News Flash

Jan. 20, 2017 - Hundreds of Hampton students and their parents will attend a private screening of the movie “Hidden Figures” on Saturday, Jan. 28 starting at 9 a.m. at AMC Hampton Towne Centre 24. 

Hampton’s Healthy Families program received a grant from Elizabeth City State University that will cover the admission of the students and some parents. The screening is open to students in the School Age Program, a Healthy Families initiative that provides before- and after-school care to elementary and middle school students.

“The event aligns with the initiatives that we value,” Allison Nelson of Healthy Families said. “It supports the community and family and opens up the conversation about STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education.”

 The movie is based on the book “Hidden Figures," which was written by Hampton native Margot Lee Shetterly. The movie focuses on three real-life African-American women who worked for NASA as mathematicians and helped send the first American into space.

There will be 10 theaters reserved for the Saturday screening and AMC is offering discounted prices on concession snacks to the families. 

This is not the first time Healthy Families has received a STEM-focused grant from Elizabeth City State University. An earlier grant gave hundreds of students the opportunity to attend summer camp at the Virginia Air and Space Center. Nelson hopes that this event inspires students to achieve the unimaginable and realize the importance of STEM education.