A. Our overall goal is to establish an annual program at Princeton so that all students may have the opportunity and the resources to initiate service-learning trips during each break from school with a personal touch on the overall goal of increasing civic engagement. By creating the legacy and opportunity of these trips, each group of students can work towards personal, specific goals at different times, but overall they will work towards fulfilling the programmatic goal of increasing opportunities for meaningful civic engagement that inherently work towards CGIs four objectives: energy and climate change, global health, human rights and peace, and poverty alleviation.


B. Our immediate objective is to direct a Breakout Princeton pilot program in New Orleans, whereby success will be crucial for the continuation and expansion of future Breakout trips. In New Orleans, we will focus specifically on poverty alleviation by joining Dr. Quintus Jett in an ambitious community mapping project. By surveying and recording the current damage (and rebuilding efforts) within each community, we will lay the groundwork for the return of many displaced residents and the long-run rebuilding of the city.

Goals

A. The specific quantifiable goals of this trip on the larger scale all surround the successful adoption of this pilot program for the future. This is measured in the following ways: renewed and/or expanded funding, representing financial approval and support of the program following this trip; an increase in the number of participants and number of trips during future breaks, showing successful demonstration by this trip and publication after this trip; and, broader university support and student interest through cosponsoring of trips and attendance at open houses, demonstrating increased interest and capitalization of the opportunity by the Princeton community. Because this trip is the pilot, the overall goal of introducing this program can only be measured by continuation of Breakout Princeton into the future.

B. In order to provide more complete information on the damage within NOLA communities, twelve students will map five new communities over the course of five days. Providing a detailed account of recovery will help to get more resources, and the right kinds of resources, to the households most in need. Students will organize themselves by block and will designate the recovery of each address by color code: red- heavily damaged or blighted; yellow- gutted or under construction; blue- renovated or occupied; green-vacant lot or demolition. The students will submit the data for analysis and will use their statistical skills to help further the projects online database. The growing database will help displaced residents decide when and where to return, and will inform development investors on where to invest, thereby speeding the recovery of the city and alleviating the problems faced by post-Katrina residents.

Plan

A. In order to make this trip a successful pilot for the Breakout Princeton program, successful completion of the trip and essential post-trip activities are necessary. The post-trip activities will include producing records of the trip, including a detailed agenda, budget, and activities; outlining the successes and shortcomings of the trip to guide future leaders; holding both group-based and open post-trip discussions to share experiences and spur interest; receiving press from the school and/or local newspapers to raise awareness of the opportunity; and working with leaders to create future initiatives, either in New Orleans or addressing these issues in other areas.

B. In order to prepare for the community mapping project, we will host four mandatory pre-trip sessions for students to learn about and discuss the current challenges in post-Katrina New Orleans. Students will read articles about recovery efforts, particularly the Gentilly community mapping project, in order to get a sense of what their specific roles will be toward the rebuilding of the city. Dr. Jett, the director of the Gentilly Project, will work closely with students to train them on the use of statistical programs to be used before and after mapping. After the trip, we will compile a post-trip report on the methods we used, successes we shared and obstacles that remain, so that our work can be replicated and built upon in future Breakout trips to New Orleans.