Programs
Program 1 [2020]
Green Team In 2020, Groundwork RVA's Green Team continued its work on the Climate Safe Neighborhoods project. Supported by the Kresge Foundation, and the Science Museum of Virginia. This phase of Climate Safe Neighborhoods highlighted the connections between historic neighborhood disinvestment and present-day impacts of excessive heat and flooding due to the urban heat island effect. Through hands-on, people-to-people community engagement, Green Team Groundwork RVA is helping teens innovate important strategies to support resiliene and health in the City of Richmond. Due to the pandemic, 2020 saw Groundwork RVA scale back its National Park Service immersion program for safety reasons. Green Team members instead worked locally in small groups with a focus on urban agriculture and learning how to grow their own food. An important partner im this effort was Happily Natural Day and Virginia Commonwealth University's Institute for Contemporary Art. Working remotely, Groundwork RVA made sure that Richmond youth were connected to other, outdoor and environmentally motivated young people from around the country in a number of ways. 2020 also saw the planning for an urban agriculture installation, a mini-farm at the Hillside Court public housing community. The Green Team served over 60 youth in 2020.GeographiesNot indicatedDatesJan 1, 2020 – Dec 31, 2020Source990No causes providedNo populations provided–$109.6KProgram 2 [2020]
Green Workforce In 2020, Groundwork RVA's Green Workforce program continued its expansion into a full-year, workplace-based workforce training program. Green Workforce provided over 5,000 hours of paid work to Richmond young adults in 2020. Utilizing many of the spaces they had helped to build-out in 2017 at the Six Points Innovation Center in Richmond's Highland Park neighborhood, the teens continued building their skills and training in the safe use of tools and equipment, while learning valuable leadership, critical thinking and project planning and management skills. Green Workforce teens designed and installed over 2,000 square feet of permeable pathways in community gardens and other facilities around the city, to help manage storm water run-off and improve the health of the James River. The teens also cut grass and maintained the landscaping at multiple Richmond Public Schools sites, as well as the Evergreen Cemetery where Maggie Walker is buried. "Small but mighty", the Green Workforce is a program where young people developed a variety of both life and workplace skills. These teens - showed up every day, collaborated in designing the day's and week's taks, drove to sites, loaded and unloaded the necessary tools and equipment, used those tools and equipment safely to build, install or maintain elements of the built environment and often managed the volunteers who came to help. Through the Green Workforce, Groundwork RVA helped pepare teens for careers in carpentry and building trades, landscaping and green infrastructure as well as created opportunities for teens to build skills in financial management. The Green Workforce worked on 12 different sites in 2020.GeographiesNot indicatedDatesJan 1, 2020 – Dec 31, 2020Source990No causes providedNo populations provided–$180.2KProgram 3 [2020]
Charlie Thomas Bike Shop 2020 saw continued full programmatic use of Groundwork RVA's Charlie Thomas Bike Shop connected to the Oakgrove-Bellemeade school and community center on Richmond's southside. This program encourages students to learn about the world outside and develop healthier lifestyles through time spent outside learning about bikes, bike/walk infrastructure and/or demonstrating academic success and commitment. Through the bike shop, students took part in an after-school bike club, which in time of the pandemic, was a welcome respite to days filled with online learning. In 2020, the "bike or walk to school" program was suspended as school was all virtual, but the "AAA Bikes for Success" giveaway program continued Through academic achievement or community service, students and community members were able to "earn" their own bicycle and learn how to maintain it. The Bike shop made bikes available to over 150 students and youth in 2020. All these programs are designed to promote healthy lifestyles that include biking and walking for children and their families and neighbors.GeographiesNot indicatedDatesJan 1, 2020 – Dec 31, 2020Source990No causes providedNo populations provided–$32.8K
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