May 13, 2009 – The Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands (CFVI) recently awarded $27,134 in mini-grants to 39 applicants for projects that seek to improve the lives of children and families on St. Croix, St. Thomas and St. John. The grants, ranging from $250 to $1,000, were announced by CFVI's President, Dee Baecher-Brown.
"We were delighted to be able to continue this mini-grant program for the 13th consecutive year, bringing the total projects funded over the years to 623, for a value of $350,000" said Baecher-Brown. "CFVI believes that the mini-grants program is an example of how long-term commitment and small grants can have a big impact in our community. "
CFVI Mini-Grants support the Foundation's mission to enhance the educational, physical, social, cultural and environmental well being of children, youth and families in the Virgin Islands. Through the generosity of CFVI Angel donors, mini-grants help to support a wide range of service organizations and individuals working to provide positive alternatives for children and families and help to address social and educational challenges.
Among the projects funded this year were: Fishing for Families by the Salvation Army of St. Croix, which is intended to provide quality time, recreation and community relations between parents/guardians and their children; Making Waves on St. Thomas, where students will be taught not only swimming and water safety, but will also become certified to administer CPR/first aid; and Green Thumb Gardening Project on St. John, teaching gardening skills to students from the special education class at Sprauve School.
CFVI also distributes scholarships to students as well as grants to individual teachers for innovative classroom projects. This year, grants will be awarded to Child Care Centers for improving the quality of early childhood education. KIDS COUNT, a major study of children's health and well being in the Virgin Islands, which is published annually, is another major project of CFVI, as well as The Family Connection Center, a long-term initiative providing professional development and early childhood resources to families and educators throughout the territory.
For more information, call CFVI at 774-6031 of visit the Web site at cfvi.net.
