Urban Next Summit

Save the Date
July 24-25, 2008
New Orleans

Almost three years after Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans is still recovering from a storm that destroyed 80 percent of the city. While many are still struggling, New Orleans has also attracted thousands of young people from diverse backgrounds, who are passionate about rebuilding an American city in a more equitable way. By creating coalitions of talented young people in the private and public sector who work together, New Orleans is engaging urban enthusiasts in the rebuilding process.

While New Orleans has a unique opportunity to build its talent pool, what makes a city a magnet for passionate young people? How can a city engage this talent? And how can a city hold onto these individuals in the future?

We invite you to participate in the Urban Next Summit to help answer these questions. This special opportunity to join the national conversation on cities will take place in a city where young people from diverse backgrounds have been instrumental in the rebuilding process. While exploring a number of city issues together, this gathering will be organized to facilitate meaningful connections between emerging and established leaders.

Conference attendees will have the opportunity to:

• Hear from and meet a number of distinguished speakers and panelists
• Share and learn about innovative strategies for cities
• Participate in discussion forums to inform others on the work happening in cities
• Connect with emerging and established urban leaders from cities across the nation
• Explore New Orleans as an insider

Topics will include:

• Attraction and retention of talent
• Creating a culture of opportunity
• Advocacy for urban enthusiasts
• Idea generation surrounding current urban challenges and opportunities
• Messaging for cities
• Connecting innovators to our cities

Apply to be part of the Urban Next Summit by clicking here. Applications are due by June 15, 2008. View the draft agenda here.

About the presenters:

CEOs for Cities is a cross-sector network of urban leaders from the civic, corporate, academic and philanthropic sectors exploring the future and inventing next practices for cities. Find out more at www.ceosforcities.org.

The mission of New Orleans Young Urban Rebuilding Professionals (NOLA YURP) is to create a support network to connect, retain and attract young professionals from diverse backgrounds for a sustainable New Orleans. Find out more at www.nolayurp.org.

If you have any questions please contact me at bmarquis@ceosforcities.org. I look forward to receiving your application.

Best,
Bridget

CEOs for Cities
177 North State Street, Suite 500 - Chicago, IL 60601 - 312.553.4630

Sharing Ideas with Russian Delegation

Last Friday, we got an opportunity to exchange ideas and stories with a delegation of young leaders from various cities in Russia. The two-hour meeting afforded us the opportunity to have a candid discussion about the city of New Orleans, the rebuilding process, the government's response in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, and how young leaders are shaping the new frontier of the city. It was exciting to hear that this movement of "engaged young professionals" has become an international phenomenon. Young people around the globe are becoming increasingly aware and dedicated to fixing today's most pressing social problems.

Job Opportunities in New Orleans Workshop at UMass

The Job Opportunities in New Orleans Workshop was held April 22nd, 2008 at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. Students came out to hear about unique opportunities that are available for students here in New Orleans. The workshop also featured a photo slide show by UMass student Erin Fitzpatrick chronically her Alternative Spring Break Trip to New Orleans this year. If you would like to host one of these workshops on your campus please send us an email at info@nolayurp.org.

Millennium Campus Conference 2008 at MIT

The Millennium Campus Conference was held at MIT on April 18-20, 2008. The event brought together over 1700 students over three days to discuss topics on international development and action-plans among students to be actively engaged in the process. Confirmed speakers included Jeffrey Sachs, Dr. Paul Farmer, Nathan Rothstein and Kendrick Pullen of the NOLA YURP Initiative, Grammy-winner John Legend, Ira Magaziner of Clinton Global Initiative, and John Wood among many others! The three day event provided attendees with opportunities not only to see and listen to world-renowned lecturers and professionals, but will also allowed them to engage in debate, take part in activities and workshops, and make connections to address the root causes of national and global poverty.



The Millennium Campus Network is an organization of university student groups committed to supporting the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to eradicate extreme poverty. The MCN brings together student organizations at leading universities to make the anti-poverty movement - in the spirit of the MDGs - a fully cross-disciplinary, collaborative and integrated effort.

ADL's Unity Through Understanding Day

NOLA YURP staff members Kendrick Pullen and Nathan Rothstein were invited to participate as facilitators for the Anti-Defamation League's Unity Through Understanding Day. The workshop/conference was attended by nearly 150 high school students from around the city to provide an open forum for these students discuss issues of race, class, and religious discrimination with students from around New Orleans.

The Anti-Defamation League was founded in 1913 “to stop the defamation of the Jewish people and to secure justice and fair treatment to all.” Now the nation’s premier civil rights/human relations agency, ADL fights anti-Semitism and all forms of bigotry, defends democratic ideals and protects civil rights for all.

NOLA YURP panel discusses "Soul of the City" with 500 Students from Howard University

http://media.www.blackcollegeview.com/media/storage/paper928/news/2008/03/23/News/Young.Professionals.Discuss.The.Soul.Of.The.City-3278908.shtml

NOLA YURP and UNO Fraternity honor Community Leaders

The Theta Phi Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. located at the University recently honored two outstanding community leaders for their service to the New Orleans community. Dr. Earl V. Bryant, tenured professor of English, at the University of New Orleans and Mr. Shannon Verrett, principal, Pierre Capdeau High School were honored at a ceremony at UNO's Alumni Center Ballroom. NOLA YURP co-sponsored the event to help highlight two individuals that are working to groom the next generation of YURPs here in New Orleans. Kendrick Pullen, NOLA YURP Program Director, gave closing remarks praising these two leaders and also highlighting the work that NOLA YURP is doing to make sure their efforts are not in vain.

NOLA YURP Networking Event at the New Orleans Museum of Art

The New Orleans Museum of Art, the Louisiana Children's Museum, the Idea Village, the Young Leadership Council, the Young Friends Society, and NOLA YURP teamed up to host a networking event at the New Orleans Museum of Art. Over 200 people attended to see some great art work, hear spoken word poetry from Asali Devan, and vibe to the tunes of DJ Damion Yancey. Local non-profit organizations were also on-hand giving out information and recruiting volunteers. We were also delighted to host students from Yale University, the University of Pennsylvania, and American University. An extra special thank you goes to all the groups involved to make this event possible.

NOLA YURP and The Next American City Magazine

On March 6-8, NOLA YURP and The Next American City Magazine partnered for a weekend full of events starting on Thursday, March 6th with an educational forum called "Sparking Creativity: Investing in Entrepreneurship and the Future Human Capital of New Orleans." Our panelist included Andrea Floyd, co-founder of Consciously Rebuilding, Blake Haney, creative director of Whence: the studio/Dirty Coast Press/Humid Beings/Willdo, Timolynn Sams, executive director of Neighborhood Partnership Network, and Janet Speyrer, associate dean for research and professor of economics at the University of New Orleans. The forum was held at the Historic New Orleans Collection in the French Quarter located on 533 Royal St., and moderated by Brentin Mock and NOLA YURP's Executive Director Nathan Rothstein. The event was even more special because we were joined by a group of Alternative Spring Break volunteers from Georgetown University. The students where allowed to interact with some of the young people in New Orleans that are involved in the rebuilding and participate in the forum discussion. Much thanks to the Historic New Orleans Collection, NOLA YURP intern Christopher Powe, The Next American City Magazine, and all those who help to make this event a success.

New Orleans Leadership Retreat: The Prophetic City

Thank you to the Blue Moon Foundation for their wonderful generosity and for hosting a New Orleans Leadership Retreat that brought together some of the brightest minds in the non-profit field. It was a great weekend to connect with people who are doing innovative/excellent work here in New Orleans. It was a tremendous opportunity for NOLA YURP staff and one of our Board members to get to know more personally some of the people who are working towards meaningful change here in New Orleans. Getting to talk with the leadership of the Urban Conservancy, the Neighborhood Partnership Network, Louisiana Spirit, Puentes New Orleans, Inc., and many many more was a great experience/opportunity for our organization. NOLA YURP looks forward to partnering and collaborating with as many of these great organizations as we possibly can.

NOLA YURP Staff @ Allan Houston Foundation Event

Yesterday will go down in history as the day I had the most fun in my life. The last couple of months I have had very little time to enjoy the one activity which gives me the greatest joy i.e. interacting with kids! I am one of the biggest kids at heart and to have an opportunity to spend the afternoon with some of the greatest kids in the world at Harry S. Truman Middle School truly did this "old man" (according to the kids) some good. I got an opportunity to have this interaction due to the great work of the Allan Houston Foundation and his Young Entrepreneurs Class, which Nathan (Director of NOLA YURP) is a participant in. From basketball to sack races, I got a chance to do it all! The goal of the event was to reward the high achieving kids and their parents with fun events and games to continue to build the family unit. I met some bright, intelligent, energetic, and wonderful kids which has me excited about the future of New Orleans. My hats off to the teachers, parents, staff, and administration at Harry S. Truman Middle School you guys are doing an excellent job! In the picture below you will notice me exploding past Nathan to capture 2nd place in the Sack Race! I LOVE KIDS! If anyone knows of any youth sports coaching opportunities please send me an email @ kendrick@nolayurp.org.

NOLA YURP's Financial Literacy Workshop

NOLA YURP kicked off the month of February with our first financial literacy workshop. We had a great turnout and our experts where able to answer a lot of peoples financial questions. I want to personally thank Natasha and Louis Riley, Christopher Johnston, Daniel Simpson Jr., and Kerry Foley-Kessler for providing their extensive knowledge on financial topics ranging from real estate to insurance to ROTH IRA's. I always want to thank all the people who showed up and participated in the workshop. NOLA YURP owes a big debt of gratitude to Shantrelle Lewis curator of the McKenna Museum of African American Art for being such a gracious host. We look forward to many more workshops to continue to engage the young professionals of this city. If you have more ideas on programs that you would like to see here in New Orleans please feel free to send me an email at kendrick@nolayurp.org or info@nolayurp.org.