VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — Pharrell Williams, the internationally-acclaimed musician from Virginia Beach, has long shown a penchant for giving back to the community.
That virtue was on full display Friday at a local edition of the Williams-inspired S.T.E.A.M.M. summer camps, which are organized and operated by his nonprofit foundation, From One Hand To Another, or FOHTA. The camp is being held at Hampton University’s satellite campus in Virginia Beach Town Center.
The name of the summer camp, S.T.E.A.M.M., is an extension of the more commonly-known STEM abbreviation. William’s program takes STEM, which stands for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, and adds “arts” and “motivation” to the curriculum.
A camp event held on Friday featured author Marjuan Canady and illustrator Nabeeh Bilal of Callaloo Kids, a performance and publishing duo currently on tour promoting a new children’s book.
The performance, which featured a puppeteering class, allowed campers to participate throughout and included improvised acting by some of the children in attendance.
That kind of sensory experience and open creativity are important addenda to the learning experience, according to FOHTA Program Manager Stephanie Walters.
“We have S.T.E.A.M.M. activities, but we also want them to know about different cultures and literature. So we’re kind of bridging the two, and they’re getting a full theatrical experience today,” Walters said.
This Virginia Beach camp is one of twenty-four being offered this summer across five states.