New Orleans Mardi Gras: Music, Culture & Creativity
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA
$1,095
+ registration fees
IN-PERSON | 72 Hours (equivalent to 6 credits)
Offered in collaboration with Hudson County Community College
Culture Instructor: TBD
Class Coordinator: Agnes Brandin
SPACE IS VERY LIMITED, SO REGISTER EARLY!!
**We reserve the right to change any of the activities listed below, should any of them be unavailable due to inclement weather.
February 6 – 9, 2027
Experience New Orleans at its most unforgettable—during Mardi Gras!
This immersive course explores how music, culture, tradition, and creativity come together to shape the unique identity of New Orleans. With Mardi Gras as the backdrop, students will experience the city as their classroom while discovering the history, music, art, food, and traditions that make New Orleans unlike anywhere else in America.
Students will explore the roots and evolution of jazz, discover the cultural influences that shaped the city, and experience New Orleans traditions firsthand. Along the way, they’ll create their own Mardi Gras masks, learn New Orleans dance moves, taste famous beignets, explore the French Quarter, and go behind the scenes at Mardi Gras World to see how the spectacular floats are created.
The experience extends beyond the city with a Louisiana swamp adventure, offering students a glimpse into the bayou, local wildlife, and the natural environment that has helped shape Louisiana’s culture and way of life.
And, of course, students will experience the excitement and creativity of Mardi Gras itself—from elaborate floats and costumes to brass bands, dancing, parades, and centuries-old traditions.
Through interactive activities, guided experiences, and reflection, students will examine how music, visual art, dance, food, celebration, and tradition contribute to cultural identity and creative expression.
This is New Orleans beyond the classroom—learn the culture, taste the flavors, make the art, dance to the music, explore the bayou, and experience Mardi Gras!
Key Experiences include:
🎭 Mardi Gras World – Go behind the scenes to discover how New Orleans’ famous Mardi Gras floats are designed and created.
🎨 Mardi Gras Mask Making – Create your own mask while learning about the symbolism, art, and traditions of Carnival.
🎉 Mardi Gras Parades – Experience some of Carnival’s most celebrated parades, including Endymion, Bacchus, Orpheus, Zulu, and Rex.
💃 New Orleans Dance Experience – Learn dance styles and traditions connected to the music, celebration, and culture of New Orleans.
🎷 Music & Cultural Exploration – Discover the city’s musical heritage and the cultural influences that helped make New Orleans the birthplace of jazz.
🏘️ French Quarter Exploration – Experience historic streets, architecture, Jackson Square, local culture, music, and some of the city’s most recognizable landmarks.
☕ Taste New Orleans – Experience local flavors and traditions, including the city’s famous beignets.
🐊 Louisiana Swamp Adventure – Explore Louisiana’s bayou ecosystem while learning about wetlands, wildlife, and their connection to the region’s culture and history.
👑 Mardi Gras Day – Experience Fat Tuesday in New Orleans and witness iconic traditions including Zulu and Rex.
** Detailed agenda, schedule and additional information will be shared on Google Classroom 2 weeks prior to class start date.
Attendance is mandatory for all days of the New Orleans class. You may not arrive late on the first day or depart early on the final day. Please book flights that allow you to attend all scheduled class hours.
This is a long-weekend, intensive course, and days will be full. Please bring comfortable shoes, appropriate clothing, water, and snacks. We expect you to arrive well-rested and prepared to participate fully, learn, and enjoy the experience.
CLASS SCHEDULE
DAY 1: 10:00AM – 7:00PM
DAY 2: 9:00AM – 7:00PM
DAY 3: 8:30 AM – 7:00 PM
DAY 4: 7:00 AM – 3:00 PM
– Tuition fees
– 3 x nights of shared accommodations with 1-2 other au pairs at Best Western Plus Chalmette Hotel OR Holiday Inn Express & Suites, Chalmette
– 3 x continental breakfast
– Local transportation costs to and from all activities
– All activities including entrance fees to museums and cultural centers
– Airfare to/from New Orleans
– Transportation from airport during arrival, and to airport during departure
– Lunches or Dinners
– Registration fees (platform and processing fees)
This 72-hour course consists of in-person instruction as well as required pre- and post-assignments completed through Google Classroom. You will receive a Google Classroom invitation approximately two months prior to the course start date. Please register using a Google-compatible email address (e.g., Gmail, Outlook, Hotmail, or Yahoo), as all course communications and your course completion certificate will be sent to this email. Invitations may be filtered to spam/junk folders. If you do not receive the invitation, you are responsible for contacting us to request access.
Pre-assignments will be posted three weeks before the course begins and require approximately 18 hours to complete. These assignments must be completed before attending the in-person sessions.
Post-assignments will be posted during the course weekend and also require approximately 18 hours to complete. Successful completion of these assignments is required to receive the course completion certificate.
Course completion certificates are emailed within a few days of the official course end date, provided all required assignments have been successfully completed. Students have four weeks to complete post-assignments. If you require your certificate earlier, please indicate this during registration; and provide necessary documents.
Once you have been invited to Google Classroom, you will be able to join a class WhatsApp group, providing an opportunity to connect before the trip and coordinate shared transportation from the airport or to make additional plans.
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
1.) Explain the historical and cultural significance of Mardi Gras and identify traditions associated with Carnival in New Orleans.
2.) Describe the diverse cultural influences that shaped New Orleans, including its music, food, art, architecture, and celebrations.
3.) Explore the role of music and dance in cultural identity, with particular attention to New Orleans’ jazz and performance traditions.
4.) Examine creativity through multiple forms of expression, including float design, costumes, masks, music, dance, and public celebration.
5.) Identify key Mardi Gras traditions and symbols, including krewes, floats, throws, masks, Carnival colors, and parade customs.
6.) Discuss how festivals and traditions help preserve and communicate cultural heritage across generations.
7.) Recognize the relationship between Louisiana’s natural environment and regional culture, particularly the importance of wetlands and bayous.
8.) Apply observation and reflection skills to connect course concepts with firsthand cultural experiences throughout New Orleans.
9.) Compare New Orleans traditions with cultural celebrations from their own countries or communities, developing greater intercultural awareness and appreciation.