Timothy E.

Smith
(757)556-6108
Smithte6@vcu.edu
Blue Sky Fund Forges Partnership Between VCU Students & Neighboring High Schools
For Immediate Release
March 21, 2019 Richmond, VA – Blue Sky Fund is proud to announce its commencement of a
new program called Learners, which involves the help of Virginia Commonwealth University
(VCU) students to teach high school children from neighboring schools. Amanda Payne, interim
executive director at Blue Sky Fund, said, “I am excited to give our kids the chance to learn
from the VCU seniors. Most of our kids hope to attend VCU in the future and I believe this
will be an exciting time for them to learn more about the school as well as about nature and
science.”
Learners enables seniors from VCU studying a branch of science or agriculture to participate in
teaching kids about the natural world around them. Learners will be hosted every other Sunday
during the high school year. VCU students will arrive at Blue Sky headquarters where they will
be paired up with a Blue Sky member and a group of high school students. Each week will hold
something new for both young people and staff as they embark on different adventures, create
crafts, take a fieldtrip, and start their own gardens to tend to throughout the year. The program
will feature 20 dates for 20 VCU students to participate in each unique session, with 5 high
school students per group.
Every VCU student who is accepted into the program will go through additional training to help
them work with the children and understand the individual program events. “Learners is an
exciting opportunity for VCU (and its students) to give back to the community and help
raise the next generation of students and purveyors of the natural environment,” said
Michael Rao, president of Virginia Commonwealth University.
Learners begins at the start of the 2019 school year. There will be a commencement ceremony on
the first Sunday of September to celebrate the start of the program. The ceremony will be held to
introduce the children to the VCU students and will have dinner, games, and a closing speech
from VCU President Michael Rao.
# # #
Blue Sky Fund is a non-profit based in Richmond, VA that strives to bring the joys of the natural environment to the
less fortunate areas surrounding Richmond. Blue Sky currently houses three programs for children from elementary
through high school.