Jill Dresser
Owner / Operator
I started French Quartour Kids in 2012. I absolutely love what I do and I feel so lucky to have the opportunity to combine all of my great loves: New Orleans, teaching, kids, and history!
Though I’m originally from Massachusetts, I came to New Orleans in 1994 to attend Tulane University. Part of my undergraduate work required me to volunteer in the local public schools. This experience changed me. I spent the next ten years teaching in inner city schools, in New Orleans and the Bronx. I have a Masters Degree in Elementary Education with experience teaching kids from Kindergarten through 8th grade.
However, with the recent changes in schools, I decided to leave the classroom in 2013. I spent 2 years working at the Hermann-Grima + Gallier Historic Houses in New Orleans, designing and coordinating education programs and getting lost in this city’s mysterious past. I am indebted to the guidance of Confederacy of Cruisers and my experience at the Hermann-Grima House. In 2018, I returned to the classroom, teaching 5th grade, “down the road” 4 miles in Old Arabi. I’m currently a science teacher, eager to begin our science tour!
Richard Schmitt
Tween / Teen Tour Guide, Middle School & High School Field Trip Leader
Richard joined French Quartour Kids in November 2015. He is a New Orleans native and a natural tour guide. Richard can share with you the gems of the city from a local’s perspective- where to eat, places to visit, stories to hear. His passion for New Orleans is contagious. He also has over 25 years experience teaching history: Louisiana history, American history, World History, Civics, and Geography. He has taught both middle school and high school in New Orleans.
He is a licensed tour guide and certified teacher.
Richard leads our Tween/Teen Tours, tailoring them to the interests of attending families. In addition, he leads middle and high school students on an unforgettable, educational tour of the French Quarter.
Tammy Martin
Manager & Tour Guide
Creole Kids Tour, Science Tour, Field Trips, Spooky Tour, Twilight Tour
Tammy joined French Quartour Kids in April of 2023. She is a New Orleans native with 11 years of classroom teaching experience. She holds a B.A. in Sociology, and M. Ed in Educational Leadership.
A direct descendant of Armand Duplantier, a French Cavalry Officer who served as an aide-de-camp to General Lafayette in the American Revolution, Tammy’s Creole/ Cajun heritage includes family names of Martin, DuPlantier, Roubion, Cormier, Bourgeois, and LaGasse. While on tour with Tammy, you will hear New Orleans history with a twist- oral histories passed down from her family and anecdotes about being raised on the bayou by a commercial fisherman and fur trapper.
Candice Powell
Pirate Treasure Hunt, Ghost Hunts, & Elementary School Field Trip Leader
Candice is absolutely thrilled to be a part of French Quartour Kids. She is passionate about New Orleans’ colorful history and eager to share its stories.
Upon obtaining a Bachelor of Arts in English from Monmouth University, NJ and an elementary teaching license from UNCA in Asheville, NC, Candice taught preschool and kindergarten for the past eleven years. She aims to instill in students a sense of wonder and an appreciation for the natural world around us. Candice is excited to take her teaching outside to one of the most magical classrooms she could dream of- the French Quarter!
James Terry
Spooky Ghost Hunt & Twilight Tour
James joined French Quartour Kids in August of 2023. He is a child of two military parents and lived in various parts of the country. Primarily raised in the South, he has been part of the local community for the past 5 years. He is a certified teacher in Alabama and Louisiana with a degree in Early Childhood and Elementary Education and most recently worked in Special Education. He has a lively sense of humor which makes his tours more engaging and fun-filled. James decided to leave the classroom fulltime this year and pursue teaching overseas in the coming year.