Tag: Donaldsonville

A New Dawn in Early Learning: Nicholls State University’s Collaborative Efforts

Nicholls State University, in collaboration with the Parish of Ascension, celebrated a significant milestone on April 3 as they joined hands to unveil the West Ascension Early Learning Center in Donaldsonville. According to this news release from Nicholls, the occasion was marked by a grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony, attended by representatives from Nicholls and esteemed members of the community.

Over the years, Nicholls State University had forged a partnership with the Parish of Ascension, aiming to address a pressing need in the community – access to high-quality, affordable childcare. Recognizing the challenges families faced in accessing such services, they embarked on a journey to establish the Type III early learning center. This center aimed to not only provide childcare but also to lay the foundation for the holistic development of young minds, setting them on a path towards lifelong success and empowering families with opportunities previously beyond their reach.

Lacey Crochet, the Chief Innovation Officer at Nicholls, expressed her enthusiasm about the center’s inauguration, stating, “The opening of the West Ascension Early Learning Center marks the beginning of years of collaboration and investment in the education of children and the community of Donaldsonville. Access to early childhood education is a transformative experience that changes the fabric of communities, providing opportunities for economic and social benefits that will resonate for generations.”

Dr. Mistie Lasseigne, the Executive Director of Early Childhood Initiatives at Nicholls, emphasized the significance of the center in providing comprehensive support to families and residents within the community. She highlighted, “The establishment of the West Ascension Early Learning Center brings child care to the youngest of children within a framework that provides support, resources, workforce development, and guidance to the families and residents within the community.”

The collaborative effort between Nicholls and the Parish of Ascension ensured that the center would adhere to stringent guidelines set forth by esteemed organizations such as the National Association for the Education of Young Children and the Louisiana Early Learning and Development Standards. This ensured that the center’s programs and operational framework would be of the highest standard, nurturing young minds in an environment conducive to their growth and development.

Central to the success of the center were the professionals from Nicholls, who would oversee its day-to-day operations. From managing staffing and curricula to fostering external partnerships with early childhood agencies, they would ensure that the center remained at the forefront of early childhood education.

Nicholls State University’s commitment to early childhood education extended beyond the confines of the West Ascension Early Learning Center. Their Birth to Five/Early Interventionist Education undergraduate program stood as a testament to their dedication to nurturing young minds. By imparting key early-learning concepts and skills to practitioners, they aimed to shape the future of education in Louisiana and beyond.

The College of Education and Behavioral Sciences at Nicholls echoed this commitment, striving to produce highly qualified professionals equipped to meet the diverse needs of the community. Through rigorous curricula and hands-on experiences, they endeavored to mold reflective decision-makers who would make a positive impact in their respective fields.

In conclusion, the inauguration of the West Ascension Early Learning Center marked a significant milestone in the journey towards accessible and high-quality childcare in Donaldsonville. Through collaborative efforts and a shared vision for the future, Nicholls State University and the Parish of Ascension had laid the groundwork for a brighter tomorrow. This initiative not only addresses the immediate need for childcare but also sets a precedent for community-driven educational endeavors that prioritize the well-being and development of future generations.

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Ground Broken for New Pump Station in Donaldsonville

It was recently announced that officials in Louisiana have broken ground for a $96 million pump station in Donaldsonville that will help to revive the local barrier islands and marshes that protect a large region of south Louisiana from Hurricanes and sea level rise. According to this article from The Advocate, the construction of the long-delayed pumping station, which is considered to be the key to many Bayou Lafourche and coastal restoration projects, had officially broken ground in Donaldsonville on Friday, October 21st.

The project actually caps a larger $220 million effort to reconnect the Mississippi River to the 106-mile-long Bayou Lafourche, which flows from Donaldsonville and empties into the Gulf of Mexico at Port Fourchon.

Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards, members of the congress, and other elected officials were in attendance at the groundbreaking ceremony. All parties came together in order to honor the start of construction of the $96 million pump station, which will protect the drinking water supply for four parishes (Ascension, Assumption, Lafourche, and Terrebonne) and combat saltwater intrusion in Lafourche and Terrebonne estuaries. These estuaries experience some of the highest land loss rates in the world.

Gov. John Bel Edwards spoke about the long-delayed pump station by saying, “this is tremendous for the entire state. The lack of freshwater flowing into the bayou has endangered wetlands and drinking water supplies for 300,000 people. And it robbed this region of one of its most scenic waterways for too long.”

For more than a century, Bayou Lafourche had been sealed off from the Mississippi River, its main source of freshwater, and this action has led to a series of environmental problems, such as the loss of wetlands south of Houma and New Orleans.

Officials in south Louisiana have announced that the new station will be constructed atop the river levee in downtown Donaldsonville, alongside a nearly-70-year-old pump. The station is set to provide the area with increased water capacity. The pump will triple the flow of the river into Bayou Lafourche and revive marshes and barrier islands that help protect South Louisiana from hurricanes, while also ensuring that a region of South Louisiana has a safe drinking water supply.

Edwards highlighted the necessity of this project by saying, “the importance of this project to the Bayou Region and to our state can’t be overstated. The pump station will protect nearly 10 percent of Louisiana’s drinking water supplywhile nourishing over 85,000 acres of marsh in some of the country’s most land-starved areas. We’re investing more than ever before into protection and restoration projects across our coast, and it’s clear these efforts will continue to benefit Louisiana for decades to come.”

Since Hurricane Gustav in 2008 churned up a massive amount of muck and debris that blocked and contaminated the mouth of the bayou, state officials have been hard at work to restore Bayou Lafourche and build up the pump station. When Hurricane Gustav hit, there were weeks-long boil-water advisories in effect for approximately 300,000 residents. U.S. Rep. Garret Graves, R-Baton Rouge spoke at the ceremony about the conditions following the 2008 hurricane saying, “after Gustav, that water was stagnant and disgusting. You could smell the bayou for miles.”

According to The Advocate, the Bayou Lafourche Fresh Water District has spent the past 11 years preparing the bayou for the pump station’s increased flows by widening and deepening several miles of it, raising a railroad crossing in Donaldsonville, installing water control gates, and removing a small dam in Thibodaux, Louisiana.

The bayou projects have already attracted more residents to the neighborhood. Recently, there have been a number of recreational projects in the area that include public docks, boat launches, and bayou-side trails. The new pump station is projected to start operating in 2025, and it should be up and running by the end of 2025.

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