Storefront for Community Design operates three main community-based studio programs: Youth Innovation, Design Session, and Community Engagement. Check out our latest highlights for each studio below. If you’re interested in getting involved, check out our summer volunteer opportunities.
Youth Innovation Studio
The Youth Innovation Studio provides project-based learning opportunities that engage youth and young adults in real-world problem solving while providing a safe space to build the capacity to create effective change in their lives and communities.
Spring Session
As the school year ends, we are preparing to celebrate 14 students and families for consistently attending virtual school at Six Points Innovation Center (6PIC). Many of our students realized virtual school was not ideal for their learning style, so by attending virtual classes at 6PIC many were able to improve their grades significantly through the support of our 6PIC partner, Saving Our Youth, and several dedicated volunteers. We are thankful to Richmond Public Schools for providing reopening information to our students and answering questions about what to expect when our students return to school next year.
RPS providing reopening information to 6PIC non-profits and youth
“Being at 6PIC during the pandemic helped me stay on track with virtual school.”
Entrepreneurship Innovation
Thanks to funding from Capital One, we launched a 13-week economic empowerment pilot program in partnership with Community 50/50, Engage the Foundation, and K Moss Presents designed to teach entrepreneurial skills to youth living in the Northside. A total of 12 students were enrolled and nine participated on a regular basis. Classes were held at the Virginia Institute for Contemporary Art Museum (ICA) where students were socially distanced and masked, but due to COVID-19 circumstances, the final classes were held virtually.
The youth were treated to lectures from seasoned Black business owners where they learned the history of Black business development in Richmond, gained entrepreneurial skills, explored creative strategies to build a business idea, and cultivated that idea into a business plan with a mentor. They also had an opportunity to learn the value of civic engagement and how it impacts them as a citizen and corporate citizen/business owner. Pop up shop coming soon!
As we plan future programming, we will continue to provide a space for our youth to be inspired to learn creative strategies toward their own entrepreneurial ventures.
Youth and young adults attending the entrepreneurship innovation program
Design Session Studio
The Design Session Studio provides a low-cost design assistance program that offers one-on-one advice, conceptual sketches, and plans of action from volunteer design and planning professionals to residents and community members that builds the capacity to create new ideas.
Facade Improvements at 1612 Williamsburg Road
Our Design Session highlight takes us to the East End where our community collaborator requested facade improvements to their building at 1612 Williamsburg Road. The building owners of the old Transitions Day Services were looking for ways to give their building a facelift while preparing for new tenants. Design Session volunteer Jessie Gemmer, architect at Fultz and Singh, conducted a site visit and consultation, and created a facade concept incorporating the owners’ and community’s needs.
Thanks to Chuck D’Aprix at Innovate Fulton for connecting us with another project in the Fulton community allowing our volunteers to boost the greater neighborhood revitalization efforts!
Design Session volunteer, community collaborators, and Storefront staff during a consultation meeting
Design Session volunteer, Jessie Gemmer, presenting concepts for facade improvements
Design Session Intake pause
The Design Session program is currently at capacity and our project intake is on pause until late summer/early fall! If you have a project in mind, you can still apply with your request and we will reach out when our intake opens back up.
mOb studiO—fall open call!
Have a project on the horizon that could use a conceptual design investigation? mOb studiO is accepting project requests for the fall 2021 semester (late Aug-early Dec)! Please apply and check "mOb studio" at the bottom of the form.
Community Engagement Studio
The Community Engagement Studio provides engaging workshops, design discussions, and special events that educate and inspire community members to take action and create a shared vision that strengthens our neighborhoods.
Storefront staff continue to prepare for the upcoming Participatory Budgeting (PB) initiative in Richmond. PB is a new model providing an avenue for community members to engage in a democratic process that gives residents direct access to their tax dollars and allows them to guide where that money will go. In October 2019, Richmond City Council passed a resolution calling on the city’s administration to set aside money each year for the initiative, but due to COVID-19, the initiative was put on hold. In 2021, the initiative has picked up steam and Storefront for Community Design has joined a team of community collaborators to convene, develop, and implement the process in Richmond.
The Participatory Process; source: participatorybudgeting.org
The FY2022 (2021-2022) initiative will include events and community engagement opportunities that will educate the community about the PB process, establish the PB rulebook, and provide opportunities for the community to workshop ideas leading up to the first year of Participatory Budgeting.
There’s two great opportunities to get involved in the city and Storefront’s PB initiative, so we encourage you to check out our summer volunteer opportunities and sign up!