VIET, Vietnamese Initiative in Economic Training
Prior to Katrina and just six months after opening VIET’s afterschool program, Nguyen began attending meetings hosted by the GNOAP. She learned about state grants for afterschool programs, attended technical assistance classes on grant writing, and successfully secured funding. Beginning with 25 children, VIET now provides an afterschool program for over 100 children in the Vietnamese community of New Orleans East.

Greater New Orleans Afterschool Partnership (GNAOP) offers programs, like VIET, opportunities for professional development and networking, provides technical assistance, works with local, state, and national agencies, and serves as a resource center. Former Director Susan Sellers, "GNOAP serves as a facilitator for bringing all of the key partners for quality out-of-school time together."

A GNOAP pilot project offers concentrated quality improvement services to participating afterschool providers. Trained quality advisors consult with the program director and make recommendations to move the programs towards the implementation of national standards. For VIET, one of fourteen participants so far, Nguyen added space for the children, created a staff training resource center, purchased equipment for indoor and outdoor activities, and gained valuable information. All pilot sites made significant gains. Dr. Pamela Jenkins, the GNOAP evaluator, writes, "Using two national instruments with a total of 69 indicators, every pilot program changed their ratings on categories to higher scores."

Post Katrina VIET remains engaged in the lives of students, and is a vital component to the rebirth of the Vietnamese and larger community of New Orleans East.