NRHA to Celebrate 70th Anniversary with a Gift from the Elizabeth River Project

This Friday, July 30, 2010 marks the 70th Anniversary of the Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority (NRHA) and will include a gift from the Elizabeth River Project – the berthing of the Learning Barge at the Grandy Village Learning Center (GVLC). This is the first time the Learning Barge will take up residence in the City of Norfolk and is expected to remain at the GVLC through the fall.

The Learning Barge is a one-of-a-kind solar and wind-powered, floating classroom with a living wetland onboard. This visionary and extremely unusual educational project is an ideal icon for The Elizabeth River Project as the organization's first floating presence on the river. The barge hosts school and other educational groups as well as workshops, field trips and more for up to 100 people. The Learning Barge connects students, community, conservation and business groups to the river in a way that helps makes this vital resource more personal.

While docked at the GVLC, the Learning Barge will host residents of NRHA communities and the grand opening of the learning center on Wednesday, September 1. In addition to its usual tours and school groups, the Elizabeth River Project staff will work with the Norfolk Public Schools’ preschool program, which will be housed at the GVLC.

“We are honored to visit this site, where every aspect of NRHA’s new learning center demonstrates environmental responsibility in an inspiring way,” stated Marjorie Mayfield Jackson, Executive Director of the Elizabeth River Project.

The GVLC is an outdoor environmental and educational learning laboratory on the riverfront that will house the Norfolk Public Schools’ preschool program and the STOP Organization’s Head Start program. Complete with a wetlands nature trail, canoe and kayak launch and a wetlands pavilion overlooking the water, both children and adults will be able to learn about the wetlands and the animals and organisms that make it their home. Because NRHA is focused on green building, the GVLC was constructed to U.S. Green Building Council LEED standards. The learning center will complement the wetlands learning area, offering space for special events and a variety of recreational and educational programs for children, teens as well as adults and senior citizens. The center will serve all of Norfolk, not just Grandy Village residents.
 

About the Elizabeth River Project
The Elizabeth River Project is an independent, 501-(c)(3) non-profit organization incorporated in 1993 and governed by a board of directors with a mission to restore the Elizabeth River to the highest practical level of environmental quality through government, business and community partnerships.