The Learning Barge is now docked in Norfolk, at the site of one of the "greenest" buildings in the region...the Grandy Village Learning Center (GVLC.) The Center will open in September but The Learning Barge was docked there early to help celebrate the 70th Anniversary of the Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority (NRHA) who will operate the Center. 

GVLC is an exciting new 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. The Center's includes  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, 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, adults and senior citizens. The center will serve all of Norfolk, not just Grandy Village residents.

While The Learning Barge is docked at the GVLC, it 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 love the synergy of being able to show our visitors what it means to be green by land, as well as by sea,” said Marjorie Mayfield Jackson, Elizabeth River Project. The barge, powered by sun and wind, teaches all ages what they can do to make the river safe for swimming and fishing by 2020.

To schedule a field trip on The Learning Barge, email rdunbar@elizabethriver.org. The Learning Barge will be docked at Grandy Village through the fall.