May 16, 2008 – Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands has awarded the following mini-grants to organizations and schools on all three islands.
Name: Ashley Baxley
Organization: Coral Bay Mothers
Award: $300
Project: Puppet Theater
Project Description: The program would like to create puppet theater to entertain the kids and to teach the older kids how to put on puppet shows. Funding will provide for wood for the puppet theater, puppets, and scripts for puppet plays.
Island: St. John
Name: Rev. Lenroy Cabey
Organization: St. Andrews Episcopal Church
Award: $1,000
Project: St. Andrew's Sunny Saints Summer Camp
Project Description: Camp serves 100 children with classes in math, language arts, computers, sewing, cooking, etc. Students also have opportunities for field trips and guest speakers. Funding will assist in sponsoring ten students to cover their fees, insurance and field trip fees.
Island: St. Thomas
Name: Jose Camocho
Organization: Adventist Youth Drum Corp
Award: $1,000
Project: Adventist Youth Drum Corp
Project Description: Adventist Youth Drum Corp are champions representing the Virgin Islands in a drum competition held on St. Croix and St. Maarten. Funding will be used for drumheads and straps.
Island: St. Thomas
Name: Darren Roy Canton
Organization: Future Stars Baseball Organization
Award: $500
Project: Next Level Baseball Development
Project Description: The organization seeks to start a developmental program for young baseball players. The focus will be on instruction from college coaches and pro-scouts in an effort to develop local talent. There will be emphasis on the college placement program in which the organization will integrate athletics and academics to find a college fit for players. Funding will assist with bats, baseballs, field equipment, and hosting pro-instructionals.
Island: St. Thomas
Name: Roy Chesterfield
Organization: The Law and You Program
Award: $500
Project: The Law and You Program
Project Description: The Law and You Program is designed for police officers to go into classrooms to educate students about the law and the role of law enforcement officers. Students are taught conflict resolution techniques and explained the criminal and juvenile judicial system proceedings. Funding provides for field trips, t-shirts, food, and program certificates.
Island: St. Thomas
Name: Juan Christian
Organization: Memorial Moravian Church
Award: $750
Project: Memorial Moravian Summer Camp
Project Description: Memorial Moravian Summer Camp is for children ages 4-12 provides for tutorial studies in reading and math, Bible school, field trips, historical walking tours, and motivational speakers. Funding will provide for arts and craft materials, t-shirts, and field trips.
Island: St. Thomas
Name: Jessica Claypool
Organization: St. Croix Therapy and Resource Center, Inc,
Award: $900
Project: Engaging Parents as Partners in Literacy
Project Description: Parents are taught reading strategies with their children by a speech language pathologist using current research in reading and language learning. Funding will be used to buy books for the parents and taxi transportation for parents.
Island: St. Croix
Name: Fenella Cooper
Organization: Virgin Islands Writing Project
Award: $1,000
Project: Young Writers Camp
Project Description: The organization is embarking on a Young Writers Camp opened to elementary schools in grades 3 to 6. They are looking to increase enrollment from 10 last year to 30 this year. Students will leave camp with a book or cd of their stories. Students will write, research and narrate stories. The camp meets Saturdays 9:00-12:00 (March-May) and Mon-Fri 9:00-2:00 (June 16-20). The amount awarded is for camp supplies such as copy books, field trip, pen, pencils, t-shirts, etc.
Island: St. Thomas
Name: Paul E. Devine
Organization: St. John Youth Committee
Award: $1,000
Project: Newsletter and Video Funding
Project Description: St. John Youth Committee has produced a video to inform the public about their youth programs and activities. They are seeking funding to continue producing the video and to create a newsletter.
Island: St. John
Name: Nicola Emerich
Organization: Pistarkle Theater
Award: $1,000
Project: Theater Leadership Camp
Project Description: Theater Leadership Camp runs from July 21-Aug. 15, it encourages students to become interpretive artists. The curriculum involves group empowerment and collaboration. Funding will be used to support tuition fees.
Island: St. Thomas
Name: Edwin Forbes
Organization: Charlotte Amalie High School
Award: $700
Project: Cooking and Cleaning Life Skills Employment Project
Project Description: The program is to prepare academically handicapped adults for life outside of the school setting. The program meets daily from 1:30-3:00 p.m. and teaches participants how to cook balanced meals and how to clean professionally for future employment. Funding will assist with a new stove, pots and pans, hair nets, and cleaning equipment.
Island: St. Thomas
Name: Dawn Frett
Organization: Lockhart Pantomime Group
Award: $1,000
Project: Lockhart Pantomime Group
Project Description: Lockhart Pantomime Group is an after school project where the students learn sign language and body movement to portray the meaning in songs. Students perform for various activities in the community and in school concerts. Funding will be used for transportation for field trips, uniforms, costumes and a boom box.
Island: St. Thomas
Name: Daryl A. George
Organization: Junior Firefighters
Award: $1,000
Project: Operation United Front
Project Description: Training youths between the ages of 7-16 in Fire Prevention, Safety, and First Aid. Program also provides counseling and advice on behavior, gang violence, and life. Funding will be used to upgrade uniforms that are worn for parades, ceremonies, funerals, etc.
Island: St. Thomas
Name: Jose George
Organization: St. Thomas Bowling League
Award: $1,000
Project: Youth Bowling Academy
Project Description: Program will provide bowling training skills and encourage a love of bowling for a lifetime. Funding will provide for student lane and shoe rental costs.
Island: St. Thomas
Name: Roney George
Organization: Tutu High Rise Housing Community
Award: $800
Project: Youth Health Awareness Program
Project Description: This program serves public housing residents age 6-12 and is designed to teach youth to make healthy lifestyles. Workshops will be conducted on nutrition, exercise, hygiene, etc. Funding will provide for resources materials, transportation for a field trip, and various program items.
Island: St. Thomas
Name: Searl Gordon
Organization: St. Croix Seventh-Day Adventist After School Program
Award: $1,000
Project: Sports and Fitness
Project Description: After school and summer follow up program assist community youths to develop physically, emotionally, and socially through structured games, sports, talent exploration, and self esteem building. The programs run from 3/2008-9/2008 and serves children ages 6-18. Funding will provide uniforms and trophies for participants in various tournaments.
Island: St. Croix
Name: Emily Gracie
Organization: St. Croix Landmarks Society
Award: $1,000
Project: Listen and Learn Children's Music Education Program
Project Description: Teachers all over the island bring their students to Listen and Learn Concert Workshops where professional musicians discuss their music, instruments, composers, and performing experiences. Funding will provide for transportation of students to the concert workshops.
Island: St. Croix
Name: Gloria Haynes
Organization: Oswald Harris Court Resident Council Organization
Award: $300
Project: Community Pride Beautification Project
Project Description: Community Pride Beautification Project
will be incorporated in the Virgn Islands Housing Authority 2008 six-week summer program for youth residents age 14-18. The purpose of this program is to promote community pride; additionally, one of the banking institutions will conduct workshops on financial management. Funding will purchase equipment and tools and assist in paying salaries.
Island: St. Thomas
Name: Sandra Hodge-Benjamin
Organization: Family Resource Center
Award: $1,000
Project: Virgin Islands Victims Advocate Program
Project Description: The primary goal is to provide immediate crisis intervention to all victims of crime. Victim Advocates respond to emergency crisis calls and are on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Funding will provide for an Instruction Manual to trained advocates and Photo ID Software Kit to produce ID cards for advocates that complete a 13-week training program.
Island: St. Thomas
Name: Amelia Jones
Organization: Coral Bay Community Council
Award: $500
Project: Wednesday After School Program
Project Description: Wednesday After School Program organizes games, snacks, and sports for 20-30 kids from 3:30-5:30 for parents at work. Funding will provide for sports equipment.
Island: St. John
Name: Carla Jospeh
Organization: Virgin Islands Housing Authority
Award: $625
Project: Youth Build Financial Literacy Program
Project Description: Youth Build Financial Literacy Program will provide adults out of school and unemployed, ages 16-24 the financial knowledge and skills to manage their financial future. Funding will be used to purchase software, materials, transportation and child care services.
Island: St. Thomas
Name: Kelly Krause
Organization: VI Department of Education
Award: $947
Project: Occupational Therapy Equipment for Life Skills Classes
Project Description: Students with disabilities in the life skills class focus on cooking, cleaning, and creating sample merchandise. Funding will provide for adaptive equipment for cooking.
Island: St. Thomas
Name: Carol Lotz-Felix
Organization: Friends of St. Thomas Public Libraries
Award: $1,000
Project: Day Care Literacy Project
Project Description: Volunteers take packets of books into Day Care Centers to read to the children. They read some and loan the packets of 5 books for a week, return the next week with new packets of books. Books are high quality, high interest, readers are trained and serve as excellence models for the teachers. Funding will pay for 60 new books and 50 plastic holders to hold books.
Island: St. Thomas
Name: Carol McGuinnes
Organization: Friends of the Elaine I. Sprauve Library
Award: $750
Project: Free to Read
Project Description: The program is open to all ages pre k-Adult. Funding will provide for participants to receive free books, small prizes for every 2 hours of reading and a reading log. The program will run from June 24-September 5.
Island: St. John
Name: Mary Mingus
Organization: Women's Coalition of St. Croix
Award: $1,000
Project: Freedom Writers
Project Description: Women's Coalition will host a luncheon at the Botanical Gardens on Friday, May 23rd for 300 at risk youth and public school teachers. Erin Gruwell and some of her former students will be motivational speakers. Theirs is a story of the struggles they encountered growing up and how they overcame through literacy, reading and writing. Many students are familiar with the story based on the book "The Freedom Writers Diary" and the movie "Freedom Writer."
Island: St. Croix
Name: Judith Ottley
Organization: Joseph Gomez Elementary School
Award: $500
Project: Student Attendance Incentive Program
Project Description: Student Attendance Incentive Program is designed to celebrate punctuality and regular school attendance through rewards and incentives to engender habits of good attendance and increase students' success in school. Funding will provide for pizza and ice cream parties, recognition ribbons, and raffle prizes.
Island: St. Thomas
Name: Lisa Plaskett-Samuel
Organization: Boschulte Middle School
Award: $800
Project: The Achievers Program
Project Description: The Achievers Program focuses on at-risk students to learn anger management, group counseling, and raise self esteem. Funding will provide for t-shirts, office supplies, and trainers.
Island: St. Thomas
Name: Alexander Randall
Organization: University of the Virgin Islands
Award: $700
Project: Digital Video Production
Project Description: Students will learn about modern video production, production techniques, and how to use a video to tell a story. Funding will provide for 3 new cameras and will be used beyond the dates of this class.
Island: St. Thomas
Name: Sandra Reed
Organization: Lockhart Quadrille Dance Group
Award: $978
Project: Lockhart Quadrille Dance Group
Project Description: Lockhart Quadrille Dancers practice two to three times weekly after school and accepts 99% of all engagements. Funding will provide for uniforms, cleaning of uniforms, and a small stipend to instructors.
Island: St. Thomas
Name: Sandra Rock
Organization: St. Mary's Cub Scouts Pack 898
Award: $500
Project: Building Leadership Through Scouting
Project Description: Cub scouting is designed to promote growth, character development, and good health in boys ages 6-10. It is a year round program that requires family involvement. Funding will provide for t-shirts, promotional badges, and other activity materials.
Name: Frank Stapleton
Organization: St. Andrews Seek and Serve Outreach Inc.
Award: $750
Project: Self Improvement Program
Project Description: Elderly in the community will teach low to moderate income youth how to prepare local dishes and set tables. The cooking classes with unite youth and elderly. Funding will provide for kitchen utensils and cutlery.
Island: St. Thomas
Name: Kirk Thomas
Organization: Rockin' Starz Youth Club
Award: $1,000
Project: Rockin' Starz Youth Club Little League Baseball Program
Project Description: Rockin' Starz Youth Club will teach the fundamentals of baseball, the qualities of citizenship, discipline, character, and teamwork. Funding will provide for baseball equipment.
Island: St. Thomas
Name: Cecilia Walters-Smith
Organization: Charlotte Amalie High School
Award: $850
Project: The Presidential Scholars ACE Quiz Bowl Camp
Project Description: Students will attend a one-week camp at Milligan College in Tennessee to study and practice for the competition. Funding will defray the cost of registration fees for four students.
Island: St. Thomas
Name: Claire Wilkinson
Organization: Artist's Association of St. John
Award: $500
Project: After School Visual Arts Program
Project Description: The Artist's Association of St. John is planning a 26 week after school Visual Arts Program for young people ages 14-18. Classes will meet once per week for 2 hours each week. Students will create a portfolio of work produced over the course of the program. The funding will offset the costs for each student and make student scholarships possible.
Island: St. John
Name: Barbara Young
Organization: Eudora Kean High School
Award: $600
Project: St. Thomas Now and Then
Project Description: The photography elective class will print black and white negatives of Jack Delano in St. Thomas and St. Croix in 1941. The class will then visit the same locations to shoot from our perspective today. The class will use digital cameras, editing and printing in the photo lab at school. The funding will assist with 2 digital cameras, paper, chemistry and other photo materials.
Island: St. Thomas
Name: Nayda Young
Organization: Sew Stylish, a Fashion Design and Dress Making Course
Award: $500
Project: Sew Stylish, a Fashion Design and Dress Making Course
Project Description: Students age 9-adult will learn basic skills including sketching, pattern drafting, f
abric and pattern selection, sewing machine use, and garment construction. Funding will provide for payment to instructor, as well as, sewing supplies and equipment.
Island: St. Thomas
Name: Gloria Zakers
Organization: VI Montessori Upper School
Award: $500
Project: Eco-High School
Project Description: Eco-High School is a plan developed by students to go green. This includes monitoring energy production, installing hybrid equipment, and presenting data on a Web site and to the public about usage changes. Funding will provide for installation of wind turbine, solar hot water heater, and to post signage to educate the public about the project.
Island: St. Thomas
