Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority’s (RRHA) will hold a grand opening for the opening of a second STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) lab in its portfolio in the Whitcomb Court community on Thursday October 19, 2023 at 4:30 p.m. This STEM lab joins RRHA’s current lab located in the Calhoun Family Investment Center in RRHA’s Gilpin Court Community.
The STEM lab in Whitcomb has received donations of equipment and services from various partners including Verizon/STEP Program (Strategies to Elevate People), Virginia Union University, and CodeVA. Donations of equipment include a 3D printer, desktop computers, tablets and much more. RRHA Resident Services personnel along with educators from CodeVA, a longstanding partner and nonprofit organization that brings equitable computer science education to all of Virginia’s students, will provide STEM workshops and classes.
“We are excited to bring the cutting-edge technology of STEM to our families in the Whitcomb community! Learning about STEM concepts will open up opportunities for young people to access, engage, learn and incorporate STEM ideas in their everyday environment. We look forward to bringing a STEM lab to each of our public housing communities in the near future,” said CEO Steven Nesmith.
Hands-on and collaborative approaches to support activities that foster creativity, interest and skill development are the goal of RRHA’s STEM Program. Currently, among RRHA’s STEM students are 30 students who are working on certifications that include drone flying and navigation, computer coding, and other classes. These students started this past summer and upon completion will be able to utilize their certifications for entry level positions.
Beginning later this month, Whitcomb’s STEM lab will be open for after-school classes on Wednesdays, Thursday and Fridays.
For more information about this and other RRHA programs and services, visit our website at RRHA.com, or social media platforms: Facebook , Instagram, X or Linkedin pages. For general RRHA inquiries, please contact our Customer Information Center at (804) 780-4200 or toll free at 1-833-750-7742 (RRHA).