Louisiana Delta Service Corps

This year, the Edible Schoolyard New Orleans is hosting three AmeriCorps members through the Louisiana Delta Service Corps. The LDSC members at the Edible Schoolyard NOLA help to increase the overall capacity of the organization while developing organizational and leadership capacity in education and food justice.

Edible Teaching Kitchen Assistant: Jessie leads a group in every Edible Kitchen class and helps prepare ingredients, set-up the cooking stations, and care for and clean the kitchen. Jessie also spearheads our work to make breakfast and lunch more loving and delicious in the cafeteria. She coordinates and supervises student workers and volunteers to set cafeteria tables, provide and empty compost containers, and provides overall structure for implementing a positive dining culture that reinforces appropriate table conversation and community building.

Edible Garden Assistant: Francesca is currently working on a project to find out how much Green Charter saves by composting and using recycled materials in the cafeteria. As the Garden assistant, she assists with set-up and preparation for classes, leading a small group garden-based activity, and assisting Garden Teachers with opening and closing circles, and transitions back to the classroom. This position will also assist in horticultural related activities in the garden. This includes daily garden maintenance, seed starting, plant propagation, harvesting, etc. She also assists in garden and cooking enrichment courses at Arthur Ashe and writes our weekly Edibles newsletter.

Community Partnership and Volunteer Outreach Assistant: Sara assists with the communication, management, and community partnership building side of ESY NOLA. She helps plan special events for families and volunteers and school-wide special events like Open Garden Days and manages and writes content for the organizational website. Sara also co-teaches enrichment cooking classes at Arthur Ashe and helps provide a nurturing environment for students during mealtime in the cafeteria.

Americorps is a national program that places over 75,000 people a year in intensive service. Louisiana Delta Service Corps places 55 members in public schools, non-profits, grassroots, faith-based and community organizations to provide direct service and build capacity in those organizations, working to create positive change throughout the delta through service in Baton Rouge and New Orleans. If you would like to apply to be a Louisiana Delta Service Corps Member with the Edible Schoolyard in the future, please email applications@esynola.org and visit the Louisiana Delta Service Corps website.