This article briefly describes how a fifth-grade class collaborated with a downtown diner for several months and then actually ran the restaurant for four hours. Through the Chatters Cafe, a local high school cafe that serves as a culinary arts training ground for high school students, fifth graders had the opportunity to prepare and serve dinner…

A student starting public school in New Orleans in the fall of 2005 had little reason to be hopeful about her education. Of her 65,000 schoolmates in the New Orleans Public Schools (NOPS), over half of those taking the state's high-stakes tests (4th, 8th, 10th, and 11th graders) did not have "basic" competence in math and English. 68 of…

Like the resilient residents, city leaders and community boosters battered and displaced by Hurricane Katrina, officials from the Big Easy's colleges and universities vowed early on to come back. For Tulane University, one of the biggest challenges to overcome before resuming classes in January was finding schools for the children of the…

Hurricanes Katrina and Rita displaced thousands of K-12 students and demonstrated that when K-12 schools close unexpectedly and indefinitely, educational chaos results. Events such as deadly flu outbreaks or bioterrorist attacks will have the same impact on education. These possibilities demonstrate the need for state and local officials to begin…

Although schools have implemented school safety plans as a result of the violence witnessed on rare occasions in schools today, schools are less likely to be prepared for emergencies such as Katrina or 9/11; this is true even for schools in locations prone to hurricanes, tornadoes, or earthquakes. Whereas disaster plans typically involve school…

This article discusses 10 "IT myths": (1) Standardizing on a single computing platform reduces costs and enables better support; (2) Requiring students to own a computer (or laptop) will improve the quality of education at an institution; (3) Having a campus subscription to a music download service will reduce the incidence of online copyright…

This article describes how early childhood teacher education faculty at one university responded in the aftermath of hurricanes Katrina and Rita and used the disaster to enhance their undergraduate and graduate programs. They explain how they modeled developmentally appropriate practices while responding to community needs. Four companion articles…

Based on Huntsville (Alabama) schools' experience with a devastating fire, the superintendent later ensured adequate fire insurance coverage, promoted regular fire drills, and developed an emergency response plan that delineated staff responsibilities, communication modes, and training and updating procedures. The plan served the district well…

Describes the effects of Hurricane Hugo and the San Francisco earthquake on child care and child care centers and the responses of the centers to the disasters. Announces the openings of new child care centers and an expansion of Head Start.(RJC)

Relates how campers and staff at a camp in Iowa managed during the flood, initiated clean-up efforts, and attempted to secure aid to pay for over $100,000 in damage to camp facilities. Following a visit, singer Billy Ray Cyrus donated concert ticket revenues to help pay for flood damages. (LP)

Discusses the need for emergency planning for libraries to ensure that disaster response teams are ready to deal with a variety of possible calamities. Guidelines are given for writing a disaster plan, including floor plans, emergency procedures, insurance coverage, treatment of damaged materials, and reallocation of staff and collections. (LRW)

This article discusses Monroe Community College's CERT (Community Emergency Response Team), a program designed to help neighborhoods and work sites prepare for effective disaster response through training and planning. The program requires 24 hours of theoretical and hands-on practice in self-help and mutual-aid emergency functions. CERT personnel…

When the unfathomable happened to Dillard University and other cherished institutions on the Gulf Coast on August 29, 2005, an act of nature ripped more than 1 million people from their comfort zones and thrust them into the unknown. They still have not had time to fully assess their personal losses, so intent have they been on focusing on their…

This article relates the different views from specialists of the scientific expedition team for the exploration of the origin of sand-dust storms. They observed and examined on-site the ecological environment of places of origin for sand-dust storms, and tried to find out causes of sand-dust storm and what harm it can cause in the hope of…

School offers structure, stability, and support to children and youth displaced by disasters. The 2005 Gulf Coast hurricanes demonstrated the powerful role that schools can play in helping displaced children overcome the traumas they experience and regain their academic, social, and emotional footing. The school response to the 2005 hurricanes…