Tulane School of Social Work Reports on Save the Children Programming in New Orleans

The Tulane University School of Social Work and Save the Children, an international organization that helps children in need, will present and discuss a special public report on the “Journey of Hope” curriculums that have been underway in many New Orleans schools since Hurricane Katrina struck in 2005. The discussion will be held from 9 a.m. to noon on Tuesday, Dec. 8 in Room 103 of the Social Work building on Tulane"s uptown campus.

The “Journey of Hope” curriculums marked the first time that Save the Children responded to a disaster on U.S. soil. The curriculums, which were administered with the help of more than a dozen Tulane School of Social Work interns, were used at more than twenty-six K-12 schools in New Orleans.

The unveiling of the report, entitled “Building Children"s and Communities" Resilience: An Evaluation of Save the Children"s Programming in New Orleans,” will be moderated by Kathleen Whalen, psychosocial program manager for the Domestic Emergencies Unit of Save the Children. It will feature a panel discussion with representatives from local schools, behavioral agencies and community-based organizations. Prior to the panel, the group will report on the program evaluation to Natasha Blanchet-Cohen, who is the principal investigator at the International Institute for Child Rights and Development.

The curriculums" evaluation touts an improvement to children"s welfare and overall resilience in three areas – social well being, knowledge and skills and emotional well being. The study states the program meets a significant need in the participants" lives, a need that existed prior to Katrina but that was exacerbated by the crisis. The report also cites the need for the program to be replicated both nationally and internationally because of its potential benefit to children in any context.

For more information about the event or the curriculums, contact Joseph Halm in the School of Social Work at 504-862-3483.