On October 13, 2015, Chelsea Clinton showed her support for the ongoing efforts of Rebuilding Together New Orleans and attend an educational session at the Preservation Resource Center.
Clinton, who was in town to promote her new book, It’s Your World, visited the 500th home renovated by RTNO since Hurricane Katrina.
A longtime supporter of the Rebuilding Together national organization, Clinton met the Feast family on the porch of their Cadiz Street home that RTNO crews have been renovating.
The Feast’s home, the 500th that RTNO has worked on in the decade since Katrina, has benefitted from extensive exterior work, including a wheelchair ramp on the front of the house and accessible stairs on the back porch.
After touring the home with RTNO Director Jon Skvarka, Clinton visited PRCNO’s Tchoupitoulas Street headquarters, where an educational program was in session.
Seventh grade students from St. Cletus Catholic School were in the midst of a debate activity that concluded their participation in the seven part “My City, My Home” lesson.
Clinton quietly took a seat in the back of the room with the students’ teachers and parents as PRCNO Education Director Suzanne Blaum led the debate, which saw a team of students present their plans for future development of New Orleans to a mock City Council.
After the students finished their debate, Clinton spoke to them about her book, which is aimed at teenagers with the intent of getting them involved in their communities as early as possible.
Several students asked Clinton questions, including what it was like growing up in the White House.
“It was both pretty extraordinary and pretty ordinary,” Clinton said.
She recounted being aware of how much work was going on in the White House, where the first two floors are devoted to office space, but she said she also sat down with her parents to discuss her friends and weekend plans, just as any teenager would do.
When asked what room was her favorite in the White House, Clinton quickly replied, “well, my room.”
Scroll through the photo gallery below to see pictures from Chelsea Clinton’s visit.
All photos by Liz Jurey. Click here to view the gallery on Flickr.
