Community Tours
Experience Community Engagement in Action and Sign Up for an IARSLCE 2026 Community Tour
We invite conference participants to step beyond the panels and plenaries and join us for a tour at one of New Orleans’ most dedicated community organizations. Curated by Emily Riemer and Dwan Adams from Tulane University’s Center for Public Service, these tours are designed to bridge the gap between academic scholarship and local action. By participating, you will have the unique opportunity to connect directly with the leaders and community members driving positive change, observe how SLCE concepts are applied to address complex, real-world challenges, and gain a nuanced understanding of what makes an impactful community partnership flourish.
Both community tours will take place simultaneously on Monday, October 12 from 11:00am-2:00pm. Please choose one. Space is limited to ensure meaningful dialogue. Boxed lunch will be provided. Add-on through your conference registration or email conference@iarslce.org.
1. The Green Project: Creative Reuse and Environmental Stewardship
Visit a local legend to witness how New Orleans transforms waste into a catalyst for community assets and environmental sustainability. Participants will tour The Green Project’s warehouse and recycling facility. You will learn about their pioneering paint recycling program and explore a treasure trove of salvaged building materials fueling local preservation. This site serves as a hub for Tulane University students completing their community engagement requirements, providing a real-world laboratory for sustainable practice. Depending on the schedule, the visit may include a hands-on service component or collaborative activity.
This experience is ideal for those interested in environmental stewardship, sustainable urban planning, and the intersection of community engagement and ecology. You will engage with staff to discuss how creative reuse serves as a form of community resilience against economic disparity. Discover how a nonprofit can be both a service provider and a place for teaching sustainability, making it an exemplary model of place-based community engagement and a cornerstone of the local university-community partnerships.
2. Cultivating Youth - Voice, Leadership, and Advocacy
Experience the power of youth-led community transformation and witness the tenacity of an organization that opened just before the 2020 pandemic. Cultivating Youth successfully pivoted its model to address evolving community needs, placing a primary emphasis on academic readiness. As a key partner for Tulane University, the organization hosts students completing their community engagement requirements. These Tulane students provide critical support for academic success through tutoring and mentorship that helps local youth achieve their educational goals. Depending on the schedule, this visit may incorporate a light service project or interactive activity designed to bridge the gap between theory and practice.
This experience is perfect for those focused on youth development, intergenerational partnerships, or community-based participatory research. You will explore how to build authentic, power-sharing relationships that foster voice, especially in the context of educational support and communitywell-being. This visit provides a unique opportunity to discuss the ethics of youth engagement and strategies used to move Tulane students from volunteers to change agents. Gain fresh insights into how grassroots organizations foster a lifelong commitment to engagement by providing exemplary service-learning opportunities that align university resources with community-defined priorities.
Facilitators
Emily Riemer is the Program Manager of Community Partnerships for Tulane’s Center for Public Service (CPS). She previously supervised an AmeriCorps VISTA program within CPS to support capacity building efforts among local homeless service providers. Emily emphasizes building authentic and collaborative relationships with community partners. She also teaches Taylor Your Life, an innovative career development lab that teaches undergraduate students how to approach their future with the mindset and toolkit of a designer.
Prior to working at Tulane, Emily worked as a clinician and trainer within homeless and supportive housing programs for 19 years – in New Orleans and Chicago. Throughout her career, she has also been a mental health therapist working with college students and faculty. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a Master in Counselor Education, both obtained at the University of Mississippi.
Dwan Adams