IS FOR THEM! STEM

STORY BY BETSY O’LEARY PHOTOS BY PHILLIP COWART

We caught up with the movers and shakers of the Northshore STEM community to learn about their new projects. Present from Northshore Regional STEM Center were Wendy Conarro, Director; Dan Scheer, Education Manager; and Catie Mackey, Americorps VISTA Stakeholder Engagement Coordinator.

Tina Roper, Director of Geaux Jobs (Louisiana Workforce Area 20) and Board president involved with the Northshore STEM Coalition also joined the group, along with George Corkern, a robotics instructor from the Bogalusa YMCA who serves on the board of the Northshore STEM Coalition.

Other leaders in the STEM community include the following board members for the nonprofit Northshore STEM Coalition: Collin Whitcombe, Northshore Regional STEM Center project coordinator; Dr. George Anthon, Anthon Chiropractic; Dr. Deborah Dardis, SLU Biology Department; Darnell Whitington, Explore & Learn, LLC; and Betty Lee, City of Hammond Recreation Department.

The group wants to share STEM with local students and community members. The members know involvement with STEM is a pathway to prosperity for children and adults. Community engagement opens doors to jobs in health care, robotics, and environmental and computer science.

A major hurdle here is rural isolation. The signature project, the Brain Food Truck (sponsored in part by the United Way and other local and national groups), combats this by bringing mobile resources designed for hands-on, minds-on STEM activities. Projects target kids in 3rd-8th grades on the Northshore by getting them involved in fun, real-life projects.

The group and its local sponsors worked together for nearly a decade in various taxpayer-funded collaborations with present and former area politicians and community leaders. One such project is the annual STEM Fest back-toschool event held the last Saturday of August (26th this year) at SLU’s Pennington Student Activity Center. Last year, almost 2,000 schoolchildren and their families attended and interacted with 40+ organizations both inside and outside, like the Black Hawk helicopters on display.

“It’s estimated that 60-80% of youth who play computer games get into STEM technology., “Conarro said, parents seek year-round opportunities for eager kids with interests in and aptitudes for STEM. The one popularity of their four STEM café pilots bears this out, as up to 200 kids attended each café in five Northshore parish schools and community centers.”

STEM’s connection to gaming, e-sports, and robotics have enhanced its popularity for kids eager to design games and write code for them. They realize well-paying game development and coding careers begin now with the skills developed in STEM.

When it comes to the big picture, the Northshore STEM Coalition is the think-tank and the community’s action arm tasked with strategizing and making the most of resources. There’s a need for quality STEM mentoring, and the Coalition uses a network of coaches to discover potential robotics mentors. The annual Robotics Mentoring Extravaganza by Mentorforrobotics.org builds relationships with industry insiders while leveraging resources to fund immersive STEM environments. Students need mentoring by faculty or community members who can share their expertise in business, marketing, and fundraising.

Investigating opportunities linked to STEM can change a family’s economic trajectory. Adults can take classes and get certified by completing either Northshore Technical

Community College’s two-year program or a four-year degree from Southeastern. High-demand STEM jobs can bring in competitive, six-figure salaries.

The interactive site STEMExchange.org launched this year to connect people with industry resources. Users create accounts and check off interests. Those with interests checked get email digests of upcoming events and information on volunteer opportunities and activities like field trips, and summer camps for social media sharing.

Louisiana groups and industries utilize advanced manufacturing, logistics, and robotics to produce and ship products. From Hammond High Torbotics to Elmer’s Candy, STEM robotics plays a local role.

Summer is ending and we will soon step into Fall, which means many things for Southeast Louisiana. Our children are back in school, the Friday night lights will flicker on, and of course, stifling heat and the peak of Hurricane Season.

Preparedness for tropical weather is key, and readiness is something we focus on yearround. Public Works teams are focusing on our drainage systems. The Department of Emergency Preparedness is meeting with essential personnel and upgrading our procedures.

While we get ready, I encourage all of our citizens to do the same. Stock up on a few extra non-perishables, check your generators and revisit your family’s emergency plans.

The “Dog Days of Summer” refer to the hottest days of the year, which we have become too familiar with in St. Tammany Parish, but it’s also a great opportunity to share the monumental success at our Department of Animal Services. From when I took office to now, the Live Release Rate, which is based on the number of animals who find homes, jumped from 45 to 97%. This is due to the dedication of our staff, volunteers, and loving adopting and foster families.

If you have space in your home and your heart for a furry family member, please stop by the Shelter on LA 36 in Lacombe.

Our commitment to improving the Parish’s infrastructure, planning and our quality of life is renewed daily. I am proud of the great strides we have made, by commissioning the first-ever Parishwide Comprehensive Drainage Plan and Unified Development Code Rewrite, which revamps the standards by which we build, just to name a few.

As our youth step back into the classroom, I wish you all good luck! Keeping making us proud!

Serving as your Parish President remains one of my most humbling honors.

There are a lot of great things going on with the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office right now. This past July, I adopted an $88 million budget for the new fiscal year.

That budget included a 3.5 percent pay raise for all existing employees. Since taking office on July 1, 2016, I have increased the base pay for a new patrol deputy 29 percent, from $34,800 to $44,910. Our employees are our greatest asset, and I have made it a priority to increase deputy salaries so we can hire and retain highly qualified personnel.

The new budget also includes additional funds dedicated to expanding our enforcement efforts. In 2022, we revamped our criminal patrol districts, adding an additional district to address the growth on the western side of the parish. Currently under construction is a new 3rd District Headquarters, located off Highway 21.

Future plans include a new 1st District Office in unincorporated Slidell to address the growth in that area of our parish. This will also free up space at the Administration Building on Brownswitch Road to house the Training Division as part of a long-range plan.

Plans are also underway to design and construct a new 4thDistrict Office in the Bush area to replace the temporary building currently being used and to address the predicted future growth expected to take place following the completion of a new four-lane highway.

The budget also includes increased funding to grow our body camera program and to purchase new vehicles.

It has been, and remains, a priority to stay ahead of the curve and be proactive rather than reactive. In keeping with this goal, the Fiscal Year 2024 Operating Budget reflects my investment in our deputies, my investment in our community and the financial stability to provide a safe community now and in the future.

While we continue to see an increase in crime in surrounding areas, that is not the case here in St Tammany, and that is in part due to the great partnership that we have with our community members.

As always I encourage you all to be safe. It is an honor to serve the people of St. Tammany Parish, and it is my pleasure to lead such an outstanding agency.

Miller Tangipahoa Parish President

As we move into the second half of 2023, we have so many good things happening here in Tangipahoa Parish!

Hundreds of new jobs are on the way. From retail interest to additional investments from our new and existing industrial partners, Tangipahoa Parish is working! Moving into the 3rd and 4th Quarters of this year, we expect more good news for our business community, and there is no shortage of jobs to be had.

Need more info? Contact our Geaux Jobs office at (985) 902-4200. Our team is here to help you find work!

A while back, it came to our attention that a number of graves at Wilson Cemetery (our historically Black cemetery) lacked grave markers. Marilyn Young, whose mother helped care for the cemetery for decades and who now continues that tradition, contacted Covington Monument Company who offered to make grave markers at a cost of $75 each. Since taxpayer dollars cannot be used on private property (each gravesite is privately owned), a call went out to the community. Through the generosity of our residents, the third batch of gravestones were recently manufactured and have now been placed by grateful recipients on the graves of their ancestors … a community that clearly cares.

Want to open or expand your business here in Tangipahoa? Our Economic Development team stands ready to help you in that endeavor. Check out https:// tedf.org/ for a wealth of tools and information.

Very Cool.

Subsequently I received requests for seven more markers. Again, the call went out to the community for assistance. In the first afternoon, I received 50 pledges for the seven markers … from a community that clearly cares.

Very Cool.

As we prepare for the opening of a new school year, the start of a new semester at Southeastern Louisiana University and Northshore Technical, and the excitement of our annual fall fair and festival activities, there’s never been a better time to be part of our Tangipahoa Parish community. And don’t forget–the state’s longestrunning parish fair is right around the corner! The Tangipahoa Parish Fair kicks off the first full week in October, and this year, the fair is moving to a new location, next door to the Florida Parishes Arena in Amite. It’s the “same fair with a new flair,” and we couldn’t be more excited about this year’s event! You’ll definitely want to make plans to join us!

A visit to Wilson Cemetery (1400 N. Columbia Street) is a walk through the family names of 20th century Covington. A visit to Covington Cemetery #1 (608 N. Columbia Street) will take you back to the Battle of New Orleans with Covington’s founder, John Wharton Collins, as well as a veteran from every American war fought up to and including Vietnam. Soldiers from both the Union and the Confederacy are buried there along with the merchants and business leaders of the 19th and 20th centuries. Each December, the Daughters of the American Revolution honor each veteran with a small, poignant ceremony by laying a wreath at their headstone and by speaking their name.

Over the next few weeks, we’ll be sharing many more good news stories from around our parish. Stay tuned! The future looks bright for Tangipahoa Parish!

Good Stuff.

Dear Citizens,

It’s been a hot and busy summer so far in the City of Slidell. We celebrated Independence Day with two big events, the Slidell Rotary Clubs’ Heritage Fest and the Olde Towne Merchant Association’s 4th of July Celebration. Both were great community celebrations with record attendance and the entertainment, food, and fireworks were enjoyed by all who attended!

Just like everyone else, I was watching baseball this summer. All of us LSU Tiger fans were cheering when #6, Slidell’s own Brayden Jobert, hit a home run in the 9th inning of the College World Series final, helping LSU win the 2023 Baseball National Championship!

To celebrate Brayden and his fellow teammates’ victory, Saturday, July 8, was declared Brayden Jobert and LSU Baseball Day in the City of Slidell. Over 1,000 people joined us at Northshore High School where Brayden met with fans and signed sports memorabilia for everyone who attended. It was another great event for our community.

As the Mayor of the City of Slidell, I always take great pride in recognizing our local talents and all the good they do in our community. Brayden proudly represents the City of Slidell and is an inspiration and great role model for kids of all ages in St. Tammany Parish and beyond. We were honored to celebrate with Brayden and the Jobert family on their special day. Geaux Tigers!

We are in the middle of yet another hurricane season, and I continue to ask our citizens to be prepared, have a plan, and stay informed. Team Slidell is working hard to make sure that the city is prepared. We are continually checking all the choke points, clearing waterways, and making sure that our pumps are ready and working should we need to use them.

To keep our citizens informed, we will post emergency information on our city website at MySlidell.com and on the “City of Slidell, Louisiana” Facebook page. These sites can be accessed from virtually anywhere via cell phones, laptops or tablets. Even if you have to evacuate, you can still get continuous news and updates about Slidell.