OUR MISSION
Our mission at the Travis Hill NOLA Schools is to create a transformative learning environment where students held in secure settings develop the academic and social-emotional skills they need to become positive, contributing members of their community when they are released.
MEET THE TEAM
Byron Goodwin
President/CEO
Dr. Alicia Carter-Watts
Chief Operating Officer
Shelacia Carney
Chief Academic Officer
Angela Derbigny
Director of Human Resources
Courtney Robinson
Director of Social Services ​
and Transitions
Vickie Coleman
Executive Administrator
OUR HISTORY. OUR SCHOOLS.
In the spring of 2016, BreakFree Education applied to open a new school inside the New Orleans juvenile detention center—then known as the Youth Study Center. Just a few months later, in August 2016, we opened our doors. Our founding school staff chose to name the school the Travis Hill NOLA Schools.
One year later, BreakFree applied to open a second campus—this time inside the Orleans Justice Center.
Now known collectively as the Travis Hill NOLA Schools, we are proud to continue serving students at both facilities. Our commitment remains: to improve the quality of our schools while meeting the unique needs of every student in our care.
OUR NAMESAKE
Travis Hill, known as “Trumpet Black,” was a New Orleans jazz musician from a long line of renowned artists. After time in juvenile detention and prison, he returned to his roots, using music to mentor teens and promote nonviolence. He popularized the phrase “Trumpets Not Guns” with a 2015 song. Hill died tragically at 28, but his legacy lives on through his family’s continued involvement in the schools that bear his name.
OUR DESIGN ELEMENTS
The Travis Hill NOLA Schools are student-centered, focusing on relevance, high achievement, and a climate of respect. We collaborate with custodial care staff at the Juvenile Justice Intervention Center and Orleans Justice Center, engage families as active participants, and partner with the broader New Orleans community to build lasting relationships that support students upon their return home.
MEET THE BOARD
TROI BECHET
BOARD MEMBER
Troi Bechet is the founder and CEO of the Center for Restorative Approaches (CRA). Troi has a long history of working with and supporting residents in the city of New Orleans. Prior to her work with CRA, she worked as the Director of the Community Building Initiative at Neighborhood Housing Services, and served as the Director of the New Orleans Theater Association, as well as the Vice President of Operations at the Private Industry Council of New Orleans.
