New Orleans boasts a unique, rich cultural heritage and is renowned for its music, cuisine, and Mardi Gras festivities. However, the city also has a tragic history of poverty, a reality only exacerbated by the devastation inflicted by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The city’s historic Tremé neighborhood is no exception. Its Phillis Wheatley School building was itself decimated — a casualty of Katrina’s fury. However, the spirit of the school and surrounding community has proven resilient. Under the management of FirstLine Schools, the new and improved Phillis Wheatley Community School opened its doors to students in 2013 with a twofold mission – first, to provide individualized support for each student’s academic and socio-emotional learning, and second, to serve the surrounding, low-income community, fostering the involvement of students’ families in school activities as well as reaching out to their neighbors. One way Wheatley does this is by maintaining Edible Schoolyard gardens, which students can help tend and which provide fresh produce to the school cafeteria.

Moreover, the school makes vegetables available for students, their families, and community members each month. Despite the city’s resilience, recovery in the wake of Katrina has been slow, and youth here face significant barriers to their ability to succeed in school. For this reason, Phillis Wheatley Community School serves as a beacon of hope, providing the opportunity for a brighter future — one life at a time.