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For the past ten years, The Walls Project has been an integral part of the Baton Rouge community by enhancing the quality of place with our murals, educating youth in tech, providing fresh produce in food deserts, and leading massive community cleanups in North BR. Today, we're asking you to join us to ensure the next 10 years look even brighter for Baton Rouge. Support Walls to continue this work for 2023 by donating today Baton Roots Food access through education continued to be the cornerstone of Baton Root's 2022 focus. Partnering with high schools, BREC, and 11 East Baton Rouge Housing Authority sites, Baton Roots engaged over 300 volunteers throughout the year on the benefits of Urban Agriculture (growing where you live to grow nearly 20,000 pounds of produce. The Hustle & Grow youth training program, hosted at Capital High School, Glen Oaks High School, and Scotlandville High School, introduced 550 youth to the concept of Urban Agriculture and sustainable farming practices. Students in the Hustle and Grow program gain entrepreneurship experience by selling plants and produce at Red Stick Farmers Market at the library on Tuesdays. Students can come to the market after school to sell seedlings and other produce from the farm sites. This gives teens a tangible way to see how farming can be a sustainable profession. Sow Good Saturday, a monthly partnership event with Geaux Get Healthy and the American Heart Association, helps blend activities around health, nutrition, and growing fresh produce into a Saturday morning event. Where else can someone experience a yoga class, get a tasty treat from Chef Traci Vincent, and then go home with bags of freshly picked produce? Outside of Sow Good Saturday, we hosted groups like Big Buddy, City Year, Key Clubs and Beta Clubs, Sprouts, The Council on Aging, graduates, and families of the Hustle & Grow Urban Ag program, graduates and families of the Geaux Get Healthy Community Wellness Classes, and more. Working with Baton Rouge Green, we replanted and cared for trees in the City Citrus Orchard at the Farm at BREC Howell Park and dreamt of even more permaculture in the future. BREC and Baton Roots constructed a utility yard to house storage for farm equipment, a wash/pack station for preparing produce for distribution, and a hoop house for seedling production. The utility yard will be complete in early 2023 and will allow Baton Roots to grow more food and educate more community members about sustainable urban ag practices. Discover the value of a little dirt and magic. 2022 program success was made possible by the support of: Geaux Get Healthy, Aetna/CVS, Capital Area United Way, East Baton Rouge Parish Housing Authority, Entergy, LDAF, Rotary Club, Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation, Pennington Foundation, BREC Public Art & Placemaking Once COVID restrictions were lessened, our Public Art and Placemaking program launched into full swing! Completing a 300% increase in public art projects, Program Coordinator Morgan Udoh and Artist-in-Residence Ashli Ognelodh offered a fresh and invigorated approach to working with organizations, community groups, and corporations to bring art and creativity into the public's view. Major projects include a multi-mural series for BREC's 75th Anniversary, the highly-promoted solidarity mural project between Southern University and LSU, and the partnership at Kidz Fest. Additionally, in working with schools, our program expanded its typical placemaking offering to include a mural arts educational component with LA Key Academy's installation. The students were led through the actual mural process and then helped create a mural at their school. Similarly, the beautification efforts with the Northdale Superintendent school allowed for volunteers to contribute to building a comfortable and vibrant place for students to learn. Explore the creativity of our 2022 murals 2022 program success was made possible by the support of: BREC, Sickle Cell Association, Southern University Lab School + LSU Lab School, Salvation Army, Northdale Academy, Louisiana Key Academy, BR General, Scenic Market, Santander Consumer USA, La Capitale of the Links, Inc., City of Baton Rouge Little Art Library Drawing inspiration from a conversation during a OneRouge meeting, the Walls Project Headquarters opened the first Little Art Library. The concept follows the Free Little Library format, except this one is specific to art supplies and books. Everything that goes in was provided by donations and the community is encouraged to come and take anything inside. You can bring it back when you no longer need it, or you can hand it on to someone directly. The structure was custom-built by Doug Moore and it matches the style of the main building. It's large enough to fit canvases, picture frames, or anything else that can be used creatively. The response has been phenomenal. WBRZ's Taylor Rubach filmed a feature story during its early weeks. Additionally, Samantha Morgan talked about the Little Art Library on the Arts Council's weekly radio broadcast. More importantly, thousands of dollars worth of donated supplies have made their way through the LAL. From typical supplies such as paint, crayons, and sidewalk chalk, to unusual items such as a bag of trophy toppers, a bag full of googly eyes, and a full living room set for miniatures. We hope to expand in 2023 and add another LAL in a different location. Walls Plus One The flagship podcast for the Walls Project launched in Spring 2022 with a 12-episode season. Each week a different leader in the local nonprofit community came on to discuss a different topic. Week after week, each guest talked about ways their organization addressed issues related to poverty. The final interview focused on Louisiana's coast, which is being lost at an alarming rate. What will happen to those communities? That question became the foundation for season 2, which is focused specifically on our changing climate. Louisiana is already feeling the impacts of climate change, but are we ready to deal with the consequences? This season features two guests per episode. The second half of the second season is spilling over into 2023. After a short break, we'll be back with season 3. Don't worry, we're going to lighten things up a little bit. That's kind of our thing at the Walls Project; we like to keep you on your toes. Futures Fund With classes geared towards youth and adults, the Futures Fund programming prides itself on building culture and curriculums that resonate beyond the instruction. In spring, summer, and fall, the Coding Boot Camp (adult) and Tech Academy (youth) reached participants from all over East Baton Rouge Parish. Futures Fund Tech Academy (TA) reconvenes weekly sessions on Saturdays in-person and virtually at TT Allain hall on the campus of Southern University. For the spring, there were 21 trainees. For the fall semester, there were 25 trainees enrolled in the program focusing on coding, photography, leadership development, and mentorship. These trainees have had the opportunity to hear live music from local artists like Joe Scott and Shy Speaks along with advice and knowledge from local leaders like Justin Hutchinson and Tony King. Attendance remains consistent and recruiting efforts are underway for Spring 2023. Coding Boot Camp (CBC) held its 8th and 9th Capstone Event this year where trainees presented their captivating projects. Trainees in the beginner and intermediate levels created websites over the course of several weeks after receiving instruction from instructors in the industry. They independently executed the planning, design, and development stages of the software development life cycle and presented the final results as an elevator pitch. Trainees in the advanced level worked as a team to create a full website for an imagined entertainment company in addition to each building their own interactive JavaScript feature. Throughout the semester, we heard community leaders speak on the following topics: Resume Building, Interviewing Tips, Interviewing Tips for the Tech Industry, Certifications for Your Career, Financial Literacy and Building Generational Wealth, and general Inspiration and Motivation. 21 virtual sessions were held, 86% attendance rate, 69% retention rate, 3 trainees completed the full 3-level course. In 2022, Futures Fund welcomed Dominique Dallas as its first Program Director. Through her addition, the program continues to align its web development curriculum with leading graduates to higher-paying jobs in the emerging and lucrative tech industry. Celebrate a year of digital and creative tech advancements 2022 program success was made possible by the support of: BASF, Wilson Foundation, Capital One, ExxonMobil, Microsoft, LOSFA, Santander Consumer USA, Moozie Foundation, State Fair of Texas, UNUM OneRouge Coalitions 2022 saw a lot of progress with the OneRouge Coalitions, with building the infrastructure and momentum as its focus. Understanding this, OneRouge programming, shepherded by the collaboration of MetroMorphosis and The Walls Project, sought to build with the intention to strengthen as the years progress. With the addition of Program Coordinator, Pepper Roussel, OneRouge Weekly Community Calls were able to cast light on month-long thematic arcs linked to the 9 Drivers of Poverty. One such moment, in September, saw a deep dive into the struggles faced by those looking to become citizens of the United States. Community conversations like these, allow for voices not usually heard to be raised and for new understanding to be had. In the solidification of the OneRouge Coalitions process, MetroMorphosis and Walls Project worked hand-in-hand to utilize the Collective Impact 3.0 Model. This model showcases the importance of community inclusion and understanding to build movements by leveraging the voices of all community members and elevating the solutions that are born closest to the problem instead of in meeting rooms across town. With the support of our 2022 Leadership Council, we have also selected leaders to guide the aspirational work to “Foster an inclusive community culture in our city that leads to equitable opportunities for all.” Additionally, we have installed co-chairs who work to achieve the coalition mission and goals through working groups and smaller task forces in our first 3 coalitions: CAFÉ, Education to Career, and Transportation and Mobility. OneRouge is leading the Capital Region in systemic systems change by encouraging cross-collaborative, cross-sector work to address poverty in a holistic and intentional manner. Join the Movement of OneRouge 2022 program success was made possible by the support of: Capital Area United Way, BR Alliance, American Heart Association, BlueCross BlueShield of Louisiana

When you support local artists, you are supporting their craft and helping them to continue creating. This holiday season (and beyond), we encourage you to shop locally and pour into our local artist community. The Capital Area is filled with various artists from all mediums. Here are 10 creatives you can support right now. P.S. Want more options? Here’s a roundup of 28 local Black artists to shop. For minimalist yet decorative pottery: Andrew Pullman Pottery For nature-inspired paintings and wedding bouquet art: Kristen Serio For animated graphic designs and prints: Aline Prints + Design For colorful and whimsical abstract paintings: Courtney Miley For cruelty-free taxidermy art made with real butterflies: Framed Findings For stylish and functional leather goods: Damien Mitchell For custom and Louisiana-inspired paintings: Made to Paint For relatable poetry about loving yourself through a hard transition: Salty Lemon, a poetry book by Rachel Laymoun For vibrant paintings with Black figures: Christopher H. King For handmade clay earrings by a teenager: Clay Corner

There's been a fantastic shift in Baton Rouge to focus on shopping locally. But, let’s be real, sometimes it feels easier to shop quickly-shipped items online rather than locally-made creations by a small business. In a recent OneRouge Friday Community Call, the conversation amplified the need to keep creatives local in order to build a thriving city that attracts a population for years to come. To help us better understand, we sought out conversations with the artists themselves on how artists are impacted when we choose to shop with them. We spoke with Elle Mouton and Keidrick ‘Sensei’ Alford, the founders of Baton Rouge art collective, Ellemnop.Art to get their take on supporting local artists. In your opinion, why is it important for locals to support local artists this holiday season? Elle Mouton: For me, it means locals are in tune with the local art community to help the scene move forward. It helps local artists feel seen and recognized. It helps artists continue their passions. The more funding and purchases, the more money you’ll have to continue your artistic endeavors. How do you think shopping with local artists benefits the community? Elle Mouton: It's almost like a showcase of home. Every piece of art that is in someone's home is showcasing what's in their hometown. It's like a free ad for artists. How does supporting local artists benefit the economy? Sensei: I look at that as one big ecosystem. Say I buy a piece from [an artist], he can use that money to invest in himself or eat at a local restaurant. From an economic standpoint, it gives every creator an opportunity to continue to pay it forward to support someone that they admire and appreciate. Supporting and encouraging artists is great. Supporting them financially is even better. Do you have any stories or examples you can share with me about how local artists are impacted when their work is supported/ purchased? Elle Mouton: It's always great when people come to markets because they know you’re going to be there. There was a long time that I was making art that no one has ever seen. Being encouraged is a huge deal for artists, knowing that people like your art makes you want to take that risk. With the people that we work with, we all encourage each other. It gives you a lot more confidence when you have more people supporting you. What is the difference between shopping with a local artist versus a mass-produced item? Elle Mouton: In most instances, you can say it's a 1-of-1 or signed by an artist and no one else has it. Sensei: It's the connection. You can connect with the art. It’s something that's spiritual, outside of the money and purchasing the art. If people can’t purchase art from an artist, what are some other ways they can support local artists? Elle Mouton: Sharing their social media content (a free way to support them) furthers their reach, giving that artist their flowers, really telling them how much their works mean to them. Artists need their props. Even if someone doesn't buy something, we know there will be a spiritual connection. Creatives: Tell us how you feel in the comments. Why is it so vital for people to continue supporting your craft?

The Tech Academy held its Fall '22 Capstone Event on Saturday, December 3, where students presented their final projects to family, friends, and community members. Students in Levels I and II worked on their websites for ten weeks after receiving instruction from instructors within the industry. They independently executed the planning, design, and development stages of the software development life cycle and presented the final results during a gallery walk. Our featured speaker was none other than Jamyria Walker, a recent level three graduate and current mentee. She shared her experience overcoming imposter syndrome and facing her fears. She didn’t think she could, but she did. Now she’s telling the world that they can, too! To carry the trend of motivating words, Shy Speaks, a renowned performer from Dallas, TX, performed and offered an encouraging word, song, and rhyme. She did it all! She displayed artistic flow and ingenious creativity with lyrics like: “Don’t care if anyone else believes. Get out of your way. You have the confirmation you need.” Shy Speaks put her abundant wisdom on display during Q&A. Students asked her tough questions about accountability and vulnerability. She notes: “Accountability is discipline plus vulnerability. It is the fastest route to your goals. It works when you desire to achieve.” Shy Speaks and Shy spoke! What an incredible experience! Parents, families, and community members enjoyed the performance, witnessed the unleashing of students’ coding superpowers, and celebrated excellence and tech genius. Capstones that are engaging and impactful like these are only made possible through the support of organizations like: BASF, Wilson Foundation, Capital One, ExxonMobil, Microsoft, LOSFA, Santander Consumer USA, Moozie Foundation, State Fair of Texas, UNUM

The Walls Project wants to always seek opportunities to push boundaries and break down those traditional barriers that prevent new experiences. That’s why our mural arts program has started testing the limits of what is possible with paint by integrating a little technology. “We have a lot of young families and young professionals with children in the capital region that we are in danger of losing to other states because of the lack of amenities that are provided free and public at all times,” explains Morgan Udoh, program coordinator. “So I wanted to create something that would augment the services that are already at our BREC parks, which are amazing, by providing people a way to interact with our art.” The East Baton Rouge Parish Park System, BREC, celebrated its 75th anniversary this year. To mark the occasion, the organization commissioned five murals at different parks located throughout the parish. Walls was honored BREC would not only celebrate this important milestone through its artists but also explore a new and state-of-the-art integration. “At each park, the mural was inspired by another park in the system,” Udoh notes. “It creates a cool scavenger hunt throughout the BREC park system.” Artist in Residence Ashli Ognelodh created the colorful designs, which are located at the Zachary Community Park, Jackson Community Park, Central Baker Recreation Center, and Gus Young Park. RELATED: Artist in Residence Ashli Ognelodh Explains How She Landed at The Walls Project “Being the Walls and as innovative as we are, we wanted to add a little bit more than just something you would take a picture of once and then move on,” Udoh continues. “So we decided to add a touch component to the walls with leads installed onto the mural where you can touch the wall at four or five different points and the electricity that's conducted through your body.” The system utilizes a Raspberry Pi board, which is a low-cost, credit card-sized computer that is capable of doing everything you’d expect a desktop computer to do. In this case, it plays sounds. “There are conductive wires that lead from different places on the mural. When you touch it, it’s programmed to play out a sound on the speaker,” Udoh said. “The system itself is solar powered.” Expect to see even more innovation in the new year as the team continues to push the boundaries of what’s possible.

For the past ten years, The Walls Project has been an integral part of creating a brighter future in southern cities by enhancing the quality of place with professional murals, educating youth in tech & digital arts, and leading massive community cleanups. Today, I’m asking you to join me to ensure the next 10 years look even brighter across the Texas sky. Support Walls to continue this work for 2023 by donating today Public Art & Placemaking Juneteenth Fest 2022, spurred from the MLK Fest events in DFW, created a bi-annual opportunity to engage creatives and residents. SSQDC, Epiphany, and several partners and community advocates which include: Urban Specialists, The Walls Project, RHI management, Dallas Designing Dreams, New Era Management & The MLK Center have all come together to encourage and support residents, organizations, and businesses to come together to restore this emerging part of sunny South Dallas. This event, held all day on Saturday, June 18th, saw community building, artwork creation, and blight cleanup at the Martin Luther King Jr. Center, Fair Park amphitheater, and at Gilley's Southside on Lamar. Collaborating artists included Izk Davies, Jerod Davies, Ebony Lewis, Brooklyn Easley, and Ventrill Art. At Fair Park, a large circular mural was created on canvas, helped by artists and volunteers alike. Hear more from artist Izk Davies in the video! Additionally, art activities, cleanups, and community-focused conversations were highlighted throughout the event. Explore the creativity of Juneteenth Fest 2022. 2022 program success was made possible by the support of: SSQDC, Epiphany, Urban Specialists, The Walls Project, RHI management, Dallas Designing Dreams, New Era Management & The MLK Center Futures Fund In 2022, Futures Fund welcomed Dominique Dallas as its first Program Director. Through her addition, the program continues to align its web development curriculum to lead graduates to higher-paying jobs in the emerging and lucrative tech industry. In October and December, Futures Fund held its FREE workshop series of events called BREAK N2 Tech. Conversations around "Employment in the 21st Century" and "Placemaking vs. Colonization" led participants into discussions about new approaches for long-term equitable redevelopment in Dallas, as well as how to proactively engage with them. This community event featured a diverse panel of practitioners and thought leaders in neighborhood redevelopment, public art, and tech. Through these two panel discussions, conversations were inclusive to culture bearers, private developers, muralists, small business owners, and community members looking for pathways to high-paying jobs in the Tech & Creative sectors. This series demonstrated the intersectionality of mindful commercial/residential development, arts districts and generational neighborhood residents earning power are all part of the equitable development movement in the City of Dallas. Celebrate a year of digital and creative tech advancements. 2022 program success was made possible by the support of: Santander Consumer USA, Moozie Foundation, State Fair of Texas, Capital One, ExxonMobil, Microsoft

The December Sow Good Saturday featured a demonstration of bokashi by Mitchell Provensal. Bokashi means "fermented organic matter" in Japanese. It's a way for you to preserve all food waste from your home which you can later add to your garden or compost bin to increase fertility. The bokashi "composting" system is simple and easy for any size living space and has a minimal smell. Since the food waste is fermented, it will deter pests and bugs from eating it. Supplies Sealable container - (5 gallon bucket or anything with a tight fitting lid will work) Bokashi Bran or Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) or EM-1 (Effective Microorganisms) Food Scraps - (meat, cheese, dairy, bones, etc. can all be used!) Steps Place an inch or two of shredded paper or cardboard at the bottom of your container. This will help absorb any liquids from the food waste. Sprinkle a handful of bokashi bran (or spray your LAB or EM-1) over the shredded paper. As you have food scraps, open your container and layer the food scraps along with a handful of bokashi bran (or LAB/EM-1 spray). Try to only open the container once a day to minimize oxygen getting in. Every inch or two of food scraps, stop and sprinkle more bran. Layer food scraps and bokashi bran like lasagna. Press all of the food waste down to remove as much air around the food as possible. Repeat this until the container is full. Close the container and let it ferment for 2 weeks undisturbed. Once the food has been fermented you can bury it in your garden bed 6 - 8 inches down or added to the compost pile and cover with leaves/wood chips. Start a new bucket of bokashi! Bokashi Tips Don’t add foods that are mostly liquid like milk or soup. Strain liquid off of the soup and add the solids. If food is moldy throw it out or add to a hot compost pile. The bacteria on the moldy food could out compete the good bacteria on the bran or spray. When burying your bucket in the garden, let it sit for two weeks until planting. The fermented food waste is acidic and can burn up plant roots. Bokashi is an anaerobic process, meaning it does not need or want oxygen. Be sure to press down on your food scraps when adding new material. Where to buy bokashi bran? You can find many places on the internet to buy bokashi bran. Here are the places we have used. SD Microbe - https://sdmicrobeworks.com/ TeraGanix - Bran and EM-1 - https://www.teraganix.com/ You can make your own Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) spray for very cheap instead of buying bran. YouTube Channel - Chris Trump (Video - Korean Natural Farming How to : LAB) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Ke4OQljVmg&t=155s You can use LAB/EM-1 to inoculate coffee grounds, paper, bran, or another carbon source to make your own bran for bokashi YouTube Channel - LearnByBlogging (Video - Making Bokashi Bran with Shredded Newspaper) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5tZlDe6pAg YouTube Channel - Fraser Valley Rose Farm (Video - Bokashi Bran Recipe - DIY with Rice Water) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUEVu32rcyQ YouTube Channel - Ligaya gardens (Video - How to make a bokashi bran from used coffee grounds) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCWR1to7oiA

Dozens of volunteers spent two days working at the Northdale Superintendent Academy to transform the drab space into a bright atmosphere ready for academic success. “It definitely needed a lot of work,” Morgan Udoh, Mural Arts Senior Program Coordinator, said about the school. “It just looked like a prison.” Utilizing funding from the Office of Alternative Education in the East Baton Rouge Parish School System, the team set out to transform several sections of the school. Artist Ellen Ogden was the lead artist on the project. “We presented them with a concept of designing the poles in a way that would designate the high school side from the middle school side,” Udoh explained. “With volunteers, we were able to paint all 70 plus poles and the pavilion seating at the front entrance of their outdoor corridors and the actual brick façade of the front entrance to the office. “Ellen created the designs on all our concrete seats,” she continued. “We also painted planters that we will eventually fill with plants from the Baton Roots team. The plants will come from the BREC Howell Park Community Farm.” The work sessions were held on Saturday, November 15, and Saturday, October 8. On the first day, roughly 40 volunteers helped with the real dirty work. “There was a lot of painting and priming to do,” Udoh noted. “Lots of cleanups prior. It was just dusty and dirty.” The local chapter of Masons came to pitch in. “They were our primary volunteers,” Udoh said. “They were awesome and without their help, we would not have been able to provide as much design work as we were able to. We were only able to do so because of the number of volunteers that laid down the primary paint.” One big piece of design included the school’s mascot. “Their mascot is the Mustang, so we kept that theme and worked with their colors, which are black, gold, and white. We added a metallic gold as well just to give it a little pop.” Although much was accomplished, there’s still another phase to this project. It’s set to be completed during the annual MLK Festival of Service. “It’s going to be more healing arts-focused,” Udoh explained. “We’re going to be creating a healing art labyrinth using recycled tires. They have a lot of land at the school, so we will use that space and the recycled tires to help students who have a lot of trauma. “We want to have a space where the kids will be able to just walk through freely and have some grounding words on signs, words of encouragement just to help them. It will be another coping strategy for their mental health issues.” This will be the second time The Walls Project has created a labyrinth using old tires. The first was executed during the 2019 MLK Festival of Service. It was designed by artist Taliesin Gilkes-Bower and is located at 4198 Winbourn Avenue. “This will be a similar concept, but instead of being located on asphalt, it will be on grass. And it’s going to have prompt words and questions.” Special thanks to Alma Thomas and Jordan Howard of Louisiana Health Equity, and Larry James of the Louisiana Department of Alternative Education.

All heroes don’t wear capes. Some of them wear farming boots and green Baton Roots T-shirts. The Baton Roots team goes above and beyond to make fresh foods accessible to communities all over the Capital Region. Through Sow Good Saturdays, educating locals on how to grow their own food, popping up at local farmers' markets, creating and maintaining farms in low-income neighborhoods, and partnering with local organizations and businesses combating food insecurity, Baton Roots is putting more nutritious foods into people’s hands, one seedling at a time. Take a look at some of the impactful ways Baton Roots is directly improving food security in Baton Rouge. Free fresh foods are available at all Baton Roots sites Most Baton Roots farm sites are not fenced in and are accessible to the community during the parks and sites' regular hours. Locals are always welcome to harvest their own food, eat it raw or take it home and make a home-cooked meal. Baton Roots gives food away regularly The team puts food from the farm into Baton Rouge community fridges at Yes We Cannibal and The Red Shoes and the free fridges in EBRPHA community centers. They also offer fresh foods to the American Heart Association and Our Lady of the Lake for cooking demos and classes. Baton Roots educates locals on how to grow their own food At Sow Good Saturday, the Baton Roots team shows volunteers how to grow their own food with any budget. They prioritize low to no-cost gardening. The team teaches people of all economic backgrounds, ages, and stages of their growing journey. From people growing seeds in a bucket in their backyard to building a full-fledged garden, everyone can benefit from gardening knowledge. Hustle & Grow teaches youth how to make farming a business Students in the Hustle and Grow program get to sell plants and produce at Red Stick Farmers Market at the library on Tuesdays. Students can come to the market after school to sell seedlings and other produce from the farm sites. This gives teens a tangible way to see how farming can be a sustainable profession. They also get to take home the profits made at the market. The food is accessible to people who use SNAP/food stamps and is even matched by a statewide program, so EBT shoppers have double the amount of money when used at Red Stick Farmers Market. Baton Roots works with community partners for a holistic solution The team doesn’t do it all alone. Baton Roots works closely with Top Box, Healthy BR, Geaux Get Healthy, BREC, and American Heart Association. With the help of Geaux Get Healthy, Baton Roots was able to connect with Top Box. Now, the team is working with Top Box on an upcoming collaboration where Baton Roots will have food for sale through Top Box such as a la carte greens and curated Baton Roots boxes. Top Box also does SNAP match, so customers can get double the amount of produce. This collaboration is in the works and will be launched soon on Top Box’s website. Want to get involved with Baton Roots? Learn more on our website.

On November 8th, Trainees of the Coding Boot Camp showcased the projects they created over the semester through their web development training and experience. Each semester, evening classes are held virtually on Tuesdays and Thursdays to train adults on the basics of front-end coding development. Demystification is a major component of what makes the Futures Fund programming so impactful. New participants often feel that although they see the importance of learning how to code, they often were afraid of trying on their own. “We appreciate [our instructors] introducing us to the world of code in a way that we might not have thought about exploring… really having someone to sit down and both explain things and how they work.” - Shawn Coleman, Coding Boot Camp Graduate This semester's graduates, not only completed their own personal projects for capstone but also worked on a group project to exemplify collaboration, communication, and team planning. This level 3 cohort demonstrated a true definition of collaboration. Their capstone exceeded expectations for a being the first-ever group project in Coding Boot Camp. Through this they learned team work, accountability, and project management skills. I’m so proud to have been their instructor in first Level 1and with them on their final level. - Teressa Calligan, Level 3 Instructor and Dean of Coding In addition to the recurring semester training that is offered by the Coding Boot Camp, Futures Fund has recently launched in-person workshops. These workshops cover a variety of subjects, including "Employment in the 21st Century", helping participants understand the upcoming changes in the workforce as technology continues to grow in every industry. The importance of understanding these changes now is so that as jobs become more automated by AI, the workforce has the right training to stay not only employed but set to thrive. Register for the next cohort of the Coding Boot Camp by clicking here.

Tackling social and racial justice and inequity is rarely accomplished through a single initiative. Addressing these items takes a holistic approach, which is why Santander Consumer USA Foundation was drawn to the work The Walls Project does and generously contributed $100,000 towards this community development organization‘s efforts. Santander‘s commitment to the Dallas community will accelerate the Walls‘ technology training, youth digital arts mentorship, and adult coding apprenticeship efforts to break through the educational and social barriers by imparting specialized knowledge, and career advancement opportunities. Additionally, the Santander partnership will be a key component in the Walls‘ community revitalization, blight remediation, and creative placemaking work in the Southern Dallas Sector to improve the safety, health, and well-being of ALL citizens. The Walls Project has been contributing to Dallas placemaking and community cleanups and revitalization in Fair Park, The Cedars, and Five Mile by working with Matthews Southwest, Urban Specialists, the City of Dallas, Cella Arts, Big Thought, TACA, and Urban Land Development Institute during their annual MLK Festival of Service and Juneteenth community celebrations.

Great news has come to Dallas, TX this month! By a wide margin, area voters gave approval to Proposition A. This will create the necessary funds to renovate the Convention Center and cornerstone facilities in Fair Park. With 277 acres in the heart of Dallas, Fair Park is one of the most important projects in the Renaissance of the Southern Dallas sector. "We're going to make it absolutely world-class and it's going to be something people in our city and visitors to our city are going to be able to enjoy for another hundred years." - Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson The work in Fair Park is a critical investment in bringing resiliency and revitalization to hundreds of thousands of residents. Numerous organizations have been creating impact in this area for years, including The Walls Project. Since 2019, The Walls Project has worked to bring its programming to the southern Dallas sector. In 2022 alone, The Walls Project has done a series of public art beautification projects, and week-long celebrations such as Juneteenth Fest at Fair Park and So. Lamar with Matthews Southwest, Urban Specialists, RHI management, Dallas Designing Dreams, New Era Management, City of Dallas, Fair Park First, and The Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center. Creating this community-elevating programming is made possible by grant-related funding from valiant partners, such as The Moozie Foundation. The Moozie Foundation, a family foundation created by Caroline Rose Hunt to further the philanthropic efforts of her grandchildren, has been instrumental in the support of The Walls Project in Dallas. Through The Moozie Foundation grant, the Walls was given the opportunity to progress its work in So. Dallas post-pandemic. Now with another $20,000 investment, The Moozie Foundation is advancing the work of Walls in Fair Park to collaborate on catalytic projects. “There is so much opportunity to revitalize Fair Park. We are excited to be a part of this renaissance that is quickly evolving with the residents and artists of Dallas,” explains Lynn Fisher, Director of The Moozie Foundation This generous gift helps expedite our creative placemaking, education, and blight remediation efforts in the Southern Dallas sector and launch our intergenerational technology and creative industry workforce training programs. In addition to soon-to-be-announced projects in Fair Park, The Walls is also producing a series of tech training workshops via its Futures Fund program and advancing the community cleanup work into the new year with MLK Fest 2023 and Juneteenth Fest 2023. THANK YOU MOOZIE FOUNDATION!!