New Orleans boys' school to reopen at UF 4-H youth camp

NEW ORLEANS, La. — Desire Street Academy, a private school in New Orleans for underprivileged boys, will reopen Oct. 3 at a 4-H youth camp in Niceville, Fla., thanks to the University of Florida extension service and the school’s development director, Florida Gator football star Danny Wuerffel.

The school, which closed after Hurricane Katrina battered New Orleans, will lease the Timpoochee 4-H Center, better known as Camp Timpoochee. About 100 boys in grades 7-12 will live and study at the camp until May 20, 2006. The students are scattered across the United States, living in shelters or the homes of friends and relatives.

Larry Arrington, dean for extension at UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences in Gainesville, said the UF extension service is committed to assisting in recovery efforts for victims of the Gulf Coast storm.

“When we learned there was a possibility of housing these boys at the camp, we moved quickly to make it happen, and we’re very pleased that everything worked out so well,” Arrington said.

Camp Timpoochee is operated by 4-H, the youth development program of UF’s extension service that has offices in every Florida county, he said. Arrangements to lease the camp to Desire Street Academy began about one week ago when Lamar Christenberry, UF Escambia County extension director, learned that representatives of the school were seeking a facility in Pensacola.

“Camp Timpoochee seemed like a good fit for everyone concerned,” Christenberry said. “Most of the camp’s 4-H activities take place during the summer, so it’s available for other uses during the rest of the year.”

Arrington said Wuerffel met with UF extension administrators, and a contract is being finalized.

Numerous other users had already booked the camp, Arrington said, but under the circumstances they were willing to make new plans, and UF personnel are working with them to find suitable alternate facilities. The UF extension service is working with Desire Street Academy to ensure the camp’s facilities meet the school’s needs.

Located on about 35 acres, the camp can house 140 people and includes cabins, conference rooms, a dining hall and an auditorium, Arrington said. Some additional features already located at Camp Timpoochee will provide new opportunities for the students, including a beach, outdoor team-building course and a marine laboratory.

Desire Street Academy teachers and administrators will resume their duties when the school reopens and are currently assisting with preparations at Camp Timpoochee, he said. The school will also provide personnel to supervise the students and handle their day-to-day needs.

Marilyn Norman, UF assistant dean for 4-H youth development programs, said UF extension agents will help the students from the New Orleans academy launch their own 4-H clubs.

“With its emphasis on leadership, citizenship and life skills, 4-H can add a new dimension to the lives of these young men,” she said. “The 4-H activities will enhance the learning environment for these youth, and we can’t wait to get started.”

Mo Leverett, executive director of the school’s parent organization, Desire Street Ministries, co-founded the New Orleans academy in 2002. He said the boys are looking forward to reuniting with their classmates, and that will be an important step for them in recovering from Hurricane Katrina.

About 60 percent of Desire Street Academy’s 190 students have been located since the hurricane struck New Orleans, Leverett said. Depending on their circumstances, parents of the students going to Camp Timpoochee may relocate to Niceville or remain in other areas.

Desire Street Academy will eventually return to New Orleans, but specific plans have not been made, said Wuerffel, a former UF football quarterback who led the Gators to a national championship in 1996.

“We will overcome the challenges we face, and it will make our future accomplishments that much sweeter,” he said. “Our top priority right now is getting things back on track for our students. We are deeply thankful to UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences for offering us a place to make that happen.”

For more information about Desire Street Academy, visit www.desirestreet.org or call (866) 633-0070.