Youth Scuba diving programs

The Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority's (RRHA) Youth Scuba Diving Program

The Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority's (RRHA) Youth Scuba Diving Program has been designed to teach scuba diving to youngsters living in Richmond's public housing. In 2007 this US scuba diving program won the award from NABS (the National Association of Black Scuba Divers).

This scuba diving program is provided through the RRHA Youth Sports and Fine Arts Academy, and the award it won is called the NABS' "Service to Diving" award. The "Service to Diving" had been established to honor individuals and groups for significant contribution to the development of scuba diving as a sport. The oganization that nominated the program for the said award is called Black Dolphin Divers of Richmond. In fact, the Black Dolphin Divers of Richmond is a group that provides mentoring and training for this youth program. The award was announced in November on the Caribbean island of Tobago during the NABS regular annual summit.

Operated by joint effort of the RRHA Youth Sports and Fine Arts Academy and the group Black Dolphin Divers of Richmond, this scuba diving program is believed to be the only and unique scuba diving program for youth withing risk groups in the US public housing system.

The Black Dolphin Divers of Richmond members volunteer monthly and contribute continuously to the program's scuba related travel and activities. All young divers, who learn scuba diving within this program, are PADI certified open-water divers.

The National Association of Black Scuba Divers is one of many known American national organizations dedicated to promoting scuba diving and other water sports and raising environmental awareness that might conserve the nature for future generations.