NEW SCHOOLS FOR NEW ORLEANS
Visual storytelling 20 years of education progress
- AGENCY OF RECORD >
- Installation
- creative
- experiential design
- prop styling
- infographics
campaign overview
For the 20th Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, Spears Group partnered with New Schools for New Orleans (NSNO) to ensure public education was at the heart of the Hurricane Katrina 20th anniversary narrative—highlighting two decades of progress and sparking national dialogue about the future of our schools. That project involved an 8-foot-tall, 16-foot-wide, five-panel interactive exhibit—concepted, designed and produced by our team—which debuted at Gallier Hall and is now touring the city as a permanent storytelling piece. More than just an exhibit, it was a shared space for meaningful dialogue.
Before Hurricane Katrina
The state of New Orleans schools
Long before the storm, the school system was in crisis and struggling to meet student needs. Facilities were aging and in disrepair, resources were scarce, and financial mismanagement plagued the district.
After Hurricane Katrina
The Origins of reform and access
After Katrina, as schools slowly reopened, the Recovery School District and the Orleans Parish school board began reshaping education – authorizing a new wave of public charter schools.
2005 – Onward
Looking Beyond Hurricane Katrina
Data Storytelling – Student are the true measure of academic progress. Over the past 20 years, students are graduating on time and their academic growth is outpacing the state.
2005 – Onward
Public school reconstruction
In May 2023, the Orleans Parish School Board and the Recovery School District celebrated the completion of the post-Katrina School Facilities Master Plan. After 15 years, 89 public school buildings we rebuilt or restored.
Dedication
Educator Acknowledgment
This installation is dedicated to them. Educators are experts and visionaries. Their impact is enormous and ongoing, as children leave your classrooms and go on to make their own mark on the world.
