Unique in every way, New Orleans is a city full of interesting neighborhoods, many of which change in character from one block to the next. The large area known as Uptown includes several of New Orleans' most historic and storied locales, such as the Garden District and Audubon Park. Mid-City boasts beautiful City Park, the New Orleans Museum of Art, and the Fairgrounds racetrack, home of the world famous Jazz & Heritage Festival. Both Uptown and Mid-City, as well as the Marigny and Bywater neighborhoods, are home to many corps members and alumni.

From sampling the city's famous cuisine at countless restaurants, to hearing live music on Oak or Frenchmen Street, to shopping on Magazine Street or dining in the newly revitalized Freret Street neighborhood, there's never a shortage of things to do in New Orleans outside the classroom. Even lesson planning can be done in a beautiful, unique setting like the Rosa F. Keller Library & Community Center, which was recently rebuilt and reopened. A fantastic addition to the Broadmoor neighborhood, this library has a cafe and hosts a variety of weekly programs, including ESL tutoring, computer classes, knitting circles, and cooking classes.

New Orleans has the most promising opportunity in our lifetime to realize a quality public education for an entire public school system. In the past 10 years the graduation rate has climbed to 75 percent, up from 54 percent in 2004. While that indicates undeniable progress, we know it is not enough given the limitless opportunities we believe a quality education should provide.