Our Affiliated Site: Blackwell Elementary School in Richmond, Virginia

facts about Blackwell Elementary School:

  • Grades Served: Preschool – fifth grade
  • Average Enrollment: 635 students
  • Facility Description: The current building was constructed in 1999 and comprises classrooms, a cafeteria, a gymnasium, and a library.
  • Faculty: Includes 55 teachers and staff members.
  • Meals: Breakfast and lunch are served daily; for many students, these may be the only nutritious meals they receive.
  • Percentage of Students on the Federal Free or Reduced-Price Meal Program: 92%
  • Curriculum: Instruction of core studies is based on the Virginia Standards of Learning.
  • Academic Schedule: School begins each day at 8:30 a.m. and ends at 3:35 p.m. The school year typically begins in early September and ends in mid-June. Normal holidays are observed.
  • Special Education: Twelve special education classes are offered, with specially trained teachers.
  • Communities in Schools: Communities in Schools is an organization working within the school to improve community involvement and support for at-risk children along with the Children Incorporated sponsorship program.

Founded in 1609, Richmond is among the nation’s oldest cities, steeped in history that spans the colonial era, the Civil War era, and beyond. It is situated upon the picturesque James River, which winds its way from Appalachian tributaries into the Chesapeake Bay. It is also here in Richmond that Mrs. Jeanne Clarke Wood first founded Children Incorporated out of her home in 1964. Despite its wealth of history, culture, diversity, and the arts, many areas of Richmond struggle beneath poverty and its socioeconomic effects. The community served by Blackwell Elementary School is no exception. For most students here, home life is difficult. In fact, many students have no consistent homes; they are forced to rely upon the kindness of relatives and friends to provide a place to sleep each night, as their parents have either abandoned them or are incapable of providing for them.

For this reason, Blackwell Elementary School serves as a place of refuge from daily strife and uncertainty. Named in honor of James H. Blackwell (a teacher and the school’s first principal in 1888), Blackwell Elementary and its faculty strive to improve students’ self-esteem by administering a well-rounded educational curriculum that not only instills in these deserving children a sense of confidence, but also allows them to hope and plan for a brighter future.