Meraux Foundation Hosts Miss. River Delta Education Initiative
Teacher Exchange Program Positions Parish as Leader in River Education
The Arlene and Joseph MerauxCharitable Foundation hosted the first Mississippi River Delta Institute last week in St. Bernard Parish. The continuing education program gathered dozens of K through 12 teachers from St. Bernard Parish Public Schools and schools in Minnesota to experience “teachable moments” from the Mississippi River delta located in southeast Louisiana.
“The Delta Institute connected teachers from the headwaters and here at the delta of the Mississippi River to experience our unique ecosystem and participate in training exercises that they can apply in their classrooms,” said Bill Haines, a board member of the Meraux Foundation, which committed $100,000 over the next three years to support the Waters to the Sea® Mississippi River Delta Educational Initiative in St. Bernard Parish.
St. Bernard offers the perfect setting for studying water systems, including port structures, wetlands, commercial fishing, water management infrastructure, and natural beauty. The field-based courses addressed the natural overlap between science and other subjects using rivers as the context. The courses included a host of activities in St. Bernard and the surrounding area.
Workshops were held at the Arlene Meraux River Observation Center at the MerauxFoundation’s Docville Farm campus. Educators performed scientific studies at MerauxFoundation Board Member Sidney Torres, III’s River House located at the historic crevasse, which was created by a natural breach in the levee in 1922. The group spent time on the Mississippi River with a tour of port facilities from New Orleans downriver to Violet guided by Port of New Orleans officials Paul Zimmermann and William Bergeron aboard the Port’s fireboat. Field work continued at the University of New Orleans Shea Penland Coastal Education and Research Facility (CERF) located close to Chef Menteur Pass between Lake Borgne and Lake Pontchartrain thanks to the support of Dr. Ivan Gill and Dinah Maygarden.
Thanks to St. Bernard Parish Public Schools, Superintendent Doris Voitier, and Gena Asevado, the director of the Maumus Center, the educators enjoyed a special preview of The Maumus Science Center and Planetarium, which is scheduled to open onAugust 29, 2015.
Participants closed out the Deltas Institute with a reception hosted by MerauxFoundation Board Members Rita and Floyd Gue at their home in St. Bernard.
“St. Bernard is known for its outstanding schools, and the Delta Institute is helping us to position the Parish as a national center for river delta education,” said Chris Haines, a board member of the Meraux Foundation, who helped organize the initiative. “We are attracting educators from across the country. In addition to the educational value, it’s fantastic promotion for St. Bernard.”
About the Arlene and Joseph Meraux Charitable Foundation
The Meraux Foundation is a private 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that was established by Arlene Meraux to benefit the community of St. Bernard Parish by leveraging its landholdings. Today, the Foundation’s board of directors is presided over by Arlene’s niece, Rita Gue, and members Floyd Gue, Bill Haines, Chris Haines, and Sidney Torres, III. Guided by Arlene’s vision, the Board is implementing an innovative strategy to create lasting change and build a better St. Bernard.
