The Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands (CFVI) has awarded $224,362 in grants to 18 USVI organizations to support youth enrichment programming serving children and older youth in the territory.
Organizations were invited to apply for up to $15,000 to support program-related costs.
“CFVI is honored to provide funding to organizations doing such meaningful work, providing critical programs which support our Virgin Islands youth,” said CFVI President, Dee Baecher-Brown. “The foundation extends its heartfelt gratitude to our many donors whose contributions helped make these grants possible.”
This funding was made possible by support from the following CFVI Donor-Advised Funds, Field of Interest Funds and grants: Carambola Hospitality and Tourism Fund, Carambola Youth Athletic Fund, CFVI STEM Fund, Edward S. Moore Family Foundation, Falek Family Fund, Friends and Family Fund, Henry U. Wheatley Fund, Hupprich Family Fund, JMP Fund, J. Raymond Jones Fund, Kimelman Family Fund, Lana Vento Fund for the VI, LeFebvre Fund, Lou Ellen Brown Fund, RT Park Fiscal Sponsorship, St. Croix Financial Center Fund, TEAM Community Development Fund, The Family Connection and the Universal Business Supplies Fund.
The following organizations received grant support:
Ascension Livity Inc. | $15,000
The grant award is being used to establish a food security program in the Bovoni Housing, Paul M. Pearson Gardens and Michael J. Kirwan Terrace community centers, focused on educating and engaging youth and families to learn how to interpret cultural and environmental conditions, understand the intricacies of the four pillars of food security and participate in the establishment of food security.
Eddie Ortiz Annual Three Kings Tradition Inc. | $7,336
Funding is being used to allow youth to participate in a basketball tournament in Puerto Rico to engage in a cultural exchange and develop their athletic skills.
Engineers for Tomorrow | $14,755
The grant award is being used to provide an enrichment program that will complement math and science education in elementary and middle schools by providing opportunities to experience engineering at a young age. Students will participate in workshops with a variety of STEM topics through hands-on activities, including interactions with professional engineers to encourage and explore this career field.
Friends of Virgin Islands National Park | $12,000
Funding is being used to provide a hands-on marine science program for students in grades 3-6 interested in learning more about our local environment and developing water safety skills and the foundational knowledge needed to become proficient swimmers.
Leap and Learn Academy | $15,000
The grant award is being used to involve children ages 1-12 from low-income families in hands-on activities focused on education around food and nutrition, including gardening, growing fruits and vegetables, farming, and cooking. From health education to culture and celebration, activities will touch on every subject, including math, science, health, music, and dancing.
Lion Haven St. Croix Community Center | $15,000
Funding is being used to provide a summer camp with a diverse range of activities designed to encourage creativity, physical activity and teamwork for youth ages 6-15. The program will include activities such as fire dancing, skateboarding, capoeira, art classes, painting, gardening, swimming, basketball, football and more.
Love City Pan Dragons and Baby Dragons Youth Steel Orchestra | $15,000
The grant award is being used to expand and grow the after-school music program to serve more youth and provide additional enrichment experiences by hiring a part-time administrator.
Monbijou YGT Youth Center | $5,000.00
Funding is being used to plan a mural painting project on St. Croix that will foster creativity and pride in producing life-size art to brighten up the Monbijou YGT Youth Center and the community. Participants will learn the basics of art, design, and collaboration skills, and build self-confidence while expressing themselves and sharing ideas in a safe place.
RAW Basketball | $5,000.00
The grant award is being used to provide 12 USVI student-athletes the opportunity to participate in as many select tournaments abroad as possible, which increases their chance to secure a college athletic scholarship. The tournaments expose the players to a higher level of play, allowing them to be seen by college coaches and recruiters.
St. Croix Christian Academy | $8,256.90
Funding is being used to educate and engage students ages 6 to 12 in Crucian culture by teaching them to play the steel pans, dance Quadrille, and grow local foods.
St. George Village Botanical Garden | $15,000
The grant award is being used to introduce every 5th-grade public school student in St. Croix’s public elementary schools to the history, botanicals, and beauty of St. Croix by participating in a full day of activities at the St. George Village Botanical Garden. Students will learn about the environment, the economy, the history of St. Croix and the impact of plants on our culture.
St. Thomas Historical Trust | $14,680
Funding is being used to provide historical tours to youth ages 5-16 throughout Charlotte Amalie to enlighten them about the island’s history, its inhabitants, architectural heritage, and life as it was more than 300 years ago.
St. Thomas Swimming Association | $15,000
The grant award is being used to provide foundational swimming skills that can open up opportunities to swim for recreation, fitness, international competition, or careers in the marine industry. The program will provide one-on-one and small-group swim lessons to children of all ages and abilities.
The University of the Virgin Islands (UVI) | $15,000
Funding is being used to provide a place-based ocean literacy and stewardship program to two public high school classrooms for the 2023-24 academic year. The program will directly engage students who (1) engage in place-based mangrove curricula in their classrooms across the semester, (2) develop student-led research projects to collect and grow mangroves in their classroom, (3) take field trips to interact with mangrove habitats at the St. Thomas East End Reserve and mangrove nursery operations at UVI, (4) outplant mangroves for restoration at a local site in need of active management.
Virgin Islands Agency for Restorative Care (VIARC) | $15,000
The grant award is being used to provide an evidence-based cognitive behavioral training and counseling program to at-risk high school students. The project is a school-based group intervention that aims to reduce negative cognition and increase engagement in pleasant activities to prevent the onset and persistence of depression in at-risk high school students. The focus of the program is to increase the mental health of participants and their families to ensure positive outcomes.
VI Conservation Society | $15,000
Funding is being used to support Eco-Schools USVI in bolstering and expanding the scope of Eco-Clubs at four public schools in the U.S. Virgin Islands: Jane E. Tuitt and Ivanna Eudora Kean on St. Thomas and the Educational Complex and Career and Technical Center on the island of St. Croix. The program provides learning opportunities through outdoor initiatives and project-based learning that makes STEM fun and increases environmental literacy.
Virgin Islands Resource Center for the Disabled Inc. | $7,335
The grant award is being used to provide a summer enrichment program for economically disadvantaged youth, English Language Learner youth, and youth with disabilities between the ages of 5-15. The program will consist of art therapy, assistive adaptive computer technology, mentorship, culture affirmation activities, academic/basic skills training, and recreational activities designed to encourage attitudinal changes and counseling and mentorship to promote conflict resolution.
YTEENS VI Inc. | $15,000
Funding is being used to provide a special ongoing program in teen leadership and personal skills development for youth, specifically in the areas of confidence building and resilience. The program includes expression and discovery to help youth utilize their voices, technology, web design education, as well as interactive STEAM-related activities.
