New Orleans-area projects include new approaches to public health issues

 

(New Orleans, LA) – The Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana Foundation has announced three new innovation grant awards to New Orleans organizations from its New Horizons grant fund. Each organization has proposed a bold, new idea that will more effectively address or solve a persistent issue in public health:

  • Volunteers of America Southeast Louisiana will study a trend of Louisiana birth mothers pursuing out-of-state agencies when placing their children up for adoption. Out-of-state agencies have no obligation to provide ongoing support to Louisiana women, and in-state agencies are not always allowed to connect with their counterparts to offer support. The project’s goal is to determine why so many women are choosing out-of-state adoption, and to design programs and services for them.
  • Collegiate Academies will use new neurofeedback technology to help students with intensive socio-emotional needs. For those who have experienced trauma, bio-feedback and physiological patterns can help them regulate their psychological and emotional states.  This technology has shown promise nationally, but has not yet been used in a school setting for the purposes of improving academic performance.
  • Educare New Orleans will provide evening and weekend job trainings and workshops for parents of Educare students. Based on the Aspen Institute’s “2-Generation” Model, emphasizing the critical role of parental stability in early childhood outcomes, Educare will help parents achieve positive outcomes in both parenting and job skills.

 

“This set of awards shows the innovative spirit of Louisiana in how it grapples with long-term health challenges,” said Michael Tipton, Blue Cross Foundation president.

“We are confident that they will make meaningful impact on the communities they serve, and we are proud to partner with them by supporting their extraordinary work.”

More information about these projects, the New Horizons grant program and the Foundation is available at www.bcbslafoundation.org

The Foundation accepts proposals for various grant programs on a quarterly basis.

About the Blue Cross Foundation

The Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana Foundation works each day to improve the health and lives of Louisianians by empowering everyday people to do extraordinary good. By building and funding coalitions of friends, families and neighbors, the Foundation hopes to build a healthier Louisiana, particularly for its children. The Foundation is funded solely by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana, but is a separate 501(c)(3) nonprofit entity. Together, Blue Cross and the Blue Cross Foundation invest $2.5 million each year into Louisiana’s communities and nonprofits.

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