Unofficial Site About N.E.R.D.: kwietnia 2011

2011/04/28

Pharrell Williams x Leland Melvin

Pharrell was in Virginia Beach last weekend to speak to kids at a function for NASA & FOHTA‘s STEM initiative and was joined by our astronaut friend Leland Melvin. Pharrell is also working with FOHTA to build the Pharrell Williams Resource Center.

Pharrell Williams resource center

Tools for the Future for Virginia Beach

Recording artist and producer (and Virginia Beach native) Pharrell Williams is partnering with the City of Virginia Beach to build a resource center, in Williams Farm Park. The purpose of the center is to provide an environment conducive to learning and serve as a place to “inspire and educate”. The Center’s programs will seek to change the world of the underserved kids, one kid at a time, by giving them resources/tools to meet their unique potential. The vision of the center is to modernize the community center concept by empowering kids to learn through new technologies, arts, and media.
Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about the Pharrell Williams Resource Center:

What kind of activities will take place in the Center?

The Pharrell Williams Resource Center will collaborate with school districts and serve as a safe place for school-age children in the greater Virginia Beach area. Students will come to the Center after school and during the weekends to receive homework help, participate in mentoring and personal finance programs. Students will utilize the digital music lab and computer lab and engage in the community service projects.

Who will the Center serve?

The Center will serve school-age children through second year of college in the greater Virginia Beach area.

How are From One Hand to Another and the Pharrell Williams Resource Center connected?

From One Hand to Another is the charitable foundation established by Pharrell Williams. The foundation’s sole purpose is to provide support for the construction and operation of the Pharrell Williams Resource Center.

What will the PWRC look like?

The Pharrell Williams Resource Center will be a located (ironically) on Williams Farm in the Bayside area of Virginia Beach. While it will serve children from around the greater Virginia Beach area, it is conveniently located next to three elementary schools: Diamond Springs Elementary, Newtown Elementary, Betty F. Williams Elementary, and across the street from Bayside Middle School. A Miami based architectural firm is currently developing detailed plans for the Center.

What will the PWRC cost and when will it open?

The estimated cost of the PWRC and an endowment for operations and maintenance is $35 million. The projected opening date is 2013.

How will Pharrell be involved with the Center?

In spite of his extensive worldwide travel and business commitments, Pharrell remains committed to the Virginia Beach community. Since 2004 he has provided financial support for the Back to School Supplies program and the distribution of Thanksgiving turkeys to residents of the neighborhood in which he grew up. The PWRC will be the crown jewel of his investment in this community. Pharrell provided the original vision for the Center and he will be involved both in the campaign to raise funds for its construction and in the development of its programs.

Who will provide the funds for the PWRC?

The PWRC will truly be a community partnership. The City of Virginia Beach has been an enthusiastic supporter of the PWRC from its inception. Community leaders share Pharrell’s goal of educating youth and developing workforce opportunities for all its citizens. The FOHTA Foundation is in the process of identifying and cultivating civic leaders as well as corporate and foundation supporters to encourage their financial support of the Center.