Centennial Successes

A painting of a young girl standing under a pecan tree with houses in the background, and the text, "Honoring Fazendeville You're Invited" — In October and November, park rangers invited the public, including historians, educators, and former residents of the Fazendeville community to engage in public conversations about the legacy of the post-Civil War African-American community that once existed within the Chalmette Battlefield.

Fazendeville Facilitated Dialogues
October 20, 29
November 10, 12
2016

A woman holding a brush paints a scene of a cypress swamp with watercolor paints — Throughout the year, Centennial Volunteer Ambassadors and rangers brought their expertise outside the park boundaries to offer specialty programs like traveling Jazz yoga, virtual battlefield tours and living history, Barataria wetland watercolor workshops, and more to Humana Guidance Centers.
NPS

Centennial Outreach at Humana Guidance Center
2016

Two children press their faces to opposite sides of a tree trunk — T.R.E.E. annually brings up to 1200 4th grade students to the wetlands of Barataria, where they learn how the earth works and transform their perceptions of nature. By the end of the year, 10,000 4th grade students will have attended the Earthkeepers program during a 15 year partnership with the NPS

T.R.E.E. (Teaching Responsible Earth Education) Partnership
2016

A colorful, folk art painting of people and the text "Experience Louisiana Festival" — A lively event promoting all the best that Louisiana culture has to offer, including food, music, crafts, art, folklife, living history demonstrations and the educational and recreational activities provided by the park service at the Acadian Cultural Center in Eunice, Louisiana.

Experience Louisiana Festival
October 22-23, 2016

Two Centennial Volunteer Ambassadors assist a young park visitor to construct a craft project with colored beads — Centennial Volunteer Ambassadors from Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve reached out to new audiences of junior rangers with educational, hands-on craft activities. The CVAs had contact with over 500 visitors and initiated more than 350 future national park stewards as junior rangers
NPS

Wild Things
October 15, 2016

A female ranger watches as a young girl leaps across chalk lines on pavement — Barataria Preserve hosted a day of fresh air, sunshine, and free family fun, encouraging Louisianans to get outside, be fit, and be active. Activities included trail walks, bounce dancing class,, jazz yoga, relay races, health screenings, and guest health presenters.
NPS

Better Health BaYou
October 15, 2016

seven tents in an open field at sunset — Jean Lafitte NHP&P invited 50 boys and girls and their families to experience the outdoors in a safe environment close to their homes in the city. Rangers and community volunteers greeted young campers and instructed them in the skills needed for a successful campout.
NPS

Urban Campout
October 7-8, 2016

A drummer, a saxophone player, and a sousaphone player are performing, wearing "Find Your Park" shirts. — The Downriver Festival celebrates the Mississippi River and its presence in the lives of the people of New Orleans. New Orleans Jazz began a celebration of Hispanic Heritage month by sponsoring the appearance of performers to highlight the historical influence of Hispanic and Latin musical culture.
NPS

Downriver Festival
September 10, 2016

A screen capture of a YouTube video featuring uniformed park rangers singing and playing the tuba and trumpet — You Can Find Your Park, Man” uses the tune of the hit song “I’ve Been Everywhere,” replacing the original’s list of geographic locations with national park sites. It includes 77 individual national park sites, encouraging a spirit of discovery and exploration: a musical invitation to find your park!

"You Can Find Your Park, Man" music video
August 24, 2016

a man and a woman raise their shaved ice "snoball" cups together in a toast. — Because a true New Orleans party can't last just one day, the centennial celebration continued with "Snoball Day" - featuring an art gallery of original works inspired by our favorite local summer treat, a DJ, kids' activities, recorded story sharing, and of course, FREE SNOBALLS!
NPS

Snoball Day
August 27, 2016

A band playing in a French Quarter courtyard and a birthday cake featuring a cartoon image of a park ranger. — Jean Lafitte and New Orleans Jazz celebrated the 100th birthday of the National Park Service with a public courtyard concert by the NPS Centennial Band and, of course, birthday cake (featuring "June Your Ranger" the Centennial junior ranger)!
NPS

Happy 100th Birthday, National Park Service!
August 25, 2016

a photo collage of park visitors and park rangers wearing virtual reality headsets. — Jean Lafitte marked Essence Festival and 4th of July Weekend with a celebration of healthy parks and healthy people, including virtual reality demonstrations by Humana, healthy cooking demonstrations, and dancing with DJ Jubilee in the French Quarter courtyard.
NPS

NPS Centennial at Essence Festival
Humana / FindYourPark Healthy Parks Celebration at French Quarter Visitor Center
July 2, 2016

A stage and theater space will audience space filled above a photo of Dr. Sonia Sanchez — NPS partnered with Ashe Cultural Center during Essence Festival by presenting an evening of powerful poetry and musical performance based on the theme "What Will Freedom Be?", engaging young voices and led my NPS Centennial poet laureate Dr. Sonia Sanchez
NPS

NPS Centennial at Essence Festival
Music and poetry event with Centennial Poet Laureate Dr. Sonia Sanchez

July 1, 2016

A park ranger stands with children dressed in historical tailcoats, and children examine a coyote pelt held by a park ranger — The Urban Conservancy - a nonprofit organization dedicated to education and stewardship of local natural and cultural resources - hosted a BASIN (Building Active Stewardship in New Orleans) summer camp, and park rangers were invited to contribute to the campers' knowledge with hands-on activities.
Urban Conservancy

BASIN Summer Camp outreach
June 29, 2016

A brass band and costumed performers with umbrellas march in a parade, and an image of the artist Common. — New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park and Pullman National Monument, with honorary grand marshal Common inspired a historic cultural exchange using the traditional second line parade to unite communities through music, dance, and celebration at Washington Park in Chicago’s historic Hyde Park
NPS

Park Exchange: New Orleans and Chicago
June 11, 2016

A line of six chorus girls dance on a stage and a woman in a tomato costume sits at the edge of the stage — New Orleans Jazz and Jean Lafitte teamed up with the French Market to celebrate part of Louisiana's rich culinary culture - the creole tomato! On the Centennial stage performers inspired by jazz, folk, Caribbean, gospel, pop traditions and more, showcased our many musical traditions for visitors
NPS

Creole Tomato Festival
June 11 - 12, 2016

A group of researchers with nets walking in the swamp — Surveying teams ventured into the wetlands to collect and catalog many species to advance our understanding of the park and its inhabitants, exhibitors from educational institutions offered hands-on learning activities, guest speakers provided presentations, and kids enjoyed "Animal Olympics"
NPS

Bug Blitz
May 6, 2016

side by side photo of a man with a steel guitar and a woman seated beside a cello playing the banjo — New Orleans Jazz and the Consulate General of France present prominent Caribbean rooted musicians, paired with Louisiana Creole speaking performers, in special performances at the Old US Mint and French Quarter Visitor Center in an effort to keep this vanishing language tradition alive and vibrant.
NPS

L'Union Creole Artist Residency
April 26 - 30, 2016

Monique Verdin stands outside, near open water in a coastal wetland. — Co-producer, co-writer, and Houma Indian Monique Verdin returned to Jean Lafitte park for an encore screening of her film exploring the effects of recent environmental crises - both natural and human-created - on traditional ways of life by following through her home territory of coastal Louisiana.
Andy Cook

Centennial Screenings Film Series: "My Louisiana Love" encore presentation
April 23, 2016

The Centennial Screenings Series commemorates the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service by highlighting films that celebrate life in Louisiana, invite you to discover something new about its unique culture, and encourage a new generation of young men and women to take an active part in preserving it.

A man and a woman approach the ticket window of a theater building, under a lighted sign reading "Liberty Center" — This film features concert footage and conversations at the historic Liberty Theater, celebrating the NPS Centennial and spotlighting the American treasures of Cajun and Creole music performed by fluent speakers. The film premiered at Le Petit Theater du Vieux Carree during French Quarter Festival.
NPS

Centennial Screenings Film Series: "Un Bal Cajun et Creole a la Maison"
(A Cajun and Creole House Party)
April 10, 2016

The Centennial Screenings film series commemorates the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service by highlighting films that celebrate life in Louisiana, invite you to discover something new about its unique culture, and encourage a new generation of young men and women to take an active part in preserving it.

A reenactor in War of 1812 attire with right hand raised, kneeling with five boys and girls being sworn in as junior rangers — New Orleans Jazz and Jean Lafitte Parks sponsored a kids stage of music and fun activities at the 2016 French Quarter Festival - the largest free music festival in the country. The festival entertained over 740,000 visitors, and over 500 new "junior rangers" were sworn in on the Centennial Stage.
NPS

Centennial Kids Stage at French Quarter Festival
April 9 - 10, 2016

Volunteers with brushes and buckets cleaning military headstones in a cemetery — Through the entire month of March, SCA Centennial Volunteer Ambassadors and the National Trust for Historic Preservation's HOPE Crew coordinated the efforts of over 500 volunteers to clean, align, and document more than 5,000 headstones at Chalmette National Cemetery.
NPS

HOPE Crew Cemetery Restoration Volunteer Project
March 1-31, 2016

HOPE Crew: Empowering a new generation of preservationists through hands-on preservation experience
https://savingplaces.org/hope-crew#.Vx_UffkrLcs

Young men and women in living history attire of the War of 1812 pose in front of a tent and a cannon — Young adult mentors of the “Recognizing Our Roots” program traveled to Horseshoe Bend National Military Park to take the lead in introducing themselves to the public, explaining the nature of the youth living history program, and leading volunteers in demonstrations of camp life and historic weapons
NPS

Recognizing Our Roots - Mentors at Horseshoe Bend
March 19, 2016

An advertising flier featuring photos of notable African Americans associated with New Orleans — The “Centennial Screenings” series continued with a free showing of the historical drama “12 Years a Slave.” Local historian, speaker, and storyteller Barbara Trevigne introduced the film with a presentation about the life and culture of the film’s setting in antebellum south Louisiana.

Centennial Screenings Film Series: "12 Years a Slave"
February 27, 2016

a group photo of 40 school children with park rangers and the NPS Director — A day of celebratory and commemorative events included an “Every Kid in a Park” educational concert of Creole music, distribution of National Park passes to 4th graders, laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Slave, and a reception to begin the HOPE Crew volunteer cemetery restoration project.
NPS

"Preserving African American History with Community Partners" with NPS Director Jon Jarvis
February 22, 2016

A Cajun band, led by an accordion player, performs onstage as the audience dances. — “Rendez Vous des Cajuns" is a weekly live radio show at the historic Liberty Theater in Eunice, Louisiana. This show celebrated the 100th birthday of the National Park Service with Bruce Daigrepont, Michael Doucet, and Sunpie & the Louisiana Sunspots headlining a showcase of Cajun and Creole culture
NPS

"Rendez-Vous des Cajuns" Centennial Show at the Liberty Theater
February 13, 2016

Students in living history uniforms hold muskets upright as a costumed parade passes — High School students and young adult mentors, portraying the War of 1812 Tennessee Militia and Free Men of Color served as an honor guard, firing a musket salute to the Zulu King as he arrived at the New Orleans riverfront to initiate festivities on the day before Mardi Gras.
NPS

Recognizing Our Roots Salutes the Zulu King at Lundi Gras
February 8, 2016

Young volunteers adding soil and plants to outdoor garden boxes. — Members of the Centennial team recruited 100+ volunteers and joined hundreds of others in a day of service commemorating Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., by planting community gardens at four locations in the greater New Orleans area.
NPS

Martin Luther King, Jr.
Day of Service
January 18, 2016

Arrowhead shaped cookies bearing the message "NPS 100" and a New Orleans brass band. — A Centennial kickoff in grand New Orleans style! The All Around Brass Band led visitors and historical figures in a second line parade across the battlefield to Centennial-themed refreshments. A great start to a year full of opportunities to play, learn, serve, and work at YOUR National Parks!
NPS

Centennial Kickoff Celebration
at Battle of New Orleans
January 9, 2016

New Orleans houses bearing the painted markings of post hurricane Katrina searches. — Centennial team recruited for a volunteer project with NEWCITY Neighborhood Partnership to survey lands around a local community center, collecting data on building condition, building use, and status of over 5,700 parcels to inform decision-making around development and track progress since Katrina
NPS

Jean Lafitte / NEWCITY Neighborhood Partnership
December 5, 2015

Eight Choctaw youth dressed in men's and women's attire of the War of 1812 era. — Rangers from Jean Lafitte National Historical Park & Preserve traveled to Jena, Louisiana, to instruct Choctaw youth from the Jena Band of Choctaw and from the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma in living history techniques and to educate them about the role their ancestors played in the War of 1812.
NPS

Recognizing Our Roots - Choctaw Youth Living History
November 17-18, 2015

Centennial Screenings Film Series: "My Louisiana Love"
November 14, 2015

The Centennial Screenings series commemorates the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service by highlighting films that celebrate life in Louisiana, invite you to discover something new about its unique culture, and encourage a new generation of young men and women to take an active part in preserving it.

A ranger and a volunteer in living history attire of the War of 1812 display a musket to a group of elementary school student. — Young adult mentor/volunteers traveled to Los Islenos Heritage and Cultural Society in St. Bernard, Louisiana, to participate in the annual “Museum Days” education fair. They provided interpretive programming about the War of 1812 and the NPS Centennial to 1239 elementary age students.
NPS

Recognizing Our Roots - Young Adult Mentors and Volunteers
at Islenos Museum Days
November 6, 2015

Graduates of Jean Lafitte's Recognizing Our Roots high school living history program have been recruited and trained to continue their participation in interpretive programming. The graduates have volunteered as adult mentors to assist in the training of the next generation of high school recruits.