Prince of Wales Apprentices arrive in London

This program has helped me in ways I cannot imagine. It let me find my true passion, which is art, and it shocked me. It also made me a better person and helped me appreciate my city surroundings and myself. This program is the best thing that ever happened to me and I am over-excited that I am a part of it. Thanks to everyone involved”.
– Malcolm Harding, Carpenter

A year ago England’s Prince of Wales Foundation conceived of a program to “deliver the skills urgently needed to regenerate and rebuild New Orleans and the Louisiana Gulf Coast, preserve the unique architecture of the region as well as ultimately helping the populations most affected by Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans: the urban poor.”

The intensive five month course began in October 2009 with 21 apprentices from the New Orleans area and focused on issues particular to the region. The chosen students were already experienced in their respective fields and were given the opportunity to hone their skills and work beside master craftsmen, first here in New Orleans before travelling to England to see and work on historic sites there.

Apprentice J.R. Portman created a blog to highlight their experiences in London. Please take a moment to visit the site and view the dozens of amazing photos of the city, apprentices and their work.

The PRC would like to thank the other program partners for their involvement, without whom the project could not have come to fruition:
Prince’s Foundation for the Built Environment
Surdna Foundation
Joseph C. Canizaro (Columbus Properties L.P.)
Louisiana Recovery Authority
Louisiana Workforce Commission
Louisiana Carpenters Regional Council Apprenticeship & Training Center
Delgado Community College
Louisiana Technical College