Room to GRoW: New Orleans kids partnership names new zone coordinator

By Lianna Patch
Contributing Writer

In a continued effort to improve the quality of life of New Orleans children and offer kids opportunities to succeed, the New Orleans Kids Partnership (NOKP) has named Danielle Burrell its new GRoW Zone Coordinator. Burrell, a Certified Health Education Specialist who holds a Master’s in Health Promotion, will direct the growth of the volunteer-driven organization’s activities in the Gentilly area.

Under the auspices of NOKP, GRoW (“Great ResOurces Whereyat”) Zone launched in May 2013. The program offers kids and parents low-cost and free activities every Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Arthur Ashe Charter School in Gentilly. Activities center on healthy eating and physical activity, and include classes in cooking, gardening, dance and yoga, as well as field trips and community outreach opportunities.

Reflecting on the program’s success, NOKP Director Mat Schwarzman says, “We get kids from all over Gentilly and parts of New Orleans East ranging in age from 8-15 who are interested in positive, active engagement with one another and the community. All of the kids have fun trying new things—and some of them actually like them!”

The GRoW Zone project is one of 12 programs statewide that will receive a total of $10.2 million in grants from the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana Foundation, as part of the Foundation’s “Challenge for a Healthier Louisiana” program.

New Orleans Kids Partnership was founded in 2006 by six local nonprofits and the America’s Promise Alliance, the country’s largest educational partnership. The organization consists of a council and several working groups of member agencies, most of which are nonprofits. Members include the Louisiana Children’s Museum, New Orleans Outreach, Roots of Music, CASA New Orleans, and the New Orleans Public Library.

The partnership also works with an extended network of “allies,” or sister organizations, including Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southeast Louisiana, TeachNOLA, Café Reconcile, and City Year Louisiana.

Adhering to the Five Promises of the America’s Promise Alliance, NOKP’s goal is to give kids a network of caring adults, a strong educational foundation, safe places to spend time, and healthy eating and living habits. Describing NOKP’s “Vision for 2028,” Schwarzman says, “‘Children will have the opportunity to be children’ means that there will be high-quality services available to connect children with the resources they need to succeed, both inside and outside of school…The statement was originally drafted in 2008, and the belief was, and still is, it will take a generation (20 years) for these changes to take place.”

Burrell, a “proud Gentilly resident,” has worked with NOKP partner organizations in the past as a contractor specializing in the development and implementation of health and wellness programs. Her position includes program design and refinement, scheduling and logistics management, and recruitment; she notes that NOKP wants to hear suggestions for activities and projects from participants, as “their feedback is of utmost importance.”

In addition to Saturday activities promoting healthy lifestyles and career development, GRoW Zone will also offer older students the opportunity to meet their school community service requirements through projects with partner organizations, says Burrell.

GRoW Zone will host three more Saturday sessions on August 3, 10, and 17, and return for fall sessions on September 14. To register for GRoW Zone programs, families can visit NOKP.org, call (504) 220-2321, or simply show up at a Saturday session. NOKP can arrange transportation for groups of 10 or more; those interested can email Burrell at danielle@kidsmart.org.

On Friday, August 16 from 4-7 p.m., GroW Zone will throw a house party at 1359 Crescent St. for current and prospective participants. Middle- and high-schoolers are encouraged to attend.

This article originally published in the August 5, 2013 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.