BATON ROUGE - East Baton Rouge Parish residents are encouraged to participate in the community's first free seminar set to teach people how to fight blight.

The Blight Boot Camp will be held June 1 from 8 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. at the Main Library on Goodwood Boulevard. There will be a light breakfast and lunch provided.

The seminar will "provide citizens with information on how they can improve their neighborhoods and work more effectively with the City-Parish to eliminate blight," according to a release from Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome's office.

Those in attendance will hear from several panels on topics such as the 311 app, how to organize a neighborhood, public safety, and more.

“Too often citizens feel frustrated and powerless to improve the appearance and safety of their neighborhood,” said Mayor Broome. “We want to give them the tools and knowledge to pave the way for change and truly make a difference. The residents of East Baton Rouge Parish care deeply about their community and want to improve it. At the Blight Boot Camp, we want to turn those sentiments into action.”

To register for the event, click here.