About Us

Fulfilling our mission through three strategic pillars.

The Cowen Institute was originally formed in 2007 to monitor, chronicle, and analyze the dramatic changes occurring in New Orleans’ public education system after Hurricane Katrina. The institute is named after Scott Cowen, President Emeritus of Tulane University, who served as a leader in New Orleans’ recovery and in transforming its education system. Since then, our work has expanded beyond research and policy. Today, the Cowen Institute fulfills its mission through three strategic pillars: contextualizing data and providing thought leadership, and building practitioners’ capacity.

What We Do

Our Mission

The Cowen Institute equips leaders and practitioners with skills and resources to increase educational and postsecondary success among New Orleans students.

Our Vision

We envision a New Orleans and a world where all people have equitable 
opportunities and support to grow and thrive along their educational pathways.

Our Areas of Impact

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  • Contextualize Data & Influence Policy

    • Disseminate Publications:

      Produce accessible publications and digital resources that contextualize education data and research for public and practitioner use.

    • Cultivate Data Leaders:

      Train data practitioners through the Data Fellowship to build data-informed capacity across the ecosystem.

    • Inform & Influence Policy:

      Provide objective policy analysis and recommendations to influence positive policy change.

    Publications & Resources

  • Build System Capacity Through NOLA CCAN

    Build system-wide capacity by leading the New Orleans College and Career Attainment Network (NOLA CCAN) and sharing resources and professional development on strategies that increase postsecondary access and completion.

    Build System Capacity

  • Advance Social Innovation & Community Engagement Through Teaching at Tulane

    Integrate social entrepreneurship and service-learning into Tulane education courses to drive social impact in New Orleans.

    Teaching & Learning

Our Guiding Principles

  • Collaboration

    We view our work as part of a larger conversation within New Orleans. We seek to build relationships toward a stronger and more informed education ecosystem.

  • Transparency

    We use best practices and clear decision-making, we listen and share, and guide our research and data collection with rigor and validity.


  • Impact

    We continuously monitor and evaluate our impact to ensure we achieve our mission and vision.

  • Systemic Change

    Through our core beliefs and mission-focused activities, we seek to make long-lasting, systemic change in the education ecosystem in New Orleans.

  • Welcoming Community

    We believe in the core value of a welcoming community, creating an environment that empowers all individuals to reach their full potential and thrive.

  • Innovation

    We innovate boldly, improve continuously, and center our solutions on the people and communities we serve.