Our village
It takes a village. We make that village part of school.
Children learn what knowledge is for by watching people use it. At Village & Valor, Richmond's artists, engineers, entrepreneurs, historians, tradespeople, and other community leaders help children see what learning can make possible.
A planned program
Village Fellows
Village Fellows are community members who share their expertise through classroom visits, short workshops, mentorship, field experiences, and projects developed together with our teachers. A Fellow might visit once a year or once a month — what matters is that children meet adults who use reading, mathematics, science, and craft to do real work.
Teachers always guide the academic work: Fellows enrich it. Every volunteer completes appropriate screening and orientation before working with students.
What a Village Fellow might do
These are examples of the contributions we hope to welcome. We are building these relationships now and have not yet announced formal partnerships.
An architect helping students study shapes, structures, and design in the buildings around them.
A chef teaching measurement, fractions, and food traditions from Richmond kitchens.
An entrepreneur explaining how an idea becomes a business — and what it takes to keep one going.
An artist helping students tell a neighborhood's story in color, texture, and line.
A scientist guiding a hands-on investigation from hypothesis to conclusion.
A historian introducing local places, primary sources, and the people who shaped them.
For families
Many ways to belong
Families are part of the village too — and involvement should respect real schedules. There is no single right way to show up at Village & Valor.
Share your expertise
Whatever your work or craft, there is a classroom of children who would be fascinated by it.
Help with an event
Lend a few hours to a family night, a celebration, or a field experience — once or often.
Contribute ideas
Tell us what your child loves, what your neighborhood knows, and what you wish school had offered you.
Join family learning nights
Evenings where families and children learn side by side — reading strategies, math games, and more.
Your knowledge could change what a child believes is possible.
Tell us about your work and how you'd like to be involved. We'll be in touch as the Village Fellows program takes shape.