Celebrating Victories for New Orleans Children, Youth, & Their Families

10 Year Youth Master Plan

The 10-year Youth Master Plan (2020-2030) is a city-wide strategy to build youth leadership and set the stage for all New Orleans children and youth to achieve their full potential.

Youth Master Plan Wins

This sampling of wins are initiatives that support the positive development of New Orleans youth and align with the Youth Master Plan solution under which they
are listed here.

There are 30 solutions that are grouped into six Youth Master Plan categories: Health & Well-Being (HWB), Safety & Justice (SJ), Space & Place (SP), Learning (L), Economic Stability (ES), and Youth Voice (YV).

2021 — 2023 HIGHLIGHTS

Ensuring Sufficient Services for New Parents (HWB1)

Every child born in New Orleans will receive free home-nurse visits, connecting parent and child to well-being resources, through the New Orleans Health Department’s Family Connects program.

  • $1.5 million over 3 years from the City of New Orleans General Fund

  • Youth and their families have reliable access to physical and mental healthcare

  • New Orleans Health Department

Non-Punitive, Supportive School Cultures (L3)

Several NOLA Public Schools will pilot a holistic approach to supporting students’ academic success and healthy development through the multidisciplinary support team model COST (Coordination of Services Team).

  • $135,000 over two years from Greater New Orleans Foundation (GNOF)

  • Increased levels of positive student engagement

  • NOLA Public Schools, Greater New Orleans Foundation (GNOF), Children & Youth Planning Board (CYPB)

Affordable, Youth-Friendly Transportation (SP3)

Since January 2022, youth up to age 18 pay a reduced fare of 50 cents per ride to take RTA public transportation.

City Council allocated $2.5 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding to RTA for a pilot program to offer free transit fares for youth and opportunity youth (OY) up to 24 years old.

  • $2.5 million for one-year pilot from American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) through the New Orleans City Council to the Regional Transit Authority (RTA)

  • Increased % of households that can access high capacity transit lines

  • RTA, RIDE, New Orleans City Council, Big Easy Budget Coalition

Trainings on Healing
Centered Practices (HWB4)

Twelve youth ages 18-24 received Mental Health First Aid Training in Spring 2023 to understand, cope, and respond to signs of mental health and substance use challenges, with more trainings for youth to come.

  • Decreased % of young people experiencing exposure to violence, symptoms of depression, substance abuse, PTSD and anxiety, and suicidal ideation

  • New Orleans Behavioral Health Council Youth Pillar, CYPB Youth Advisory Board, Metropolitan Human Services District (MHSD) Dillard University

A peer-to peer support network for families of criminal legal system-impacted youth called Parent Leaders Educate for Action (PLEA) meets monthly to help connect youth and their families to the resources they need to live safe, joyful, and healthy lives.

Caregiver Support
Network (SJ5)

  • $40,000 for one year from City of New Orleans General Operating Fund through the Mayor’s Office of Youth & Families (OYF)

  • Decreased # of young people who enter, and return to, the criminal legal system, with a focus on addressing equity and racial disparities

  • Ubuntu Village

New Orleans Youth Alliance (NOYA) received $200,000 from the Foundation for Louisiana (FFL) to continue supporting youth-led projects through its Rebuilding Our Village Youth Fund -- a granting process co-created by youth that aims to improve the economic stability and wellbeing of young, Black New Orleanians. This funding will split into three rounds of grants: Spring 2024, Fall 2024, and Fall 2025.

Piloted in 2022 with funding from the Greater New Orleans Funders Network’s Black Men & Boys Action Table, the Rebuilding Our Village Youth Fund dispersed $45,000 across nine individuals and organizations. Grantees received up to $5,000 to lead a solutions-based project. As a final report, each grantee created a video to highlight their project and its impact, what they learned, and why the Rebuilding Our Village Youth Fund is important.

The 2022 NOYA Youth Leadership Fellows played a major role in determining the rubric, reviewing applications, and selecting final grantees for the pilot.

Expanding Youth
Decision Making (YV3)

  • $200,000 from Foundation for Louisiana and $40,000 from the Greater New Orleans Funders Network - Opportunity Youth/Boys & Men of Color Table (GNOFN-BMOC)

  • Increase the opportunities for youth participation and leadership in boards, committees, commissions, and planning efforts across the city

  • Foundation for Louisiana, New Orleans Youth Alliance (NOYA) Youth Leadership Fellows, Greater New Orleans Funders Network - Opportunity Youth/Boys & Men of Color Table (GNOFN-BMOC)

How Are You Aligned?

This work takes all of us. Let us know how you are advancing youth leadership, well-being, and positive development in New Orleans so we can spotlight your story, wins, and results!