Collegiate 8th Graders Work to Solve Richmond’s Real-World Issues

Now in its sixth year, Envision Richmond takes students outside of the classroom and into areas of the City of Richmond to engage with community leaders. The program aims to foster collaboration, empathy, creativity and problem-solving techniques within students so that they are better equipped to improve the world around them.

Each student group is focusing on one city challenge such as food insecurities, foster care, homelessness, pediatric medical care, green spaces, sports for people with disabilities, organ donation and teen mental health. On Monday, students received an overview of the week and jumped on trampolines at Boomerang Air Sports for a team-building exercise. Tuesday was spent talking with representatives from various organizations, including Virginia Home for Boys and Girls, Home Again, Tuckahoe YMCA, United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), Ronald McDonald House, Greater Richmond ARC, Department for the Blind and Vision Impaired, Tricycle Gardens, Richmond Hope Therapy Center, Sitter & Barfoot Veterans Care Center, Virginia War Memorial, Sportable and Voices for Virginia’s Children.

On Thursday, the students will meet with professional marketing and branding experts, who will help them refine their ideas and presentations. On Friday, the final day of the Capstone, the 8th Graders will present their projects to representatives from the nonprofits, as well as School faculty and administrators.