Outreach
New Orleans Complete Streets Coalition (NOCSC)
UNOTI serves on the Executive Committee for the New Orleans Complete Streets Coalition, a group of organizations, businesses, civic leaders, and community members who support improving our roadways and safe transportation options in order to enhance health, equity, sustainability, prosperity, and quality-of-life for the people of New Orleans.
Louisiana DOTD Complete Streets Advisory Council
UNOTI has served on DOTD's Complete Streets Advisory Council since 2014, supporting the state in implementing a Complete Streets approach, developing and tracking policy performance, and identifying opportunities to safely and efficiently accommodate all road users in the state.
New Orleans Complete Streets Working Group
UNOTI is an appointed member of the New Orleans Complete Streets Working Group, supporting the City of New Orleans in ensuring that the Complete Streets policy is applied in the planning, design, construction, operations, and maintenance of all projects, to monitor execution of the Complete Streets Program, and to provide input, as appropriate, into policies, procedures, and regulations as they are developed within the context of the Complete Streets Program.
New Orleans Regional Traffic Safety Coalition
UNOTI participates in the New Orleans Regional Traffic Safety Coalition, a group of planners, engineers, public health experts, law enforcement officers, educators, and others working to reduce traffic-related fatalities and serious injuries on the streets of metropolitan New Orleans.
Active Transportation Knowledge-Sharing Network
This partnership supported the development and piloted a model for knowledge-sharing in the form of a national network of multi-disciplinary academic researchers, transportation planning professionals, and active transportation advocates. This project focused on engaging partner institutions and community stakeholders to introduce key concepts around sustainable design for active mobility and water management, as well as introducing knowledge-sharing strategies, policy goals and evaluation approaches around adaption urbanism, resulting in the development of a series of Adaptation Urbanism Symposia in Oxford, London, Delft, and Copenhagen, which brought together local government officials, advocates, planning and design professionals, and academic researchers at a series of meeting and mobile workshops, as well as partnership with the City of New Orleans and non-profit partners to provide critical support in developing and executing evaluation and engagement strategies associated with Big Jump project efforts and in particular, a series of pop-up protected bikeway and green infrastructure demonstration projects.
New Orleans Regional Innovation Alliance
UNOTI provided research, project support, meeting coordination, and report production for development of strategic implementation plan for a partnership of New Orleans area colleges and economic development organizations focused on catalyzing collaboration between higher education and industry in the region to increase the commercialization of research, meet the talent needs of business and build a regional brand of innovation.
Who Works the Rivers
UNOTI partners annually with Riverworks Discovery http://www.riverworksdiscovery.org/ for their career awareness program for high school students known as "Who Works the Rivers." The program is a one day event which begins with an introductory lesson using content from the "Energy and Our Rivers Curriculum" developed by NEED corporation. Following the session, students attend a mini career fair and meet representatives from a full range of river industries - from non-profit to military, from recreational to industrial - to learn about the many job opportunities in the river sector. Hands-on artifacts and activities help make the "job fair" atmosphere fun and memorable for the students.
For more information on Who Works the Rivers visit: http://www.riverworksdiscovery.org/who-works-the-rivers/
Women's Transportation Seminar
UNOTI Is committed to advancing both the transportation industry and the professional women who are a growing part of it. In this endeavor UNOTI is happy to be a member of the New Orleans Chapter for the Women's Transportation Seminar.
Founded in 1977, WTS is an international organization dedicated to building the future of transportation through the global advancement of women. Boasting more that 5,000 members -both women and men- WTS is helping find women opportunity and recognition in the transportation industry. Through its professional activities, networking opportunities and unparalleled access to industry and government leaders, WTS is turning the glass ceiling into a career portal.
For more information about WTS, visit www.wtsinternational.org
Follow the New Orleans Chapter of WTS on Facebook
The Maritime Workforce Summit & Career Expo
In October 2014 UNOTI and the Port of New Orleans partnered to present the first annual Maritime Workforce Summer. https:www.marinelink.com/news/workforce-maritime-annual378543.aspx.
The summit, now known as The Maritime Workforce Summit & Career Expo, is an informational forum for the Greater New Orleans Region to gain awareness about international commerce on the Mississippi River and to facilitate discussion among community stakeholders on how to prepare our future workforce for maritime employment opportunities (information provided by Port of New Orleans).
This summit features any array of speakers from industry and academia along with a panel discussion. The panel discussion is followed by a Career Expo for students in which UNOTI and industry representatives highlight jobs in demand and career tracks to achieve the skills necessary for the jobs.
Youth Engagement: On the Move
Focusing primarily on high school students, On the Move is UNOTI's outreach program designed to introduce the next wave of budding scholars and practitioners to the exciting fields of urban studies and transportation planning. Drawing upon the expertise of UNOTI's faculty and staff, as well as the extension network of professionals and organizations with whom UNOTI works, "On the Move" brings custom-designed workshops, presentations, and/or panel discussions to the youth of the greater New Orleans area, as well as longer-term training that is fun and interactive.
Experts from several local organizations are often invited to accompany UNOTI faculty and staff at scheduled events so that youth can ask questions and meet people working in the transportation and planning industries. These partnerships offer youth insight into the wide array of opportunities that are available in urban studies and transportation planning, and assist young people in connecting with local organizations.
On the Move also offers campus tours at LSU New Orleans, as well as providing engaging activities for youth to explore and apply newly learned planning concepts. For more information, and/or to schedule an event, please contact Carol Short, Associate Director, UNOTI at [email protected]