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On May 16th, the inaugural meeting began the first step forward for the Education to Career (E2C) Coalition. Focused on creating a bridge between education to employment, this coalition is being spearheaded by educational and workforce leaders Adonica Pelichet Duggan, Trey Godfrey, Dustin LaFont, and Tonnisha Ellis. In the vision, education is a never-ceasing opportunity for people of all ages to advance themselves in the pursuit of success and prosperity. By creating a coalition of practitioners, funders, and policymakers, E2C aspires to create a more accessible pipeline of access to education and work opportunities for everyone in the Greater Baton Rouge community and beyond. Education to Career (E2C) Aspirational statement Build a culture of quality instruction, lifelong learning, and equitable access to opportunity that make success and prosperity inevitable This aspirational statement works to unite the coalition to a common north star. With Collective Impact 3.0, the coalition will work cross-sector between education, nonprofit, government, secondary schools, workforce development, and private sectors to address the needs and opportunities in the lifelong pursuit of learning. Education to Career (E2C) Goals Create a culture that values literacy and increases literacy rates. Increase equitable access to safe learning spaces that encourage joy for learning at any level Expand awareness and access to early childhood education Increase opportunities for continuous learning With the goals, four working groups are formed: Equity/Access (in access to jobs & education), Schools as community hubs/centers, Bridging the gap: education and industry, and Community Outreach (Events). Sign up for future coalition meetings or other coalitions in OneRouge, click here.

Saturdays are often reserved for a time to relax, enjoy family and friends, and get ready for the week ahead. On March 11th, an atypical Saturday was presented to teens in Baton Rouge to discover the skills to prepare for the upcoming Hack-A-Thon competition happening at JOLTcon on April 22nd. At Southern University's T.T. Allain School of Business, instructors from The Futures Fund introduced key skills to the participants in preparation for the upcoming Hack-A-Thon competition. This workshop series aimed to introduce youth to the world of tech, app development, and the future workforce. Additionally, these workshops are easily translatable to anyone interested in starting a new brand, business, or idea. Four workshops, hosted by the Futures Fund instructors, covered: Building an App Idea into a Pitch Creating a Brand Identity on Canva Project Management for Individuals & Teams Creating a wireframe for an App or Website Over 50 bright young minds were excited to learn these skills and translate them to their own concepts as well as the future competition. Many attending spoke about their ambitions to launch businesses and become entrepreneurs of the future. The Hack-A-Thon competition will be focused on teens designing app solutions to solve one of two prompts for a grand prize: Better communication between friends Melding social media and music discovery This competition will be judged at the end of JOLTcon, a teen empowerment conference hosted by The Futures Fund every year. This will be the first in-person JOLTcon as COVID lockdowns canceled the first year in 2020 and made the recurring years virtual only. JOLTcon is an exciting opportunity for any EBR and surrounding areas youth to either participate in the Hack-A-Thon competition. To learn more, please visit the JOLTcon page here. JOLTcon is made possible through sponsorships from

With March as Women's History month, we wanted to uplift a few extremely talented local artists who identify as female. Although talent is nonbinary, in the arts industry women are often less represented and are less able to reach a broader audience. We hope you enjoy learning about these power-packed women who use art to capture their own feminine experiences. Megan Buccere Swampy-aesthetic and a taste for everything macabre, Megan Buccere has launched a successful fine art career touching on surreal, yet realistic representation of nature, feminity, and the constant pendulum between beauty and decay. We asked Megan a few questions about her experience as an artist and how being a woman shaped that journey. When did you know you wanted to be an artist? When you expressed this, how did your support system react? My grandmother put me in private art lessons when I was in kindergarten (I drew quite a bit apparently). One of her friends was a great watercolorist and I was able to take lessons from her once a week until I was in 5th grade. My family has always been very supportive of my work. Do you feel that you have to juggle a lot as a woman artist as compared to male counterparts? I have felt this quite a bit when dealing with certain gallerists from outside of Louisiana. The pop surreal art scene is very male-focused. In the last 10 years, there has been a major shift in galleries around the country showing more female artists’ work. There was a point when I was doing darker pieces that I and several of my women artist friends had long conversations about how we wished we would have used a gender-neutral artist name. At this point in my career, I haven’t encountered much bias from galleries and the public. Do you feel that your audience is geared towards women or broader? How has the reception to your work been? I have 2 different mediums and subjects that I work in. My darker, more pop-surreal pieces seem to be well-received by all genders. I can tell that my larger, more nature-focused pieces as of late do seem to be received better from women, however, I have had several male clients. What key opportunities did you find in developing your talent? I am very very lucky. I am a high school art teacher. I have been teaching for 23 years. I do not think I would be at this point in my art career if it weren’t for all the years of practice. I’ve always been pretty creative by my skills have developed 10 fold over my career as an art teacher. What advice would you give to girls wanting to become the artists of the future? Always follow your goals and passions! I have a full-time job and am a gallery artist. There is nothing you can’t do if you have the focus and desire. Being an artist is just like being a piano player, you have to keep practicing. Megan's work can be found in-person at Ann Connelly's Fine Art Gallery as well as online at @meganbucerre Darrionne Ellis Representing the fine artist who can also do digital, Darrionne Ellis works as both a graphic designer and an artist. Darrionne partnered with us on our latest MLK Fest mural on the MLK Community Center on Gus Young Avenue. Darrionne's Instagram is currently under construction, but keep an eye out for this ultra-talented rising star. When did you see arts as a future career? What were you drawn to? I've always known that I've wanted to be an artist since the youngest age that I can remember, like age four or five. When people ask me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I said an artist. Growing up I struggled with the direction that I wanted to take as an artist because I was always interested in all expressions of art, like music, poetry, theater, painting, fashion design, and so many elements of art. The older I got my expression of art came from many different avenues. My family was, was always supportive. It makes sense for guardians/parents to struggle to see how can art be an actual career. As I got older I understood that, but my family, supporters, and people around me continue to support me genuinely and recognize that art is my passion. How ingrained is art in your life and how do you feel that you've been able to develop your talent? Art is who I've become. It is how I express myself. It is so much of who I am that [the outside can] see that this is real, that I take this seriously and how passionate I am, and how much it means to me to be able to express myself through art. I think the biggest for me in developing myself as an artist is talent and skill and finding confidence in the voice that I already have. Sometimes I have struggled growing up with my identity and always feeling so different, like an outcast, and not realizing that there was beauty in my differences. I have finally been able to realize how beautiful and wonderful God has created me to be. The older that I've gotten, I've learned to embrace my differences. I've learned to embrace the unique things about who I am as a person and also how that is expressed through my art. How did finding your confidence help with making you a better artist? Once I found confidence through understanding the identity that God has purposed in me, I also found myself in so many doors I felt I wasn't qualified to be in. But with my found confidence and who created me, I have been able to take on so many opportunities that have helped me to develop as an artist. Whether it be on the entrepreneur side or just developing myself on a personal level, I believe that who you are as a person just adds so much to your artistry because essentially art is how you express, and whatever your expression is, it's coming from within. The more I've developed within myself, the more I developed as an artist to express my identity and confidence. What words of wisdom would you impart to any young girl artists looking towards a career in arts? My advice is to trust and believe in who God created you to be and to find confidence in that. Always be confident in your differences. Always be confident in what makes you unique as a woman, and as a girl. It's so easy, you know, living in a world that is led by social media where things sometimes become replicas. We see doubles and triples of the same thing, but find what makes you different and enjoy it, embrace it. Love that very thing about you that's unique. Do not be afraid to stand out no matter what door you go, what room you walk in, or what atmosphere you're in. Be okay with standing out, because that is what people are drawn to. They are drawn to the person that is not afraid to say something differently, not afraid to show up differently, not afraid to do something that seems impossible. That's what inspires people. Darrionne's work can be found on the MLK Center on Gus Young Ave., as well as on her TikTok or website baptizedinart.com. Emily Seba Arts are soaked into everything Emily does, day in and day out. A fine artist with a taste for hyper-realistic animal portraits, Emily is often found at Mo's Art Supply or at maker's events with her business Fat Cat Designs. You may recognize Emily's work with BREC's Baton Rouge Zoo, helping design coloring sheets for new artists to explore the animals BREC's zoo has to offer. How did you find your path as an artist? I had a stroke when I was eight years old. Due to that, activities that I used to enjoy, I was no longer able to participate. My health determined what I could and couldn't do. After my stroke, my parents searched for alternative activities since I could no longer play sports. I took some art classes and found my outlet for everything in life. Waiting in doctors' offices I would draw the posters on the wall. I really fell in love with drawing how the human body and illustrating how it works. I knew from an early age that I wanted to create art for a living. It wasn't until I was older that my passion grew into the driving force that it is today. I love illustrating nature and the scientific world around us; producing art that can be a teaching tool. I have a Bachelor of Arts Degree from LSU, and a Master’s Certification in Scientific Illustration from California State University – Monterrey Bay. I am proud to own a company doing just that! How do you feel women in arts are seen or represented? What would you change if you could? I feel that women who create art are viewed more as having art as their hobby, whereas men who create art are seen as doing it for their careers. Why can't women juggle children and an art career? For me it is not a hobby, it is a profession, and one I am proud of. Just because we may be a wife, mother, or partner doesn't mean we can't have a real job, too. As a lot of your art centers around scientific accuracy, how is that received? Sadly, I think that my work to more disturbing to the general public, due to the nature of what I am trained to illustrate. Some find the inside of the human or animal body disturbing, whereas I find it fascinating. Most people don't have paintings of skeletons and bones hanging in their homes. While I do art to sell that the general public likes, I also like to do art for myself, which is most often scientific in nature. What key opportunities did you find in developing your talent? Having an amazing family let me pursue my goals. Without the backing of my parents telling me to reach for what I wanted, I probably would have gone on to other things and not have been this happy in life. Being an artist is hard, and it won’t make me rich by any means, but I am very content with it! Follow your passion! Find the people who build you up, not tear you down. Emily's work can be found online at @fatcatdesigns on Instagram. If you appreciate the work being done by The Walls Project, please consider becoming a reoccurring contributor. To learn more about ways you can contribute, CLICK HERE.

Composting is a great way to reduce the amount of waste your kitchen and garden produces. There are a lot of different methods and the Baton Roots team continues to test them and share the results during the monthly Sow Good Saturday demonstrations. RELATED: Bokashi Demonstration: Simple and easy composting system In this demonstration, SK Groll gives an overview of worm composting, also known as vermicomposting. It is the process of using worms to break down organic material into nutrient-rich compost. This compost can then be used in gardens and landscapes to improve soil health and help plants grow better. Worm composting is a great way to recycle food waste, cardboard, paper, leaves, and other biodegradable materials. It also produces no unpleasant smells like traditional methods of composting can. RELATED: Compost Workshop There are many different options for vermicompost. 1) Buy a premade bin (like the one used in this demo); 2) DIY your own out of plastic storage containers or 5-gallon buckets; 3) Build a worm tunnel right into your garden beds. In most methods of worm farming, there are some similar elements to the process and layering. Components of Worm Bins Physical structure- box or container; Biological organisms- the worms and their associates; Controlled environment- temperature, moisture, acidity, ventilation; Maintenance procedures- preparing bedding, burying kitchen scraps and food waste, separating worms from their castings; Production procedures- making use of the castings (worm manure). Benefits of worm bins Reduce food waste; Make your own free fertilizers with worm castings and worm tea; Learn and explore. “I want to build my own worm bin. Where do I get started?” Read Worms Eat My Garbage: How to Set Up and Maintain a Worm Composting System by Mary Appelhof and Joanne Olszewski; Check out the tons of great YouTube videos, blog posts, and resources online; Go to a class in Lafayette, LA at Worm Lady Recycles; Weigh your organic kitchen waste for a few weeks to determine average amount produced and pick the right sized worm bin for your household; Determine the quantity of worms you need and order worms (WLR); Purchase a bin or materials and assemble; Determine what type of bedding you will use and buy or recycle it; Assemble your bin and add bedding; Add worms to bedding; Bury food waste; Check moisture levels periodically, add new food waste, look for cocoons and young worms; Harvest worms, prepare new bedding; Use the vermicompost on houseplants or in your garden! “I would NEVER have my own worm bin, BUT I love my plants. How can I still use vermicomposting?” You can buy worm castings and worm compost tea from WormLadyRecycles.com. This regional business, located in Lafayette, LA sells worm team and worm castings, and they will ship anywhere in the US! Worm Fun Facts: Worms are a type of invertebrate that can be found in nearly all environments on Earth; There are more than 20,000 species of worms known to science, and new ones continue to be discovered every year; Worms have been around for over 500 million years – making them one of the oldest creatures on our planet; Some types of worm can live up to 10 years or more; others only survive for a few weeks or months depending on their environment and diet; Some worms can produce antibodies which help protect them from disease; They are allergic to their own poop! For additional tips and direct conversations, join Baton Roots on the first Saturday of every month for Sow Good Saturday. Along with a demonstration, there are opportunities to get your hands dirty in the garden, participate in light stretching activities with local instructors, and taste healthy recipe dishes from Chef Traci Vincent with the American Heart Association. If you appreciate the work being done by The Walls Project, please consider becoming a reoccurring contributor. To learn more about ways you can contribute, CLICK HERE.

The hallway, conference room, and main work space at the Walls Project Headquarter have a new look, thanks to Artist in Residence Ashli Ognelodh. Her new series of paintings, “Presence,” is currently on display at the Walls Project Headquarters, 458 America Street, and an opening reception was held on Friday, Feb. 24. Describe the concept behind the artwork you have at the Walls? The work centers around two major components of my life; my relationship with God and my mental health. Exploring these components and assessing myself daily helps me heal internally. As an adult, unfortunately trauma is something we all have the misfortune of having access to, but exploring my healing through art and through Christ have helped me manage myself better as a person. Describe how you went about incorporating text in the paintings and why you decided to do that. I initially was nervous about putting the bible text in the work. I was like, 'this is the bible, um, is this a good idea, lol.' After praying about it, I realized that my relationship with God plays a major part in the narrative of my identity and placing that in the work allows a me to have connectivity with God and with the audience simultaneously. Do you have prints available and if so, how do I purchase them? Prints are available of any piece on my website and customers can message me the size they would like to purchase. All prints are done on gallery style canvas and ready to hang. Where else can I see your artwork? You can see my work on my instagram page @ashliognelodh and my website: www.aoartwork.com How can I support you as an artist? You can support my work, obviously, by purchasing original artwork. But you can also purchase prints of the work and of course just sharing the work helps so much as well. Telling people about the work. Sharing the work with their contacts on both a general level and a corporate level. Sharing the work on their social media platforms. Writing about the work on blogs, newspapers, and speaking about the work in podcasts. Also, inviting me to speak about the work on their platforms; podcasts, public speaking engagements, etc. The Walls Project Headquarters is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. However, we’re always moving from one project to the next, so feel free to call first to make sure someone will be there, (225) 434-0515. If you appreciate the work being done by The Walls Project, please consider becoming a reoccurring contributor. To learn more about ways you can contribute, CLICK HERE.

Since 2015, The Futures Fund has been uplifting and impacting the lives of youth and adults. Over the course of those nearly 8 years some Trainees have stayed committed and returned year after year past their graduation. First in Workstudy, honing their skills in real-life projects to make money, then into Mentorship learning leadership skills to help strengthen their personal development, as well as coming in as Instructors or Site Managers. Today, we wanted to speak with someone who has not only been around since the beginning but has shown an endearment to the work that Futures Fund does. Chris Isaac, now 21, has been with us throughout middle and high school, and now while he is navigating college and career life. Chris seeks to grow his entrepreneurial skills, currently showing interest in merch design and brand-building. Tell us about the beginning of your time with Futures Fund. I got involved with the Futures Fund when I was in middle school. I think when I was in 8th grade I was introduced to the program for the first time. I’ve basically been involved with them ever since. Futures Fund offers a lot of different opportunities, what has been your favorite experience so far? The community and mentorship I got were and still are my favorite things about the program. I got to meet a lot of great people that I’m still in contact with today. It helped form a lot of lifelong connections. What was the path you took in the program? I was taught coding and web development skills on top of marketing and project management. With so many youth programs out there, why would you recommend Futures Fund to new students? We as mentors and instructors are there to teach our students as much as we can. On top of the practical skills like coding or photography, the lessons we got went beyond just the practical, we learned how to work as a team, how to really communicate with others, and how to use our skills to find unique career paths. It’s an introduction to a world of interests and creative paths that I wouldn’t have learned about until much later in life if at all. You've been involved for a long time! What keeps you coming back? I think the Futures Fund works as a good introduction to people in the city to interests and fields that we’re not really taught about. With the right support and using this as an opportunity to build community with others, I hope to see a point where students and people involved are able to funnel aid and assistance back into the area. Using our skills to find ways to help our community and see a better future for Baton Rouge. If you are interested in seeing your youth join programs like The Futures Fund, apply here!

The Baton Roots farm at BREC’s Howell Park is about to get a lot more colorful! The newly constructed utility yard has been a game-changer for the farm team. And now, with the help of some volunteers, it’s going to incorporate the foundational work that launched The Walls Project over a decade ago. “We are going to be painting the fences to add to the beautification of the park as well as highlight the Baton Roots program,” said Ashli Ognelodh, Artist in Residence. RELATED: Plants for the People The collaboration is made possible thanks to a public grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, as well as matching support from the Rotary Club of Baton Rouge, BREC, and Republic Recycling. “This mural will incorporate bright colors, food that's grown at the community farm, and Louisiana native plants and animals,” Ognelodh explained. “The artist is Skinny Dope.” Volunteers from the Rotary Club of Baton Rouge will get the ball rolling on Friday, February 17. An open volunteer event will happen on Saturday, February 18. The complete project will be finished before the end of the month. The next Sow Good Saturday will be held on Saturday, March 4. We invite you to come out to celebrate the completion of the mural. The event will begin at 10 a.m. and end at noon. Activities will include gardening, light movement, and a healthy cooking demonstration by Chef Traci Vincent. RELATED: Sow Good Saturdays are Good for the Soul Notes on Howell Park: Address: 5509 Winbourne Ave, Baton Rouge, LA 70805 Enter the park on Winbourne Ave. Turn right, and follow the driveway past the construction. Park in the lots near the basketball court. You will see the large white storage pod and Baton Roots farm and garden sites in between the parking lot and Winbourne Ave. Meet by the storage pod 10-15 minutes before your shift begins If you appreciate the work being done by The Walls Project, please consider becoming a reoccurring contributor. To learn more about ways you can contribute, CLICK HERE.

So much joy happens in the garden during spring, but to make that happen, there’s some work that can be done during winter to prepare. Begin by removing any debris from the soil and adding organic matter, such as compost or manure. Then, spread a layer of mulch over the top to help keep moisture in and weeds at bay. You don’t have to use expensive mulch. Start by using the leaves from your yard. RELATED: 10 Tips on How to Start a Vegetable Garden Another way to get your soil ready and healthy is to incorporate microorganisms. One way to do this is by making your own brew utilizing decomposing leaf matter. “The idea is to go into, find an old tree, old forest, someplace that is really undisturbed and go by the base of the tree, move some leaves, and you want to look for white mycelium. And that's the beneficial fungi. It’s called leaf mold,” Mitchell Provensal, Baton Roots Program Manager, explains. After you’ve collected the leaves, you will need a sealable bucket full of dechlorinated water. “Chlorine will kill the good bacteria and fungi. Our tap water has chlorine. Just fill it bucket up, let it sit for 24 hours, it'll all dissipate,” Provensal notes. Use a mesh bag and add to it a handful of your leaf mold with a potato that has been cooked. “The potato is going to be a simple food that the fungi and bacteria can just eat really quickly and they'll just multiply and just go, go, go, go, go, go, go,” he adds. Mix in a little sea salt for the minerals and then put the mesh bag in the water. Use your hands to mash up the potato while mixing it in the water. Then, let it sit for 36 to 72 hours. “It's gonna create like a disc of foam. Once the disc starts separating from the edge of the bucket, that's when you know it's ready,” he says. “You have to dilute this because the microbes have just multiplied and they're just eating the potato and are going really crazy. You'll split the solution one to one. So this is essentially gonna make 10 gallons of the inoculate.” RELATED: Bokashi: An easier way of composting Drench your soil with the super brew about two weeks before you plan to start planting. Now that you’ve started getting your soil ready, you can begin growing seeds indoors so they’ll be ready to transplant when the weather is right. Below are some seed growing guides to help you get started. For additional tips and direct conversations, join Baton Roots on the first Saturday of every month for Sow Good Saturday. Along with a demonstration, there are opportunities to get your hands dirty in the garden, participate in light stretching activities with local instructors, and taste healthy recipe dishes from Chef Traci Vincent with the American Heart Association. If you appreciate the work being done by The Walls Project, please consider becoming a reoccurring contributor. To learn more about ways you can contribute, CLICK HERE.

Before and After of a Blighted Building on Plank Road made into a Placemaking piece at MLK Fest 2020 Over time, neighborhoods are bound to change. Populations and amenities migrate in and out with popularity and the winds of change. Yet, what loses attention quickly is those original neighborhoods, the ones that as residents move out of, slowly become disinvested in. It happens almost like a chain reaction. Maybe it starts with new businesses opting out of opening there, often claiming barriers in zoning or perceived purchasing power the residents hold. Families are then encouraged to move out further and further, where new neighborhoods are being established with attractive amenities like fast internet speeds, gorgeously designed and stocked grocery stores, and newly built homes. Leaving only the steadfast residents to maintain the neighborhood. When residents move out, blight moves in. This cycle isn’t necessarily organic. There is a traceable series of actions within our history that may shed light on why this happens so often anywhere in the United States. To begin, the most defining systemic process that locked in these “areas of concentrated poverty” was “Redlining." Literally with red ink, creating boundaries for real estate development and lending institutions to veer away from. This practice locked in many areas until the Fair Housing Act of 1968, which in reality, means the current vision of housing access is only a few generations old. From this backsliding starting line post-WWII, neighborhoods with a majority of black and brown residents were faced with a steep climb to stay relevant to the housing market trends. Since so much infrastructure and even schools are tied to property taxes, once the residents started to move out, everything became positioned for disinvestment. So, how does something like this become repositioned into an avenue for success without incurring colonization? The loss of neighborhood culture and history becomes an unacknowledged centerpiece of the many risks gentrification brings. Art, more often than not, is the last thing residents think about when considering how to maintain culture in a community. But when utilized with community input and representation, art can create a placemaking atmosphere, a productive and authentic way to upgrade an area. Placemaking, especially through public art, is a way of connecting neighborhoods, relieving blight, and reducing crime (yes, really!). First, let’s consider how to go about placemaking development. Community culture and representation must be at the center and out front, because further means of visual displacement, or creating a culture of “not-belonging” can lead to some considerable negative ramifications. It becomes critical to design for not just the people who developers want to see there, but first the families who currently reside there. Manohar Patole, NYU professor and Community Resilience specialist provides some context from cited sources, Traditional urban planning, also known as top-down planning, has been criticized for a number of issues, including: Traditional urban planning, also known as top-down planning, has been criticized for a number of issues, including: Lack of community involvement: Traditional urban planning often fails to engage and involve community members in the planning process. According to a report by the American Planning Association (APA), ‘traditional planning processes have been criticized for being too bureaucratic, with little or no citizen participation.’ IIn order to create a space that is calibrated for prosperity, it must feel inclusionary and optimistic. Yet, the traditional method of going about urban planning investment can be extremely wasteful, Patole notes the following: Ineffective use of resources: Traditional urban planning has been criticized for being inefficient and wasting resources. A report by the Centre for Sustainable Urban and Regional Futures states that ‘traditional urban planning approaches have been criticized for being slow, costly and ineffective in delivering the desired outcomes.’ When planning placemaking, as well with any community reinvestment, the inclusion of all residents is critical. However, plans are easier than actions and quickly become shelf-art. Investment in practitioners and coalitions reflective of these plans is a step toward creating a movement, rather than a moment. Opportunities like the future OneRouge Housing Coalition help to create a pathway of structure and action that helps facilitate beyond the planning stage. Understanding how great community placemaking can be achieved, the question arises as to how truly effective is it? Or more interestingly, how can something like neighborhood placemaking reduce crime? During her studies with MAUP, LSU Professor Dr. Tracey Rizzuto reviewed crime data in areas near and around murals, comparing it to areas that did not receive placemaking revitalization. By reviewing before and after “calls for service for violent crime,” Dr. Rizzuto and Matthew A. Valasik developed a theory that once placemaking happens, especially in the form of art, crime is reduced in some way, “In summary, the descriptive and multivariate results presented in the study suggest the efforts of The Walls Project were associated with declines in calls for service for violent crime in more disadvantaged areas of Baton Rouge. Descriptive results show that calls for service declined within 500 feet of mural installations, but also that the decline was not statistically significant. Results of the multivariate analyses indicated calls for service were significantly more likely to decline in block groups where murals were installed.” The reasons for this can be tracked and coded, but some of the possibilities for why this result can occur are hard to unquestionably answer, like the result of, “...mural installations may have produced increased guardianship as the artists and community members spent time in the area during the installation.” Reduction in crime is significant enough to consider placemaking as a part of community revitalization and battle against blight, partnered with supporting the community culture of past, present, and future through effective engagement, but what else can be accomplished when we approach blighted neighborhoods with arts-based placemaking? Blight isn’t always a few broken windows and tall grass, it comes in many shapes and forms, and most notably difficult to navigate, rules and regulations associated with property ownership. Oftentimes local residents are willing to help with the blight but cannot obtain the proper permissions to take ownership of the land they are about to clear. “Mow-to-own” programs are a step in the right direction, but it still has caveats and requires title clearance. Utilizing art can create a short-term bypass to those issues, but creating semi-permanent installations by boarding up windows with painted signs, or creating removable art installations. Additionally, placemaking and public art create an opportunity for volunteers and residents to band together to make improvements to the area. Successes, like MLK Fest (now MLK Holiday BR) offer an opportunity to make massive efforts in neighborhood blight remediation and revitalization. Related story: Painting Progress: Placemaking Projects for MLK Holiday BR 2023 Banding together for progress isn't a new concept, but it allows for a bottom-up approach toward urban transformations. Something that new urban development has so importantly placed importance on. So, in summation, a little paint and creativity can go a long way to helping create a better city.

Beginning in 2016, The Walls Project helped start the annual MLK Festival of Service, which brought together citizens from the Greater Baton Rouge area to volunteer and help revitalize the city. Today, with the Mayor-President's Office, City of Baton Rouge, and Office of Community Development leading, MLK Holiday BR has become a network of over 100 community organizations that paint murals, create urban gardens and forests, and clean up parks and neighborhoods all over the city of Baton Rouge. This year, the Walls Project still led four volunteer events, including two placemaking activities. These activities included painting a mural at the MLK JR Community Center in District 7 in partnership with Councilmember LaMont Cole, and another public placemaking installation in District 2 in partnership with Councilmember Chauna Banks at the Jewel J. Newman Community Center near the airport. The Walls Project also offered two urban agricultural volunteer opportunities through its Baton Roots Program, including a garden bed clean-up at the Clarksdale Community Garden and another at the garden at Capital High School. Photos from Jewel J. Newman Center Placemaking Project by Matthew White The volunteer events engaged hundreds of volunteers from Southern University, LSU, City Year, Giggle Girls, Our Lady of the Lake, DOW Chemical, ExxonMobil, CPEX, BRAF, and many other organizations and individuals who came together to support the community. The efforts of The Walls Project and volunteers helped to revitalize and beautify the city, and have also brought people together to work towards a common goal. Photos from Clarksdale Community Garde Project by SK Groll [Walls] was so responsive and kept us in the loop with giving us information for the MLK events! We're so glad we got to participate in the activities and able to help make the vision come to life for the projects at District 2. - Shawn J. Coleman Jr., City Year Community Partnerships Manager In addition to the physical improvements to the city, the MLK Holiday BR promotes a sense of connectivity and social responsibility. The event encourages residents to come together to help improve their districts and to take pride in the place they call home. These types of efforts are crucial for the continued growth and development of Baton Rouge. Photos from MLK JR Center Placemaking Project by Matthew White Planning an event as large as MLK weekend is such an amazing experience. Volunteering in any capacity is always beneficial to the community that is being serviced, but adding the artistic component allows others to service while also engaging in an experience that they might ordinarily steer away from. Many tend to not operate in artistic capacities for fear of not being an artist, but at the walls we have the privilege of creating a space that allows creativity without requiring those 'qualifications'. The goal was beautification and service and we successfully accomplished both - Ashli Ognelodh, Walls Artist in Residence These annual large-scale volunteer movements remain valuable opportunities to bring the city together for collective progress. Through the efforts of volunteers and service organizations, the event remains a great example of the positive impact that community service can have on a city and its residents. Thank you for all the support from our volunteers, Councilmembers, City of Baton Rouge, Mayor-President Sharon Weston-Broome, Office of Community Development, BREC, DPW, DOTD, AARP, CDBG, and many more!

This year, instead of buying all of your veggies at the store, what if you grew some yourself? It’s totally possible. Growing your own vegetables is easier than you may think. It’s all about finding the right spot for your garden, growing veggies you enjoy eating and considering what thrives in your growing zone. Here are some quick tips for how to start your vegetable garden. Grow what you love to eat. Think of the veggies you love eating and want to try growing yourself. Growing plants you and your family actually want to eat helps prevent food waste and can hold you more accountable (and excited) when growing your favorite veggies. Some plants are easier to grow than others. According to the old Farmer’s Almanac, some of the easiest vegetables to grow are beets, lettuce, kale, zucchini, peppers, peas, radishes, tomatoes (bush variety or cherry), spinach, chard, carrots and green beans are some of the easiest vegetables for beginners to grow. Consider your growing zone. Different veggies grow best in different regions. Before getting started on your garden, look up your growing zone or ask your neighbors which veggies they’ve had success with in their gardens. If you live where the growing season is short, look for veggies that will mature before your first frost. Choose a spot that gets plenty of sunlight. Plants need generous amounts of light to grow. Spend some time in your yard and take note of which areas get the longest hours of sunlight. Consider putting your garden in the sunniest spot. Make sure you have a water source. Will you be using a water hose? Do you get rain in your area? Make sure you have a reliable source of water for your plants and won’t have to run back and forth inside your house to fill buckets of water for your plants. Make sure your garden has good drainage. You don’t want your veggies to sit in wet soil for long. Make sure water is draining smoothly through the plants and soil after being watered. In regions with more rain, you have to consider flooding. When choosing your garden spot, check for the likelihood of flooding and make a drainage plan. Give yourself some space to move around. When growing veggies, you want to have enough space to walk around your garden to weed and harvest. Just make sure that you can reach the center of the row or garden bed easily without stepping on the soil. Don’t want to prep your yard for a garden? Use a raised bed. You can build your own raised bed or shop for one already made. This way, you can fill the raised bed with loose and healthy soil free of debris and potential soil pollution. Limited space? Try a container garden. For those who don’t have yard space, but have a balcony, patio or a small outdoor space, consider trying a container garden. You can reuse spacious buckets, gallons or large pots to grow delicious veggies on a smaller scale. Add some flowers to your veggie garden! Mix in flowers such as marigolds or wildflowers which attract pollinators and add some color to your space. Once ready to harvest you can gift your friends with a basket of veggies and a bouquet of home-grown flowers. A win-win! We're here to help! You can learn the basics of gardening with our Baton Roots team! Get hands-on gardening experience at our next Sow Good Saturday on February 4. You can register here.

The beginning of the near year means a fresh start for our Futures Fund program. There will be some new additions as well as returning favorites to help lift our students to achieve their tech goals. Leading the charge is Program Director Dominique Dallas. “The goal is to extract that tech genius in people by showing them that coding can really be their superpower,” says Dallas. Coding Bootcamp For adults, the Coding Bootcamp is back in session and it's time to get coding! There are plenty of exciting new things in store. “This semester is going to be a little different because they are going to be more activities and opportunities to co-work,” Dallas explains. “We are reintroducing participation in the Slack channel so each cohort member can interact with each other, ask for help, and ask questions. We don’t want them to feel like they are on an island.” Related Story: Futures Fund Coding Boot Camp Fall 2022 Capstone Physical world meet-ups are also on the agenda. “We want to activate the idea of meeting up at a coffee shop and working on a project together.” Building comradery will go a long way toward enhancing the learning environment. After all, code is just to the beginning of what’s being offered. “We want to make sure people are creating those lifelong and lasting relationships with people that are interested in the field, so they can network and develop those soft skills.” Learning from those already working in the industry has always been a priority for CBC. Guest speakers join the class once a week to talk about their experiences in the industry. Additionally, there will be a focus on how to get the job you want and get paid what you deserve. “I have a speaker who is really skilled at how to negotiate your salary and how to be a badass in an interview. We’re going to really focus on career skills and navigating the career space. The springtime is a really good time to talk about career skills because that’s when a lot of employers are looking for new talent.” If you’ve ever been interested in learning how to code, now is the time! Tech Academy Giving teens a sense of power and purpose has always been the focus of the Tech Academy. This semester there will be a combination of virtual and physical workdays. “This is a really strong and exciting program,” Dallas says with pride. “We have some great guest speakers lined up for the semester. One, whose name I’m not going to mention just yet, is an entrepreneur, a coder, and she designs children’s books.” Related Story: Fall 2022 Tech Academy Capstone The program has two specialty areas: photography and coding. Both programs teach teens skills as well as practical applications. "This semester we're allowing mentorship to existing at every level of the program," Dallas notes. "It's a really strong aspect of the program." An event that compliments the mentorship agenda is SQL Saturday, which “was a hit last year.” "SQL stands for Structured Query Language, which is hard to manage data and databases. SQL Saturday is a day of free training to support the platform while providing an opportunity to network and nerd out with other techies!" This year the event will be held on Saturday, March 18 at LSU. It is hosted by BRAIN (Baton Rouge Analytics and Intelligence Network). The focus this year is business intelligence. “It all goes back to getting the trainees involved in the tech community.” If you are the parents of a teen who might be interested in either the photography or coding portion of the Tech Academy, fill out the registration form now!