NEW ORLEANS — Mayor LaToya Cantrell today was joined by New Orleans Recreation Development (NORD) Commission CEO Larry Barabino, Jr., NORD Commission Chairman Theo C. Sanders III, Director of the Office of Workforce Development Sunae Villavaso, Director of the Mayor’s Office of Youth and Families (OYF) Asya Howlette and District C Councilmember and NORD Commission Member Freddie King III to celebrate “Splash Day,” which officially marks the opening of NORD pools and other summer recreational activities.
City officials were also joined by partner organizations Total Community Action, Second Harvest Food Bank, D&R Foods, the Healthy Foods Collaborative, Giving Hope Inc. and the New Orleans Public Schools Child Nutrition Office.
“It truly does take a village to raise our children, including NORD, Workforce Development, Youth and Families, our partner organizations and, of course, the families,” said Mayor LaToya Cantrell. “Thank you for your commitment to keeping our youth engaged, entertained and productive this summer. NORD and JOB1 NOLA Youth Works are working together to once again provide several opportunities for our young people, from youth Summer Camps and Teen Career Camps to the Work and Learn program. Meeting our youth where they are and providing them with great opportunities for education, recreation and workforce readiness has been a staple of my administration since day one. Thank you to all involved for your commitment to our youth and for building a brighter, stronger community for all.”
Mayor Cantrell and NORD CEO Larry Barabino, Jr. joined NORD summer campers for a dip in the pool. The event also served as a rollout of a robust offering of safe, recreational summer programming and events to residents, especially youth, across the city.
“NORD stands here today, committed to its motto of ‘Something for Everyone,’” said Barabino. “I want to thank everyone here today for the roles they play in running and operating NORD and community summer camps. Most importantly, I want to thank our food partners for stepping up and providing meals to our summer campers. This is a special place for me. I grew up in this neighborhood and swimming here, so it means a lot to re-open this pool for the first time since 2019. Thank you to our NORD staff who continue to stand ready to serve the needs of our communities.”
“We have come a long way to continue to provide something for everyone,” said Sanders. “NORD will always be cheerleaders for our communities and our people. We know this summer will be a hot one, and NORD is excited to provide spaces for kids and their families to enjoy.”
The following 13 facilities will have pools open at the specified dates and times as NORD continues to hire, train and onboard new lifeguards. Depending on personnel, the following pools will operate on a rotating basis until Monday, Sept. 2 (Labor Day).
The following four indoor pools will be open to the public for family swim Monday through Friday from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Summer Camps will be held Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. They will also host Lap Swim and Adult Water Aerobics Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m.
- Gert Town, 3411 Broadway St.
- Joe W. Brown, 5601 Read Blvd.
- Treme, 900 N. Villere St.
- Please note, Treme pool opens to the public at 7 a.m. but closes at 8 a.m. for classes
- Sanchez, 1616 Fats Domino Ave.
The following nine outdoor pools will be open to the public for family swim Monday through Friday from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Summer Camps will be held Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. They will also host Lap Swim and Adult Water Aerobics Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m.
- AL. Davis, 2600 LaSalle St. (currently under construction, scheduled to re-open late June)
- Federal City, 2200 Constitution St. (currently under construction, scheduled to re-open in two to three weeks)
- Lyons, 624 Louisiana Ave.
- Rosenwald, 1120 S. Broad St.
- St. Bernard Center, 1500 Lafreniere St.
- Sampson, 3211 Treasure St.
- Stallings Gentilly, 2700 Lapeyrouse St.
- Stallings St. Claude, 4300 St. Claude Ave.
- Whitney Young, 6500 Magazine St. (minor maintenance, re-opening date pending)
- Please note, Whitney Young Pool will open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. This pool is open for morning aerobics, lap swimming and family swim all day. No Summer Camps will be scheduled for this location.
“The Office of Workforce Development is confident in the strong alliance between our office and NORD,” said Villavaso. “Through this alliance, we are providing several opportunities for our youth. NORD and the Office of Workforce Development are committed to providing meaningful experiences for our young people.”
“One of our top priorities in Youth and Families is to assist the 112,000 young people across this city,” said Howlette. “What that looks like is connecting our youth to things like NORD and the Office of Workforce Development, as well as our community partners. Our office encourages families to also utilize our public libraries this summer vacation to maintain academic gains and set your children up for success for the coming school year. Please reach out to us so we can continue to connect you to these vital resources.”
“I want to first offer a thank you to Mayor Cantrell and Larry Barabino for their continued commitment to NORD and providing programming year-round for our youth,” said Councilmember King. “I also want to encourage our communities to stop the narrative that there is nothing for our young people to do in the City of New Orleans. Today, with NORD and all our community partners, they are demonstrating that they are ready to provide opportunities for them. Let’s get engaged, see what’s around your neighborhood and get connected to the resources available.”
NORD is still recruiting lifeguards for the summer and year-round season who will staff pools and teach swimming, water safety instruction and aquatic programming at NORD pools. NORD’s goal is to open as many pools as possible on a full-time basis once more lifeguards have been onboarded. Currently, NORD has a total of 108 potential lifeguards that are in different phases of the process, including 92 that are fully certified and onboarded. Those interested should apply at nordc.org/lifeguards.
NORD also offers a robust package of summer recreation opportunities for residents of all ages that include aquatics, athletics, cultural arts, fitness, outdoors programming and special events.
Please note that pool operating hours are subject to change. Please visit nordc.org/activities/aquatics for the most up-to-date schedule.
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