to help the Baton Roots program continue to grow and thrive, consider becoming a regular donor by giving a small amount every month rather than one big donation once a year. Although the latter is just as helpful, recurring payments do help our team plan more efficiently throughout the year. Special thanks to our 225 Gives Donors for helping make this possible!!

As spring warms up, the Downtown Baton Rouge offices of Stand for Children are receiving the beginnings of a mural to showcase the need for Educational Access. Twin muralists, Desiree and Denise Verrett are working as apprentices under seasoned artist Geeta Dave in creating this large, full-coverage mural. Based on the 9 Drivers of Poverty, this mural was made possible by the support of La Capitale (LA) Chapter of The Links, Incorporated, and individual donors. Funds are still being raised for the mural, which includes a listing on the mural as well as a personal invite to the unveiling later this Spring. Click here to contribute. Related Story: Walls Project Brings Awareness to Baton Rouge’s Need for More Educational Access What did you enjoy most about working on this mural? Desiree and Denise: On Feb 19th, there was a lovely surprise of families with playful children lined along the streets, hugging the building on three sides. As if they came specifically to see us paint, children stopped to compliment our work. Some of them are artists so they offered us a helping hand. With permission from their guardian, we replied by giving them our brush and proceeded to let them experience the joy of putting paint on a wall. With guidance, they loaded paint onto the brush, and filled in a space on a pencil. I feel these encounters are the highlight of this mural because it is exactly what this whole thing stands for. What was the message of the mural? How did the message resonate with you? Desiree: The mural encompases the goals of Stand for Children. I feel honored to be painting for this Organization because they are asking the important questions and finding the answers that children need. Denise: This mural will bring more attention to an amazing organization so that makes me proud. Describe what it's been like working on the mural. What is the process like? Desiree: on friday, saturday, and sunday, I get to spend lovely afternoons outside painting andinteracting with creative minded people who walk by. When we arrive, we take a moment before starting to discuss the things we notice, want to change, want to add, and what we plan to have done before leaving. Then we assign rolls (i.e. you do books, I do pencils). We work quietly after we set up because we usually already know what the other is thinking. People will watch in wonder as I pass my paint brush down and she catches it without pause and cleans it for me before returning it without a word spoken. Denise: It has been fun painting the mural. Working with Desiree is easy and makes the process flow smoothly What do you think people should know about this mural when they view it? Desiree: Creativity and innovativeness are important to promote in education. I think this organization does that amazingly so I hope that when people see this mural they can start to understand the importance of efficient education. Denise: I hope that people see the mural and are prompted to explore the issues that Stand For Children are addressing.

Just last fall, the Verizon Foundation awarded Futures Fund $10,000 in support of training the next generation for a digital and tech-savvy workforce. Futures Fund teaches youth and adults the building blocks of what all Web Developers need to know, as well as instill soft skills through a curriculum that focuses on simulating real-world client work. Done in person or virtually, Futures Fund offers an opportunity for anyone to step into the tech industry and qualify for taking up to 3 industry-based certifications. Thanks to donor support, like Verizon Foundation, access to this program taught by industry-professional is free for low-to-moderate-income households! What better time to try a skills upgrade than now! Applications for both programs are always open!

BATON ROUGE, LA – As technology becomes the cornerstone of the future, the need for bridging the digital divide grows more critical. State Farm Insurance, supporting initiatives that elevate the communities it lives and works in, selected The Futures Fund program to receive a $10,000 grant to advance technology training to those who normally are unable to access it. “For the past 100 years, State Farm has been making a positive difference in communities where we live and work,” stated State Farm Corporate Responsibility Analyst, Felicia Hutchins. “We like, The Walls Project, believe technology is the future and helping Louisianians develop the skills to succeed not only helps the students but impacts all of the community as well.” Futures Fund offers Web Development and Coding training to youth and adults in the 10-parish region and beyond. A program of The Walls Project, this opportunity creates a pathway for anyone to pursue careers in the emerging creative and tech sectors. Working directly with future employers and industry professionals, the curriculum offers in-depth training on the baseline languages of HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript. Graduates are able to take two industry-based certifications based on the content learned. Classes are held throughout the year, following a traditional school semester schedule (including summer sessions). Virtual and in-person options are available. Together, State Farm and The Walls Project look to break through and tear down the societal walls that discourage or prevent people from living safe, healthy, and prosperous lives.

Late spring, early summer is a pivotal time for growing produce, and thanks to the No Kid Hungry, Baton Roots will continue to grow fresh food and educate the residents of Baton Rouge on how to do it for themselves. Food sovereignty is a major focus for the Baton Roots program, with education leading that effort. Through Baton Roots' many events and Hustle & Grow program, individuals of all ages are able to learn that fresh food can be cultivated by anyone! No Kid Hungry looks to maximize participation in child nutrition and food insecurity programs, so partnering with Baton Roots was an easy fit. This $30,000 grant award will help contribute to supporting the farm's staff, educational classes, and over 1,000 pounds of fresh produce distributed for free to local families and residents. THANK YOU NO KID HUNGRY!