The Virgin Islands Youth Advocacy Coalition is thrilled to announce we have been selected to receive a 2025 AARP Community Challenge grant. We are one of only 383 grantees selected (out of 3,450+ applications!) from across all 50 states, Washington D.C, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
With this quick-action grant, we will launch our Digital Bridge Initiative—a new program designed to empower our beloved seniors aged 50 and up!
We’ll be recruiting high school and UVI students, especially those studying Information Technology, Digital Literacy, or Computer Science, to lead training sessions that help seniors navigate the digital world confidently.
“We are incredibly proud that AARP selected VIYAC for this investment to make the Virgin Islands more livable for residents of all ages. “AARP is a nationwide leader in making communities more livable, and we are honored that they see the tangible value this project will bring to our area,” stated President Genevieve Whitaker.
About the AARP Community Challenge
The AARP Community Challenge grant program supports projects in areas such as public places, housing, transportation, digital connectivity, community resilience, and more. In 2025, Toyota Motor North America is providing funding for pedestrian safety projects that aim to improve streets and sidewalks nationwide. Microsoft is also contributing funding for digital connections projects aimed at expanding high-speed internet (broadband) access and adoption.
This is all part of AARP’s nationwide work on livable communities, which supports the efforts of neighborhoods, towns, cities, and counties across the country to become great places for all. AARP believes that communities should provide safe, walkable streets; affordable and accessible housing and transportation options; access to needed services; and opportunities for residents of all ages to participate in community life.
To learn more about the projects being funded by the AARP Community Challenge across the nation, including all 383 granted projects this year, visit AARP.org/CommunityChallenge. You can also view an interactive map of current and past AARP Community Challenge projects and AARP’s Livable Communities work at AARP.org/Livable.
About VIYAC: The Virgin Islands Youth Advocacy Coalition, Inc. was founded in 2009 and is a youth-led organization dedicated to promoting political and civic engagement among young people aged 14-30 in the Virgin Islands. With a focus on education, advocacy, and community involvement, VIYAC aims to empower youth to take an active role in shaping their communities and participating in the democratic process.
