HCPS Receives Grant to Support After-school Programs and Enrichment

Hopewell City Public Schools, in partnership with the John Randolph Foundation, are pleased to announce the award of the 21st Century Grant. This grant, from the Virginia Department of Education, will help support after-school enrichment opportunities for the children of Hopewell.

Two schools in the division will be the recipients of the grant, Patrick Copeland Elementary School and Carter G. Woodson Middle School with Patrick Copeland receiving $162,835 and Carter G. Woodson receiving $163,797. The grants will be renewable for two years, making the total of the grant close to $1 million.

John Randolph Foundation served as a co-applicant for the 21st Century Grant, led by former Youth Network Officer, Yawandale Birchett-Thompson. Though she no longer serves with the Foundation, Birchett-Thompson shared in the excitement of the grant and the impact it will have, not only in the schools, but throughout the entire community.

“This award is a thrilling victory for the City of Hopewell and the John Randolph Foundation. I couldn’t be happier about the expansive opportunities the travel, after-school programming, and academic enrichment the 21st Century grant will bring to some of Hopewell’s students and families, as well as the bonding partnership this award creates for all of the agencies that will be bringing community-based programming to each receiving school,” she said in a statement.

Dr. Kim Evans, Assistant Superintendent of Hopewell City Public Schools, said the grant gives the school division more opportunities to provide deeper learning for students through tutoring and mentoring programs to increase our student’s knowledge base. Parents are invited to share in this grant as well.

“We are excited about this opportunity to provide extended learning for our students at Carter G. Woodson and Patrick Copeland. We will partner with several community agencies to provide fun and engaging learning opportunities for our students as we close academic gaps,” she said. “We will also invite parents to come in to learn how to extend the learning into their homes.”

This grant represents the vision of the leadership at Hopewell City Schools of focusing on youth development, a vision brought forth by the John Randolph Foundation, which has served the city of Hopewell for over 20 years. The Foundation is a community-based non-profit organization focusing on the healthy well-being of its residents and youth through financial investment, health and wellness based grants, and partnerships with many community agencies. “We are thankful to the John Randolph Foundation for their assistance in obtaining these grants,” Dr. Evans said.

Both Patrick Copeland and Carter G. Woodson Middle School will be working closely with several community agencies in the city, such as the Appomattox Regional Library, the Hopewell Manufacturers Association and the YMCA of Greater Richmond. Though the grant has just been announced, plans are already in the works for its implementation.

Carter G. Woodson Middle School will be home to the Community Learning Center, which will be hosted on-site during the school year on Mondays, Wednesday, and Thursdays from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Patrick Copeland Elementary will also host a Community Learning Center, which will be open during the school year on Mondays through Thursdays from 2:45 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. Both programs will provide snacks through the federal USDA food program and transportation will be provided at the end of the program.

The new learning center programs will give students in Hopewell the chance to further their academics careers as well as prepare for higher education or vocational training once they graduate from the school system. The grant also allows for students to break away from the large classroom setting and receive more project-based learning opportunities in a concentrated environment.

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This post was written by AJ James