This past summer I had the chance to travel to New Orleans, Louisiana to chaperone a service trip for teens who were attending a People-to-People 8-day adventure.  145 students attended overall, and I chaperoned 11 of them.  We resided at Tulane University in a dorm, and were busy from sun-up to past sundown.  Most meals were taken in the cafeteria on campus, but activities were mostly off-campus.
A few were in the French Quarter on Bourbon Street or at Mardi Gras World (working factory & museum for the Mardi Gras floats).  I learned that Mardi Gras is actually 50+ parades, but the majority is family-friendly. We went on a swamp ride (and got to hold a baby alligator), toured a plantation, saw the 4th of July fireworks over the Mississippi River, met first responders to Hurricane Katrina, learned about topographical changes from the storm, and heard motivational speakers.  Also, “my” students and I met in small groups twice daily to develop a community-based service-action project which was presented at the end of session and will be carried out back home.
The very best part of the trip was rehabilitating homes in the Lower 9th Ward, the section of New Orleans that was hardest hit 8 years ago by Hurricane Katrina.  After the levee burst, houses in that area were under 20 feet of water, and are still being rebuilt to this day.  We met and worked with families, used power tools (!) and sweat equity, learned local culture, and immediately saw how volunteering made a great deal of difference to the residents.  The week was very hot and humid, but worth it and gave the students a lifetime of memories.  New Orleans is an exciting place, and I am proud to have been a small part of its continued transformation and rebirth!