Xavier University Community Outreach Center

Since 2022, I have served as Director of the Xavier University Community Outreach Center (XUCOC), where I lead mission-aligned initiatives that strengthen Xavier’s relationship with the surrounding Gert Town community. Under my leadership, the center has expanded its programming, built strategic partnerships, and created accessible pathways to education, family engagement, workforce readiness, and civic participation.

Through XUCOC, I oversee initiatives such as the iTeach Lounge and the Rosalind P. Hale Rites of Passage STEM Program for Girls, which advance digital equity, family engagement, and youth success. I also coordinate additional community-based projects including the Father Matters NOLA initiative, the Gert Town Voter Registration Drive in partnership with Together Gert Town, and STRIVE, a national workforce development program that prepares residents for career advancement and long-term economic mobility.

Importantly, I established a monthly partnership with Total Community Action (TCA) to provide utilities assistance for Gert Town residents, ensuring vulnerable families could access critical support for electricity, water, and household stability. This collaboration reflects XUCOC’s mission to connect university resources with community needs while supporting residents’ economic security.  Read descriptions of select programmming at the Outreach Center below.  

Click the interactive button below to access the Center's media page.

XUCOC Programs and Initiatives

iTeach Lounge

The iTeach Lounge provides educators and families with access to digital tools, training, and technology support. This initiative advances digital equity by ensuring that pre-service teachers, parents, and community members can engage meaningfully with 21st-century learning resources.

Father Matters NOLA

Father Matters NOLA promotes fatherhood engagement and family stability by creating supportive spaces for men to strengthen parenting skills, share experiences, and build community. Through workshops and dialogue, the program challenges stereotypes and affirms the critical role of fathers in education and family life.  The program affirms fatherhood as a site of resistance, empowerment, and family sustainability, while also offering targeted support to dismantle structural barriers that disproportionately impact Black men and their families.

Rosalind P. Hale Rites of Passage STEM Program

This program blends culturally grounded rites of passage traditions with STEM education, providing local middle school girls with mentoring, leadership development, and access to hands-on STEM learning experiences. By linking cultural identity with academic enrichment, the initiative prepares students for both educational success and community leadership.

Gert Town Voter Registration Drive

In partnership with Get Together Gert Town, XUCOC hosted a community-based voter registration drive. This initiative reflects a commitment to civic engagement and democratic participation, ensuring that Gert Town residents have access to the tools and resources necessary to exercise their voting rights.

STRIVE Workforce Development

XUCOC partners with STRIVE International, a national workforce development organization, to provide residents with access to training, career readiness, and employment opportunities. STRIVE prepares individuals for long-term career advancement, offering a proven pathway toward economic mobility and self-sufficiency.

Total Community Action (TCA) Partnership

In partnership with Total Community Action (TCA), XUCOC hosts monthly utilities assistance services for Gert Town residents. Through this collaboration, families receive direct support for electricity, water, and energy bills, helping stabilize households and reduce economic insecurity. This initiative reflects Xavier’s mission of meeting community needs through accessible, justice-centered service.

Closing Reflection

Collectively, these initiatives demonstrate how the Xavier University Community Outreach Center functions as both a community anchor and a bridge between the university and Gert Town. By addressing digital equity, family engagement, STEM access, civic participation, workforce development, and essential household stability, XUCOC embodies Xavier’s mission of promoting a more just and humane society. My leadership as Director reflects a commitment to building sustainable partnerships and justice-centered programming that extend the university’s impact far beyond the classroom, ensuring that academic resources translate into tangible benefits for the community we serve.