Passion4Learning
Building Rich Futures
An RPS education should lead to a choice-filled life: Every student should graduate ready to enroll in higher education, secure employment in a living-wage career, or enlist in public service.
Our Passion4Learning workstream will do just that. Through Passion4Learning, we’re redesigning our high schools to meet the needs of both students and employers. By 2030, every high school in RPS will center on a theme, offering a distinct learning experience, filled with advanced academic and career opportunities designed to spark interest, opportunity, and — yes, obviously — passion.
By 2030, at each high school, students will have multiple on-ramps to the school's theme and opportunities to explore internships, apprenticeships, and college pathways. Each student's experience will be tailored to their interests. We know that every student has unique interests and varying levels of desire to attend a specific high school, so each school will offer multiple pathway options to support all learners.
In a complex and changing world, it's more important than ever that our schools prepare students to thrive in college, careers, and life. Across Richmond, one thing is clear: all families want their children to express themselves, solve real-world problems, connect with others, care for their community, innovate, and lead. Regardless of ZIP code, every student will have access to specialized fields of study at high schools across the city.
Richmond High School for the Arts
We’re thrilled that the reconstituted Richmond High School for the Arts will serve as our first themed, P4L high school, with a new building opening in September 2026. With a focus on the Visual, Design, and Performing Arts — our EXPRESS Pathway — the innovative new building will feature state-of-the-art performance spaces, rehearsal rooms, and studios for students to explore and grow.
All students zoned to RHSA will have a seat at the new school when the school opens, and the opportunity to explore the arts. We’ll additionally have an admission process open to all students to enroll in more-intensive programming on the EXPRESS pathway. This will begin with the Class of 2031 (eighth graders in the 2026-27 school year). More information on that process, as well as transportation support, can be found on the EnrollRPS page. Applications will open in October 2026.
The EXPRESS Pathway will include five fields of study across the performing and visual arts, with specific focus areas in each. A student's interest will inform their course selection, extracurricular opportunities, internship or apprenticeship opportunities, and other elements of their learning journey.
Whether they dream of Broadway or are simply interested in learning more about fashion, every student will have the classes, internships, and work-based learning experiences that will help them build a bridge to the choice-fill future of their dreams.
Maury Center
The Maury Street Innovation Campus will transform a 287,000 square foot historic industrial facility into a state-of-the-art CTE hub for the CREATE theme. At Maury Street, advanced training will be available across multiple P4L themes. Students will walk into buildings designed for learning about the world of work with state-of-the-art labs, industry-standard equipment, and flexible environments built for collaboration, hands-on projects, and direct connection to industry partners.
Timeline
Over the next four years, we’ll be building out the curriculum and experiences at our other high schools. As we develop the programming, we’ll be guided by the following design principles:
- Collaborative. Students connect, cooperate and collaborate across learning experiences.
- Rigorous. Each student is appropriately challenged and individually demonstrates proficiency around standards and skills.
- Relevant and Connected. Learning experiences connect to the world outside of school and are relevant to students' experience and their future careers. Students develop social capital and work-place skills through community partnerships.
- Experiential. Students experience the required content and skills with hands-on, experiential approaches. Learning is not just fact memorization, but application in contexts that matter.
- Learner-centered. Students actively participate in their learning through goal-setting/reflection, voice and choice, and P4L school and field selection.
Fall 2026:
- Richmond High School for the Arts opens
- Architecture & engineering firm selected for Maury Street
- Design work begins on Maury Street
2027:
- Construction begins on Maury Street building
- RHSA welcomes first arts cohorts
2028:
- Maury Street finished + open for students (fall-winter)
- Themed course pathways begin to roll out at other high schools
2029:
- By fall, course pathways launched for every theme