Yes. Families, students and young adults anywhere in Louisiana can work with a dedicated Blackburn mentor by video. All of Louisiana is on Central time, two hours ahead of our team in Los Angeles, so we schedule sessions after school, in the evening or on weekends in your local time, whether you are in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Lafayette or a small parish town.
Why online fits Louisiana
Louisiana is a state of distinct regions, connected by long stretches of highway over bayous, swamps and farmland. Driving from Shreveport to New Orleans takes most of a day. Storm season can close schools and disrupt routines for days or weeks at a time, and some families have had to relocate temporarily after a hurricane. A mentor who meets by video stays reachable wherever the family is and keeps the weekly plan going when everything else is upended.
The regions of Louisiana
Greater New Orleans
The city, Metairie and Jefferson Parish, the Northshore across Lake Pontchartrain, and the river parishes.
Baton Rouge and the capital region
State government, a large petrochemical industry along the river and growing suburbs.
Acadiana
Lafayette and the Cajun parishes, with their own culture, food, music and an economy tied to oil and gas.
Southwest, central and north Louisiana
Lake Charles in the southwest, Alexandria in the center, and Shreveport, Bossier City and Monroe in the north, which feel closer to east Texas and Arkansas than to New Orleans.
How Louisiana earns a living
- Energy and petrochemicals: oil and gas, refining, chemical plants and liquefied natural gas along the coast and the Mississippi.
- Ports and shipping: some of the busiest ports in the country move grain, energy and goods down the river.
- Tourism, food and culture: New Orleans draws visitors from everywhere, and hospitality employs many young people.
- Fishing and agriculture: seafood, sugarcane, rice and cotton.
- Health care, government and military, including a major air base near Shreveport.
Schools, colleges and the move after high school
Louisiana organizes public schools by parish, and charter schools are an especially large part of public education in New Orleans. Catholic and other private schools have a long tradition, especially in New Orleans, Baton Rouge and Acadiana, and a large share of families in those areas have experience with them. After high school, students can attend public universities across several state systems, a community and technical college network, or private colleges. Many students stay in Louisiana; others leave for Texas, Mississippi, Alabama or further. The state’s campuses also draw students from across the South.
What it means at each stage
For high school students, a mentor offers a steady weekly plan and someone outside the family to be accountable to, with parents involved from the first call; see mentoring for high school students. College students, whether in Louisiana or away, get help with routines, attendance and the pressures of a first year; see mentoring for college students. Young adults weighing a job in the energy industry, a move to Houston or a career that keeps them close to family can use young adult mentoring to build a plan. Professionals use the same structure for promotions, career changes and balance.
Pages for areas in Louisiana
We have two area pages for Louisiana: online mentoring in New Orleans and online mentoring in Baton Rouge. Families in southwest Louisiana may also find Houston relevant. Our online mentoring page explains sessions, and mentoring by state lists the rest of the country.
A note for parents
Mentors are not tutors, therapists or admissions counselors. They are consistent, practical guides who, with permission, share progress with family and coordinate with professionals already involved. Mentoring for families explains how parents stay part of the plan.
Related
- Online mentoring in New Orleans
- Online mentoring in Baton Rouge
- How to motivate a teenager in school
- Accountability coaching
Common questions
What time zone are sessions in for Louisiana?
Central time, statewide. A 5 pm session in Louisiana is 3 pm for our team in Los Angeles.
What happens to sessions during hurricane season?
Because sessions are online, they can continue from wherever the family is staying once there is power and a connection. If a session has to move, we reschedule.
Do you work with students at Catholic and private schools?
Yes. Mentoring works the same for students at public, charter, Catholic or independent schools, and we are not affiliated with any school.
Can you help someone in north Louisiana, not just New Orleans?
Yes. Shreveport, Monroe, Alexandria and every parish are served the same way, by video.
Get started
Thinking about a mentor for someone in Louisiana? Call (888) 305 5422, email contact@blackburnmentoring.com or start with a short assessment. A member of our team reviews every assessment personally and sets up a free intro call.