SHOREline Chapters

Our survey research showed that parents expressed the greatest concerns about disaster impacts on their children. The initial selected communities include South Lafourche, Grand Isle and New Orleans East in Louisiana; Gulfport, Mississippi; and South Mobile County, Alabama. Approximately 10 -12 high school students will be recruited from each of the five communities, thus engaging a total of 50-60 students in the first year of the SHOREline project. One teacher-sponsor at each high school will be recruited, for a total of 5 teacher-sponsors across the communities.


Zoom in to view all 5 Gulf Coast Chapters

Students who are selected to participate in this exciting project will have the opportunity to acquire a broad range of skills and experiences, they will be investing in their own futures, in the following ways :

Skills: SHOREline will focus on enhancing such skills as critical thinking, leadership, communication, and evaluation research, empowering youth to build confidence in these critical areas.
Hope: SHOREline will instill and reinforce hope for brighter futures among youth and their peers.
Opportunities: SHOREline will provide pathways to healthier and more productive futures by offering youth opportunities to contribute to their families, schools, and communities and to serve as role models for other youth.
Recovery: SHOREline will provide avenues of positive post-disaster recovery among youth through building skills, fostering hope, and opening up new opportunities.
Engagement: SHOREline will help youth engage the world around them as active participants in community, regional, and national efforts.

The students will work on a number of projects aimed at creating materials focused on youth helping youth prepare for, respond to, and recover from disaster

The students will be mentored by the teacher sponsors, faculty members and graduate students from Columbia University and Colorado State University, and other supportive youth and adults through the SHOREline Youth Advisory Board, Local Advisory Boards, and a National Advisory Board.

With regard to resume building, the students will have the opportunity to refer to their participation in the SHOREline chapter, to the projects they complete and/or publish, and to their affiliations with Columbia University and Colorado State University research centers.

During the 2013-14 academic year students will have the opportunity to travel in October 2013 and Spring of 2014 to two separate university campuses for the Gulf Coast Youth Summit meetings.

Timeline for SHOREline’s first year:

  • Recruitment and selection of students: August – September, 2013
  • Kick-off Gulf Coast Youth Summit: October 18-20, 2013
  • Ongoing chapter meetings and project development: Fall 2013 – Spring 2014
  • Capstone Gulf Coast Youth Summit: Spring 2014

List of Chapters