Youth Program
The Youth Program features daily excursions that will excite and enchant participants. Whether it is experiencing the unique music that is New Orleans, learning to cook signature New Orleans cuisine, visiting the unparalled Audubon Zoo, sharpening your athletic skills with the pros, floating through the bayous to see alligators, and helping to restore the wetlands, the Youth Program will provide memories to last a lifetime!
The Sound of Music: New Orleans
Music History at Tipitina’s &
Casa Samba Interactive Performance
All Ages
New Orleans is one of the most
musical cities in the country, with
roots in jazz, blues and gospel,
just to name a few genres. At
Tipitina’s, one of the city’s most
famous music venues, youth will
learn about the amazing history of
New Orleans music from the very
beginning to the present day
including jazz, Mardi Gras Indians
and much more! A renowned local
musician and DJ will entertain the
youth in an innovative duet, and
also teach them the celebrated
“second line” dance for a true New
Orleans music experience!
Campers will have lunch at the House
of Blues (another famous music
venue!) before heading back to the
hotel for a one of a kind
interactive performance from Casa
Samba where they will learn about
Brazilian culture, music and
traditions at this unique workshop.
A local legend and his performers
will demonstrate some smooth, fancy
samba moves, which is one of the
most popular dances in Brazil, and
unveil the secrets behind each dance
step. He’ll also teach the youth
about rhythm, timing of music and
dance and the most exciting part-
how to play percussion and other
instruments!
DATE: Wednesday, July 23,
2008
TIME: 9:00 am-4:00 pm
The Wonders of Our World: Audubon
Zoo, Aquarium & IMAX
Ages 5-17
From the swamps of Louisiana and the
Amazon jungle, to the Australian
Great Barrier Reef and vast
underwater world; youth will
discover exotic animals from around
the globe at the Audubon Zoo and
Aquarium! The Audubon Zoo has a wide
variety of amazing creatures, from
the legendary white alligators to
Rex and Zulu, two beautiful white
tigers named after Mardi Gras
royalty.
With Spanish moss and swamp favorites
like the alligator, the Louisiana
Swamp exhibit is a slice out of a
Louisiana bayou. Campers can
experience the animals and culture
that make our state unique, witness
a ‘gator feeding and sample some
spicy Cajun cuisine! ACCENT will
also arrange an exclusive animal
encounter where youth will have the
opportunity to get up close and
personal with several unusual
creatures. After exploring the
different continents, the group will
sit down for a picnic lunch at the
zoo.
Next, campers will
head to the Audubon IMAX theatre for
a special 3D viewing and then swim
next door to the Audubon Aquarium to
visit the penguin colony, now safely
back at the aquarium after living in
California post-Hurricane Katrina.
Visit the new “Adventure Island”
interactive exhibit where the youth
can crawl, climb and sit on various
parts. Campers can touch the
cow-nosed rays in the new 2,600
gallon pool and even feed them! This
exhibit gives youth of all ages the
chance for hands-on exploration of
the world under the sea.
DATE: Thursday, July 24,
2008
TIME: 9:00 am-4:00 pm
Manning Football Experience: Live
the Dream
Ages 13-17
Many youth have
fantasized about being a
professional athlete for the New
Orleans Hornets or the Saints, among
other teams. Today, they’ll get a
taste of what it’d be like to play
with the pros! Participate in a
basketball shoot out and football
toss and live this dream! Next,
campers will rotate in small teams
through various stations including
basketball, volleyball, relay races,
sprint relays and much more. They’ll
compete against other teams and
accumulate points at each station to
see which team will be the overall
champions at the end of the day!
The highlight of the day will be the
Manning Football Experience, an
interactive program that takes the
most important skills of football-
pass, catch and kick- and creates a
fun and adrenaline pumping program
for youth of all ages!
Of course, campers don’t
have to be athletes to participate
and have a good time- the important
thing is to have fun competing while
testing their skills and movements
in many areas and enjoy themselves!
To further test their talents,
youth can learn some of the cheers
and dances of professional sports
teams from an instructor. They’ll
bring out their inner artist and
design team banners as well as team
necklaces and other crafts
highlighting each team’s colors!
Lunch is included.
DATE: Thursday, July 24,
2008
TIME: 9:00am- 4:00pm
*Note: As an alternative, youth may
choose the Audubon Zoo and Aquarium
tour instead of the Manning Football
Experience.
Carnival Celebration: New Orleans
School of Cooking &
Mardi Gras World
All Ages
Ready to fulfill that dream of
becoming one of the world’s greatest
chefs? It’s time for campers to
achieve it! Through hands-on cooking
demonstrations with the New Orleans
School of Cooking, youth will learn
how to create some of New Orleans’
most delicious dishes for lunch,
including bananas foster and gumbo.
While cooking, the chef will
entertain campers with history, tall
tales and trivia about the city.
Campers will also create their very
own chef’s hat and decorate aprons.
They’ll enjoy a delicious lunch that
they created before beginning the
carnival celebration!
Campers will enter
a sea of imagination and creativity
as they tour the workshops at Mardi
Gras World where the floats are made
for the countless parades during the
Mardi Gras season. They’ll dress up
in sequined carnival costumes and
become the king and queen of the
ball as they don feathery
headdresses and regal capes. Watch
the artists at work as they decorate
floats more than 100 feet long!
Youth can make their own Mardi Gras
mask with feathers and glitter to
create their own carnival
characters!
DATE: Friday, July 25,
2008
TIME: 9:00 am-4:00 pm
Braving the Bayou: Swamp Tour &
Wetlands Restoration Project
All Ages
The campers’ bravery will be tested
on this voyage deep into the swamps
of Louisiana. Venture into the
swamp aboard a flatboat at Jean
Lafitte Swamp Tours and cruise
through the meandering and
mysterious bayous (once the site
where the infamous Pirate Jean
Lafitte stored his booty!). Youth
will see egrets, raccoons, water
snakes and of course, alligators!
After the excursion on the open
water, the group will head back to
solid ground for a picnic lunch.
Enjoy the beautiful outdoors and
plant trees, flowers or other
vegetation in a nearby national
park. The wetlands are one of the
most important ecosystems in this
region. Home to many species of
animals and plant life, the
coastline and wetlands play an
important role in protecting
civilization against various natural
disasters, including hurricanes.
Youth will play an active role in
helping the environment!
DATE: Saturday, July 26,
2008
TIME: 9:00 am-2:00 pm
*Note: This tour is also offered as
an option for adults and as a family
tour.
Tour will
depart from the Youth Center at
the Hilton Riverside (HEC Room
on 3rd Floor).
Please arrive 1 hour prior to
departure time.
Questions? Email
NOLA@ncsl.org Tel:
504-524-0188 - ext 2
