RICHMOND, VA (October 17, 2023) –Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority’s (RRHA) Resident Services division has been awarded The Resident Services Award in the large housing authority category from industry leader in affordable housing training, certificates and products, Nan McKay and Associates, Inc. (NMA). The NMA award is for one of RRHA’s premier programs, the Youth Leadership and Employment Academy (YLEA).
The YLEA program was created in 2021 with the goal of training and employing public housing youth ages 8 – 18 within communities that RRHA manages. This comprehensive program brings all of RRHA’s youth-oriented training, education and enrichment programs under one umbrella. It includes RRHA’s annual CEO summer enrichment leadership and employment program, the Science Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) program, and the Open House in the Village Scholarship fund for post-secondary education and training.
Currently in its 4th year, the scholarship program, “Open House in the Village” awarded scholarships to 18 public housing students, the largest in its history, to attend four-year colleges and universities. Students also received donations of resources, materials and equipment from partners such as Dominion Energy, Virginia Union University, McGuire Woods and many others.
RRHA CEO Steven Nesmith said, “We are extremely pleased that Nan McKay recognizes the hard work and dedication of our Resident Services team to educate, develop positive values and character in our youth. Our team at RRHA continues to provide new opportunities for public housing youth through several initiatives to help them achieve their dreams.”
In addition, each year the program trains and employs public housing students throughout the Agency in various positions such as affordable housing, resident services, communications, administrative and maintenance. Students participate in various field trips and college tours that help to broaden their horizons and get them thinking about a future beyond where they currently live. “The program has succeeded our expectations. Our first summer, we hosted 48 students from all over RRHA’s six public housing communities. This past summer, we quadrupled that number with 225 students,” said Ralph Stuckey, Vice President of Resident Services.
RRHA’s STEM program also continues to grow and expand. This past year’s STEAM event, to include “A” for Art, hosted more than 300 public housing students of various ages and featured such stations as a racecar simulator, remote controlled cars, training on how to make beats, graphic design of sneakers and much, much more.
The NMA award will be presented during a virtual ceremony on Friday, October 20, 2023 at 1:30 p.m. Attendees must register to participate. Login using any internet enabled device to https://nanmckay.zoom.us/j/86541660652. Use Meeting ID: 865 4166 0652
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).