When incoming Consortium students first convened at the 47th Annual Orientation Program & Career Forum in New Orleans, their initial activity was aimed at helping others. Partnering with HandsOn New Orleans, The Consortium kicked off the conference with its annual community service project.
The 400 person group assembled to find painting supplies to create an inspirational mural. In small groups, each team painted abstract shapes for a mobile project to benefit Cohen College Preparatory. In the course of an hour, the teams applied vivid colors to canvases with outlined shapes based on the work of Wassily Kandinsky.
The collective 100 paintings created one impressive mural, which now decorates the schools’ cafeterias. The Consortium’s efforts impacted the New Orleans community an estimated $13,634 in volunteer time and supplies based on the Economic Impact of Volunteers calculator developed by the Points of Light Foundation.
Located in New Orleans’ Central City neighborhood, the mission of Cohen College Preparatory is to prepare each of its students to enter and excel in a rigorous four-year college or university. Cohen College Prep Middle School provides the highest caliber of scholastic achievement in a safe and joyful environment to prepare students for high school, college and beyond.
Cohen Middle School and High School serves a population of a combined 502 students, of whom 95 percent are African American and 98 percent qualify for free or reduced lunch. Fifteen percent of these students are special needs. Cohen College Prep is operated under the Recovery School District and the New Orleans College Preparatory Academies charter organization.
The Consortium is pleased to support Cohen College Prep by assisting in enhancing its physical space. Located in a low-income neighborhood in an aged, windowless building, school administrators desire a more intentional, cohesive interior design that emphasizes the arts.
The dire need to improve the physical space is motivated by the reality that for many students, Cohen represents a haven from neighborhood neglect and blight.
Thank you to those who participated in creating this beautiful artwork for Cohen College Preparatory. Your collective piece helps create a wonderful, long lasting atmosphere for these students.