Groundwork Rva Inc

MISSION: TO CULTIVATE THE NEXT GENERATION OF URBAN CONSERVATIONISTS IN RICHMOND, VIRGINIA (CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O)

GREEN TEAM 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, 2021 SAW GROUNDWORK RVA CONTINUE ITS SCALE BACK ACTIVITY IN THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE IMMERSION PROGRAM FOR SAFETY REASONS. GREEN TEAM MEMBERS WERE ABLE TO TRAVEL RELATIVELY LOCALLY TO SHENANDOAH NATIONAL PARK IN SERVICE LEARNING CAPACITIES. THEY CONTINUED TO WORK LOCALLY IN SMALL GROUPS WITH A FOCUS ON URBAN AGRICULTURE AND LEARNING HOW TO GROW THEIR OWN FOOD. AN IMPORTANT PARTNER IN THIS EFFORT WAS HAPPILY NATURAL DAY AND VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY'S INSTITUTE FOR CONTEMPARY 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. 2021 ALSO SAW THE PLANNING FOR A FIRST SEASON OF AN INNOVATIVE, COMMUNITY-BASED URBAN AGRICULTURE INSTALLATION, A MINI-FARM AT THE HILLSIDE COURT PUBLIC HOUSING COMMUNITY. THE GREEN TEAM SERVED OVER 40 YOUTH IN 2021.

GREEN WORKFORCE IN 2021, 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 2021. 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 2,500 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 SCHOOL SITES. THESE TEENS - SHOWED UP EVERY DAY, COLLABORATED IN DESIGNING THE DAY'S AND WEEK'S TASKS, DROVE TO SITES, LOADED AND UNLOADED THE NECESSARY TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT, AND 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 PREPARE 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 15 DIFFERENT SITES IN 2021.

BELLEMEADE COMMUNITY BIKE SHOP THE BELLEMEADE COMMUNITY BIKE SHOP IS A PROGRAM OF GROUNDWORK RVA THAT BEGAN IN 2018 WITH GOAL TO BRING MORE ACCESS TO BIKING AND BIKING RESOURCES, EDUCATION, AND OPPORTUNITIES TO THE BLACK AND BROWN YOUTH OF RICHMOND'S SOUTHSIDE COMMUNITIES. WHAT STARTED OUT WITH THE GOAL OF MAINLY GETTING YOUTH ON BIKES HAS GROWN INTO A MULTI-FACETED PROGRAM THAT OFFERS YOUTH OPPORTUNITIES TO VOLUNTEER IN THEIR COMMUNITY TO EARN A BIKE, PARTICIPATE IN BIKE TRIPS AND ACTIVITIES, AND HAVE ACCESS TO FREE BIKE REPAIRS, WHERE THEY ALSO GET HANDS-ON INSTRUCTION ON HOW TO FIX THEIR OWN BIKE. 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 2021 THE "BIKE OR WALK TO SCHOOL" PROGRAM CONTINUED BEING SUSPENDED, BUT THE "AAA BIKES FOR SUCCESS" GIVEAWAY PROGRAM CONTINUED. IN 2021 THE BIKE SHOP STARTED A NEW PROGRAM, CAMP SPOKES, TARGETED SPECIFICALLY AT YOUNG WOMEN AND GENDER-NONCONFORMING YOUTH, WHO EXPERIENCE HAD SHOWN, OFTEN WERE IN NEED OF SAFE SPACE TO REALLY EXPERIENCE THE WORLD OF BIKES AND BIKING COMFORTABLY. THE WEEK-LONG CAMP WAS FREE AND SERVED 15 MIDDLE-SCHOOL AGED YOUNG PEOPLE. THE BIKE SHOP MADE OVER 250 BIKES ACCESSIBLE TO SOUTH RICHMOND YOUNG PEOPLE AND THEIR FAMILIES.