Tag Archive: Youth Development

At Hopewell Recreation & Parks, Summer Days are for Summer Camps

A tennis ball flies across the court in front of me. Taking turns, a line of kids swings away at the balls tossed by their counselor.  “Set your feet! Swing parallel to the ground! GREAT SHOT!” The constant coaching, smiles, high-fives, and positive vibes ripple across the tennis court confirming for me that this summer… View Article

Better Vision, Better Future: Conexus Helps Kids See

Young children may not be aware that their vision is a problem. Those vision problems can turn into learning problems. We feel it’s critical to our mission of creating healthy communities and bright futures that we remove vision challenges and make way for improved education. Conexus was an obvious choice when we looked for a… View Article

JRF Grantee “STORY” Lifts Families Out of Poverty

  A young STORY participant colors and talks to a mentor while the rest of the students arrive at Saturday Mentoring. Two kids run past my car and up the steps into the Thomas Rolfe Community Center. Inside, they join a handful of other children coloring around a table. Evans, a mentor sitting at the… View Article

SwimRVA’s Learn-to-Swim Drown Proofs Hopewell

A cowbell sounds across the Hopewell Community Center swimming pool as a swim instructor announces that Dante* is moving on to Station Three. The whole room erupts into applause for Dante before returning to their lessons. Ryan Nester, the SwimRVA Learn-To-Swim Program Coordinator, is in the water supporting a student learning to float. It’s obvious… View Article