Magnolia Project 2010

Help MP win $50,000

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Unfortunately, Magnolia Project was rejected from participating in the Pepsi Refresh Project. Thank-You for your support.

Study in New Orleans in Fall 2010!

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Magnolia Project is proud to announce the launching of a semester exchange program with the University of New Orleans, beginning Fall 2010!

Participating students will enroll in two classes at UNO. One is a core class that all participating students are required to take, a sociology class on racial issues that uses Hurricane Katrina as a case study. Students are free to choose their second course. In addition to attending these two classes, students will earn

6 units of field study by engaging in a 20-hour/week internship at a community based organization. While there, students will engage in a community-based research project, which culminates in a policy paper.

Eligibility: Current 3rd or 4th year UC Berkeley undergraduates in good standing. Students are responsible for meeting with financial aid and academic advisers to ensure aid and credit will transfer!

Applications Due: March 3, 2010

For full details visit http://publicservice.berkeley.edu

Contact: magnolia.katrina@gmail.com

Supported by Cal Corps Public Service Center

Information sessions: February 9, 11,and 17, 5:15pm, 505 Eshleman Hall, CalCorps Public Service Center

Apply for Magnolia Project 2010!

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Dear Prospective Participants,

Welcome to Magnolia Project's fall 2009 recruitment! As you have probably learned from your friends, info sessions and this site, the Magnolia Project is a student initiated service group dedicated to the rebuilding of the Gulf Coast.

Currently in our 4th year, the Magnolia Project has sent over 200 students to the Gulf Coast to participate in thousands of hours of direct service. As someone who has attended all three of MP's previous trips, I can personally tell you that the experience it offers is unique and often life-changing. Take this opportunity to go see for yourself the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, work in solidarity to fix what is still broken and bring back a deeper perspective on how to get involved in your own community.

We have 3 initiatives:
1. A 3-week service trip that will run from May 25-June 15.
2. An 8-week internship program that places students with grassroots, government and education organizations.
3. New For FALL 2010: A semester exchange program with the University of New Orleans where you will both take units at UNO and work with a local grassroots organization. (more information will be available at the end of the semester but if you have interest, please e-mail magnolia.katrina@gmail.com)

On that note, please take into account that Magnolia Project will be implementing the following changes for its 2010 summer:
- Applications for service trip participants are due December 11th.
- All service trip participants will be required to attend a 2 Unit Decal on Tuesdays 6-8 in the spring

-Internship applications are due December 2nd. (Interns are not required to attend decal).

TO APPLY:
Click Here (service trip and internship applications are now LIVE, click on the program you are interested in to access application)

Thank You,
Ravi Patel
Co-Director

Pictures

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Check out these pictures from previous Magnolia Projects!

Info Sessions

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Info Sessions will be held on the Following dates, all at 7pm, Locations TBA

UPDATED with new times and locations!

November 10th, 7pm, Douglas Fir Room, MLK Student Union

November 16th, 7pm, Douglas Fir Room, MLK Student Union

November 17th, 7pm, Douglas Fir Room, MLK Student Union

Welcome to the Magnolia Project

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The Magnolia Project is a UC Berkeley Student Organization dedicated to the rebuilding of the Gulf Coast after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Magnolia Project, or MP, was founded by a group of students who returned from New Orleans after Spring Break 2006 and decided that UC Berkeley, as the nation's leading public institution, needed to have a bigger presence in the rebuilding of the Gulf Coast. The following school year, they planned the first 3-week MP Summer Service Trip. That summer, 2007, more than 80 Berkeley students took time out of their vacation's to gut homes, clean schools, paint historic buildings and do anything else our community partners asked.

In 2008, MP organized a 2nd three-week service trip with 65+ students. Students returned to a city that was almost 3 years on from the storm but still had plenty of work to do. Fourteen students also spent 1-week in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi where they built homes with Habitat for Humanity. That summer, Magnolia Project placed 8 interns with grassroots and government agencies around the city in order to begin participating in the long term work necessary to bring the city of New Orleans back better than it was before.

In 2009, 50 students and 8 interns returned to the Gulf Coast and encountered a city that was still in a recovery process but was having difficulty facilitating residents to return home.

Magnolia Project maintains its commitment to the Gulf Coast, both in its recovery from Katrina and overcoming the social problems that occur in all urban centers. For more information on how to get involved, attend an info session or e-mail magnolia.katrina@gmail.com.