The corps culture in South Louisiana is unlike any I have experienced across the country. The same cultural uniqueness that gave me apprehension when moving here has become firmly a part of my personal and professional life. In kind I believe the corps culture in South Louisiana is a reflection of the diversity and cohesiveness of the many communities we work within.
-Mike MacArthur
(S. Louisiana Corps '03)
Built around the urban center of Baton Rouge and encompassing the nearby farming communities of St. Helena and East Feliciana in the east and the French and Cajun cultures of Pointe Coupee and St. Landry in the west, South Louisiana is a truly unique part of the country. In a region that enables a deep connection to the community, South Louisiana corps members are working to overcome the unique challenges of rural and urban education and driving to fundamentally close the achievement gap in Louisiana.
| Quick Stats |
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| Site Since: 1990 |
| Corps Size: 74 |
| Average yearly temperature: Ranges from a high of 93.3 degrees to a low of 36.2 degrees |
| Car: Access to a car is essential |
Salary: See cost of living  |
After Hurricane Katrina, the education system in Louisiana gained national attention as severe educational inequalities were exposed. Thousands of students evacuated areas of New Orleans and Southeast Louisiana and moved to Baton Rouge. Population and school enrollment shifted dramatically putting an already struggling system even more under duress.
Since then, the region which has long been known for its rich history and cultural identity has been emerging as a central stage for educational, political, and social reform.
Culturally, in Baton Rouge and Lafayette, business is booming. Modern museums and reform-minded downtown organizations are often housed side by side with picturesque, oak-lined roads and recently renovated Art Deco architecture. In rural parishes, more than 400 festivals year-round celebrate the cuisine, music, and cultures of the region’s diverse population and history, alongside growing new industries of film, arts, and entertainment.
South Louisiana is also bustling with education reform and political change. An expanding autonomous and charter school movement is being matched with new educational leadership committed to offering school choice for students, higher expectations for schools, and universal Pre-Kindergarten education. In this “gumbo” of a region, corps members immerse themselves in the long-standing culture and dynamic new opportunities while working to effect much-needed change alongside community and district leaders.
Life
Approximately half of South Louisiana corps members teach in the bustling capital city of Baton Rouge, which has expanded its population to approximately 800,000 since Hurricane Katrina in 2005. A vibrant music, shopping, dining, and theater scene is infused with the energy of artists and politically-minded intellectuals.
The other half teach in the rural parishes (counties) of East Feliciana, Pointe Coupee, St. Helena, and St. Landry. While East Feliciana’s towns of Jackson and Clinton (pop. 21,000) are only 30 miles north of Baton Rouge, the winding, rural roads and antebellum homes that sprinkle the countryside are indicators of its rural Southern charm. St. Helena’s main town of Greensburg, (pop. 10,300), located 45 miles northeast of Baton Rouge, is surrounded by the Amite and Tickfaw rivers and hosts a variety of streams, bayous and a unique small town community. Pointe Coupee Parish, 20 miles West of Baton Rouge, includes the vibrant lake town of New Roads where French culture is still on display but co-exists with boating, water sports, and opportunities for hunting and fishing. St. Landry Parish, 60 miles west of Baton Rouge, is dotted with small Cajun communities and is the center of Zydeco music nationwide. Many corps members live and teach in the city of Opelousas (pop. 23,000), which serves as the economic and social center of the parish.
All five parishes in which corps members teach are within close proximity of three major cities and multiple universities, which offer ample cultural and entertainment opportunities.
Corps Culture
The South Louisiana corps plays an integral part in the broader education reform movement in Louisiana. As a site since 1990, Teach For America • South Louisiana has had an impact on the lives of over 87,500 children across the state, some of whom are joining Teach For America themselves to continue this impact. Because of our unique and long-lasting relationships in the region, Teach For America corps members comprise up to 15 percent of the teaching force in many parishes. Along with this scale comes truly systematic impact and educational change, and opportunities for individual leadership in schools and districts.
To encourage collaboration, corps members are clustered at each school site, with an average of three corps members per school. Over 96 percent of corps members teach in a school with at least one other corps member, and many teach alongside Teach For America alumni as well.
Given the close-knit culture of communities in South Louisiana, corps members often find ways to become deeply involved in their community. Many corps members hold leadership roles at their schools, receive competitive grants, and are recognized as Teachers of the Year in their schools and school districts. Many corps members continue working in their communities after the two years as teachers and school leaders, as students in the numerous graduate programs, as leaders at local nonprofit organizations, think tanks, universities, and businesses.
As in all regions, corps members in South Louisiana receive individualized support from their program director and meet regularly for corps-wide professional development events.
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