1. Provide life skills and technical certification and assist in job placement;
2. Provide entrepreneurship training to low-to-moderate income persons in support of the State of Louisiana’s initiative to grow and strengthen small and minority-owned businesses; and
3. Establish neighborhood network centers in Baton Rouge and New Orleans,Louisiana

The target area was the Hurricane Katrina disaster designated parishes located in an 80-mile corridor from East Baton Rouge Parish to the St Bernard Parish. The population of these parishes prior to the disasters was 1.9 million, including almost 750,000 African Americans. The socio-economic plight of the residents in the impacted parishes left little or no ability to independently recover from any disaster, particularly a disaster of this magnitude.

Additionally, 41% of the State's businesses, including more than 30,000 small businesses with less than 50 employees, were impacted by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Even though the State does have entrepreneurial training, the limited resources do not match the full training need. The skill and technical certification training, job placement, entrepreneurial training and establishment of neighborhood networks will assist the participating low-to-moderate income residents recover from these tragedies and regain their place as a productive member of their neighborhoods.

Southern University-Baton Rouge collaborated with 1) The Corporation for National Service responsible for Americorp’s Vista; 2) New Homes Family Worship Center International; 3) Greater King David Baptist Church; 4) Vision Media Training Institute; 5) Vision Today Productions; 6) AETechnologies; 7) Louisiana Office of Economic Development; 8) Baton Rouge Black Chamber of Commerce; 9) SBS Environmental Employment Services; 10) KDC Environmental Services; and 11) Southern University of New Orleans.