DANVILLE, VA- Danville Redevelopment and Housing Authority (DRHA) has partnered with the Stayhood Foundation to bring their ACE Academy, a youth art mentoring program, to the Southside Community Learning Center. The ACE Academy is an eight-week arts, culture, and business education immersion program for youth ages 10 – 17. It focuses on the areas of music, fashion, photography, and writing. Youth going through this program will have learned the basics of all aspects of the areas presented.

Bryant Hood, the CEO, and Founder of the Stayhood Foundation is thrilled about providing youth interested in the arts with an avenue to pursue their passions. Hood, who is no stranger to being an advocate for and providing programming to the youth, states that this collaboration will allow the ACE Academy to offer this program at no cost and the ability to reach out to more youth and increase capacity. This sponsorship will enable Stayhood to be an approved youth program for the Southside Community Learning Center.

The inaugural class is finishing up its eight weeks. During their attendance, the youth have gotten to chat with award-winning artists, producers, actors, and comedians, as well as local influencers in business, music, and politics. Utilizing the advice, the experts gave them and their own creative process, the youth will finish up a project that will be presented publicly. 

DRHA is equally excited to sponsor the ACE Academy. Larissa Deedrich, CEO and Executive Director of DRHA, had the opportunity to visit during a Tuesday session. Deedrich had this to say about ACE Academy; “It is heartwarming and inspiring to see these young men and women enjoying the arts and taking the skills that they have acquired to a level of growth and prosperity. The enthusiasm in their eyes and the spirit that they brought to their project was powerful.”   

The Ace Academy will be accepting applications for its next ACE Academy cadets in the coming weeks.