In 2007, a group of educators got together to support a school attempting to open in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. The educators worked alongside the school staff to insure students would enter a building that was inviting and encouraged students to learn and not to remember the pain of disaster. Since then, the group has expanded to include people from all walks of life united with the pur
pose of “rebuilding communities, one school at a time.”
Service team leaders met with school administration to design a plan for the time volunteers will be on site. Collectively leaders set priorities that meet the needs of the school and talent of the service team members. Frequently, that plan is adapted during the trip as the school’s needs and priorities change. Teams have helped with a multitude of responsibilities. Our teams are most well-known for our extensive work establishing leveled libraries for classroom and school-wide use. In addition, teams have helped prepare orientation and first day packets for students and families. Others have designed bulletin boards and room layout that are appealing to students. Beyond the tasks that use the talents of in-service and pre-service educators, teams have taken out garbage, painted walls and assembled furniture. PIEs believe that the best way to support a school is not to enter and tell the school what we will do, rather, engage in conversation to meet the needs of the school with the breadth of talent each team uniquely possess. Therefore, each service trip is unique to the school we partner with and the individual who commit to serve. As we move forward, we remain committed to serving populations in need, in particular those affected by disaster. We look to expand to other parts of the United States and of world partnering with schools to strengthen communities.
