On June 8, VPM participated in DesignRVA 2024, an annual hands-on community day where children aged 8 through 14 and their families can imagine and build elements of a neighborhood to create Richmond spaces to live, learn, work and play. The free event was held at Seven Hills School in Richmond.
“VPM News is always looking to reach new audiences and help people become more engaged in their communities,” said VPM legal reporter, features editor and DesignRVA volunteer Whittney Evans. “What we found was that even our smallest neighbors have a lot to say about their surroundings. Hearing their voices and listening to their ideas was a treat.”
DesignRVA is meant to help community experts engage with children around four areas of vital importance to our community: housing, health and wellness, transportation and land use. Activities and conversation focused on the question: “How would you design a more equitable and fair Greater Richmond?”
DesignRVA’s values are aligned with VPM’s mission and vision, and as a media sponsor, VPM shared how the organization plays a role in supporting the community. VPM saw a community engagement opportunity that would allow Curious Commonwealth, a news series that explores audience questions about Virginia, to participate in the event. Volunteers from VPM helped kids and adults record responses to specific prompts in a mobile storytelling recording booth. VPM also displayed microphones and recording equipment and educated visitors about the purposes of each device.
Listen to an audio sample recorded by a child at DesignRVA 2024 in the media player at the top of the article.
DesignRVA is a program of Storefront for Community Design, a non-profit design center in Richmond, Virginia, founded in 2011 to bridge gaps and make design programs and resources accessible to all for the love of the city. It inspires equitable community-driven design in the built environment through innovative programs and resources that engage the next generation of designers in architecture, engineering, urban planning and construction. Learn more at www.storefrontrichmond.org.
