St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands – In celebration of 34 years of leadership, service, and impact in the U.S. Virgin Islands, St. Croix Foundation for Community Development is excited to announce that tickets go on sale on October 1, 2024, for the return of the St. Croix Food & Wine Experience’s Wine in the Warehouse – SCF’s annual benefit, and a spectacular night of “Food, Fun, and Philanthropy” held at Bohlke International Aviation on Friday, December 6, 2024, from 6:00-9:00 PM.

34 Years of Philanthropy Rooted in Place

As the Foundation commemorates 34 years of leadership and service, its mission remains steadfast: to revitalize St. Croix through strategic community development initiatives. Building on decades of transformative community work, from the ongoing restoration of Sunday Market Square to their advocacy and data work with KIDS COUNT USVI, the Foundation’s holistic approach continues to drive social and economic advancement across the Territory.

This year’s Wine in the Warehouse, now in its 16th year, will once again highlight St. Croix’s vibrant culinary culture while serving as the Foundation’s signature fundraising event. The 2024 theme, “Philanthropy Rooted in Place,” embodies the Foundation’s deep commitment to empowering the community through collective action and investment.

An Evening of Impact

More than an event, Wine in the Warehouse brings together community, corporate partners, and philanthropic supporters who are invested in building a brighter future for St. Croix. With Bohlke International Aviation serving as host for the evening, guests will experience a stunning evening of local flavors, fine wines from around the world from CC1, and live entertainment, all set against the sleek backdrop of a private jet fleet.

St. Croix Foundation President, Deanna James, reflected on the Foundation’s 34-year journey, saying: “As we celebrate our 34th birthday, we are immensely grateful for the unwavering support from our partners and donors, whose commitment allows us to confront systemic challenges and create lasting change in the Virgin Islands. Wine in the Warehouse is not just about food and wine; it’s about mobilizing resources to further our mission of philanthropy and holistic community development. As the Foundation spearheads Whether through restoring downtown spaces, advancing youth development, or supporting local nonprofit capacity building, this event enables us to amplify the power of collective philanthropy and deepen our impact.”

Tickets and Sponsorship Opportunities

Tickets for Wine in the Warehouse will be available for purchase on Tuesday, October 1st, 2024, at www.stxfoodandwine.com. Guests are encouraged to secure their spot quickly as this event typically sells out. Tickets may also be purchased by phoning St. Croix Foundation at 340-773-9898.

The Foundation extends its heartfelt thanks to early sponsors Bohlke International Aviation, CC1, and Crucian Point, and invites additional sponsors to join us as event partners. In-kind sponsorships, particularly for the event’s silent auction, are also welcome.

For sponsorship inquiries, please contact 340-773-9898 or email jlawrence@stxfoundation.org.

Celebrating 34 Years of Service

Reflecting on 34 years of community impact, the Foundation highlights key accomplishments that showcase the importance of public-private partnerships in building a resilient St. Croix. Notable initiatives include the revitalization of Christiansted’s Sunday Market Square, the KIDS COUNT USVI data and advocacy initiative, and our role as fiscal sponsor for over 250 local nonprofits. These achievements are only the beginning, and with continued support, we are committed to shaping an even more prosperous and thriving community for years to come.

For ticket sales, event details, and sponsorship opportunities, visit www.stxfoodandwine.com or call the St. Croix Foundation’s office at 340-773-9898.

ST. CROIX, U.S.V.I., August 2024 – St. Croix Foundation for Community Development is proud to announce the recipients of the 2024 Lang-Wise STEM Scholarship. A total of $10,000 has been awarded to five exceptionally talented rising first-year university students, all of whom are pursuing degrees in various STEM fields.

The following 2024 Lang-Wise STEM Scholarship recipients received awards ranging from $1,000 to $3,000 each:

• Sydney Philbert, Purdue University, Plant Genetics
• Ryan Ferdinand, Jr., Villanova University, Biomedical Engineering
• Jahnaiy Rodriguez, Florida A & M University, Physical Therapy
• Amonik Thomas, Howard University, Biology
• Keanna Alphonse, Texas A & M University Commerce, Forensic Accounting

The Lang-Wise STEM Scholarship Fund was established in 2022 by native Virgin Islanders Raydiance Wise and Alice Wise and is dedicated to supporting the educational endeavors of young scholars from St. Croix who have demonstrated a strong commitment to STEM disciplines. Each recipient was selected based on academic merit, a clear vision for their future, and a demonstrated passion for making a positive impact in their respective fields and ultimately, giving back to the Virgin Islands and global community.

Virtual Awards Ceremony Highlights

In their own words, the scholarship recipients expressed deep gratitude and a shared commitment to giving back to their community:

• Sydney Philbert: “I really appreciate being awarded this scholarship. It’s very hard to pay for college. It inspires me to keep looking for scholarships to bring down the cost of tuition. Thank you so much.”
• Jahnaiy Rodriguez: “I’m grateful to earn this scholarship. College is expensive and worrisome, but having a helpful hand like what you are doing for us really helps us on our paths of earning our degrees.”
• Ryan Ferdinand, Jr.: “On St. Croix, there is a dire need for advanced medical equipment, where we have to fly off island to receive the care we need. In athletics, there are injuries that ruin careers, and I want to make a positive impact on our community. I think it is admirable that the scholarship committee invests so much time in the youth, and I am thankful that you acknowledge our potential, our future, and invest so much into us.”
• Keanna Alphonse: “Going to high school and really getting to experience the distractions, unclean air, lack of maintenance, and always hearing we have money but never seeing how the money is being used—I decided that when I become a forensic accountant, I need to figure out where this money is going because I want future generations to have better than I have. Also, I want to thank you for being consistent with communications. A lot of scholarship committees don’t really communicate with you well, and it stresses you out. I hope that one day I can be like you, giving back to the youth, because it’s not just about saying what someone can do but empowering them to do it.”

St. Croix Foundation’s Scholarships Review Committee was astounded at the quality of 2024 applicants and was eager to find a way to support each young scholar. As such, SCF awarded a special scholarship through the Ludington Fund to Ms. Leyonna Maria Ravariere, who will be studying Biology at the University of the Virgin Islands this fall.

St. Croix Foundation also wishes to acknowledge the inspiring words of Raydiance Wise, a proud St. Joseph alumni,  engineer and Lang-Wise STEM Scholarship Fund Donor, who shared a powerful message with this year’s recipients: “To whom much is given, much is expected—sometimes we don’t realize how much we are given. We are born in the US, USVI, or grow up in the USVI, and we are given so much unearned privilege, and when I say that, I mean just the fact of where you are, where you grow up. You have the opportunity and access to so much, and there are people who do not. So keep this in mind, keep a certain civic mindfulness, and think of how you can have an impact on our community because, really, this should be a world that works for everybody. We have the opportunity to give a hand up where possible, so keep this in mind.”

St. Croix Foundation extends its deepest appreciation to the Lang-Wise family for their deep engagement, unwavering support and commitment to nurturing the next generation of STEM professionals. Their generosity ensures that a growing number of young scholars have the financial support they need to pursue their dreams and contribute to the global community. SCF urges community members to donate to The Lang-Wise Fund so that together, we can amplify our impact, empowering even more young leaders to achieve their full potential and drive positive change in the world.

For more information about the Lang-Wise STEM Scholarship Fund or to learn how to support similar initiatives, please visit the Foundation online at www.stxfoundation.org or call 340-773-9898.

ST. CROIX, U.S.V.I., July 24, 2024 – St. Croix Foundation is excited to announce that $22,000 in scholarships were awarded to six St. Croix youth on Wednesday, July 10, 2024, during a virtual presentation at St. Croix Foundation (SCF), headquartered in Sunday Market Square. Scholarships were made possible through the Patrick and Amelia Williams Opportunity Fund, the St. Croix Educational Complex 20th Anniversary Reunion Committee Fund, and the Foundation Scholars Fund.

2024 Scholarship Recipients:

Patrick & Amelia Williams Opportunity Fund

• One (1) $4,000 Competitive Scholarship to 2024 Graduate of St. Croix Educational Complex:
  • Jahnaiy Rodriguez, studying Physical Therapy at Florida A & M University
• Three (3) $4,000 Invitation-Only Scholarships to rising seniors:
  • Abigail Valery, studying Music Education at Temple University
  • Sanaa Burke, studying Meteorology at University of Delaware
  • Caliyah Helliger, studying Biology at Howard University

St. Croix Educational Complex (SCEC) 20th Anniversary Reunion Committee Fund

• One (1) $5,000 Competitive Scholarship:
  • Ryan Ferdinand, Jr., studying Biomedical Engineering at Villanova University
• One (1) $1,000 Scholarship for 2023 recipient:
  • Jayden Ferdinand, studying Psychology at Penn State University

Virtual Awards Ceremony Highlights

During the virtual awards ceremony, recipients shared their heartfelt gratitude:

• “I don’t think I would’ve been able to actually make it through college without your support. It means a lot to know that there are people back home outside of my family that actually care and they’re like I’m willing to instill in you, I am willing to invest in you, because I believe you have potential.” – Sanaa Burke
• “Thank you for your support, I couldn’t be able to chase my dreams of earning a doctorate degree in physical therapy without your aid. It not only means a lot to me, it means a lot to my family.” – Jahnaiy Rodriguez
• “A special thank you to the Committee for selecting me as a recipient of this scholarship; it’s a testament to all of my hard work and years of education, and I am extremely honored to receive it. I am committed to making the most of this opportunity.” – Ryan Ferdinand, Jr.
• “You guys are amazing. A blessing to the community, and I don’t know- more needs to go out about what you are doing.” – Mother of Ryan & Jayden Ferdinand

The Patrick and Amelia Williams Opportunity Fund was established by Junior Gaspard in honor of his grandparents, aiming to support youth who have met obstacles but persevere despite challenges. To date, the fund has awarded $84,000 to 15 young people. Junior Gaspard expressed his pride, saying, “We are incredibly proud to support these outstanding students who have demonstrated remarkable perseverance throughout their college journey. Watching them leave St. Croix for a new environment, settle into their lives as college students, and then perform at such a high level academically and socially over the last three years has been truly inspiring.”

The SCEC 20th Anniversary Reunion Committee Fund, established by the SCEC’s 2003 alum, has awarded a total of $11,000 to two young scholars in its two years of operation. Anquanette Gaspard, sister to Junior Gaspard, established the fund to increase support for St. Croix youth and encourage giving back to the next generation.

St. Croix Foundation extends its deepest appreciation to the Gaspard family, the St. Croix Educational Complex 20th Anniversary Reunion Committee, and the Foundation’s Grants & Scholarships Review Committee for their partnership and philanthropic spirit. The Foundation welcomes donations to these funds to support additional students as they pursue their education.

For more information on how to support these special funds or details on the application process for future scholarships, please visit the Foundation online at www.stxfoundation.org or call 340-773-9898.

ST. CROIX, U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) – According to the Annie E. Casey Foundation, which released its national 2024 KIDS COUNT© Data Book on June 10th. The failure of the U.S. to prepare our kids to learn could cost our children hundreds of billions of dollars in future earnings and the U.S. economy trillions in lost activity. The 2024 KIDS COUNT Data Book is a 50-state report of recent household data developed by Annie E. Casey Foundation analyzing how children and families are faring post-pandemic. (Note that the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) is not part of the rankings in the KIDS COUNT Data Book as it draws data from the American Community Survey, which is not conducted in the territory. The U.S. Virgin Islands is included in the KIDS COUNT © Data Center (https://datacenter.aecf.org/), which houses key data points on child well-being across the nation.) The annual report also sheds light on other challenges, including those surrounding education, health, and the economy that are affecting American children. Each year, the Data Book presents national and state data from 16 indicators in four domains — economic well-being, education, health, and family and community factors — and ranks the states according to how children are faring overall.

To supplement available national data, each year St. Croix Foundation’s KIDS COUNT USVI team publishes a Data Book (or product) focused specifically on the USVI that reports available data aligned with the four domains of the national Data Book.

In the U.S. Virgin Islands, as published in the 2023 KIDS COUNT Data Book in 2022, 42% of students enrolled at the University of the Virgin Islands were first-generation college students as compared to the national rate of 24%. While the data is specific to students at the University of the Virgin Islands, it represents a bright spot in the Virgin Islands, indicating the removal of barriers to opportunity and that our youth see higher education as a means to breaking racial inequities and cycles of poverty. According to the Education Trust, the stakes are particularly high for young Black male students: “Among those who don’t complete high school, 68 percent will be imprisoned by age 34. With a high school diploma, falls to 21 percent; with a college degree to 6 percent.”

Of course, there is still much work to be done. As reported in the national KIDS COUNT Data Book, chronic absenteeism is soaring post-pandemic with 30% of school children in the U.S. missing 10% or more days of school in 2021/2022. By comparison, in the USVI, the rate of chronic absenteeism was 31% across the territory in 2022 (36% in the St. Croix District and 26% in the St. John/St. Thomas District) according to data from the US Virgin Islands Department of Education (VIDE).

Nationally, in 2019, 33% of U.S. students met or exceeded standards in math; in 2022, only 26% of eighth graders were at or above proficient in math according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress or NAEP. Trends in reading are also on the decline. Nationally less than a third of fourth graders (32%) were at or above proficient in reading in 2022, two percentage points lower than right before the pandemic (34% in 2019).

Now in its 35th year of publication, the national KIDS COUNT® Data Book focuses on students’ lack of basic reading and math skills, a problem decades in the making but brought to light by the focus on learning loss during the COVID-19 pandemic. Unprecedented drops in learning from 2019 to 2022 amounted to decades of lost progress. And while chronic absence has increased nationally, it is our most vulnerable children living in poverty who are especially unable to resume their school day routines on a regular basis. Moreover, state averages mask disparities that affect students of color, children in immigrant families and children from low-income families or attending low-income schools.

The Casey Foundation report contends that the pandemic is not the sole cause of lower test scores:  Educators, researchers, policymakers and employers who track students’ academic readiness have been ringing alarm bells for a long time. U.S. scores in reading and math have barely budged in decades. Compared to peer nations, the United States is not equipping its children with the high-level reading, math and digital problem-solving skills needed for many of today’s fastest-growing occupations in a highly competitive global economy.

According to the Casey Foundation, this lack of readiness will result in major harm to the nation’s economy and to our youth as they join the workforce. Up to $31 trillion in U.S. economic activity hinges on helping young people overcome learning loss caused by the pandemic. Students who don’t advance beyond lower levels of math are more likely to be unemployed after high school. One analysis calculates the drop in math scores between 2019 and 2022 will reduce lifetime earnings by 1.6% for 48 million pandemic-era students, for a total of $900 billion in lost income.

However, some states have delayed spending their share of the $190 billion critical federal pandemic funding (Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief, or ESSER) that could help boost achievement. The U.S. Virgin Islands was awarded over $256 million in ESSER funding, of which approximately half has been spent according to the U.S. Department of Education (https://covid-relief-data.ed.gov/profile/state/VI). The deadline to allocate – not spend – this funding is September 30, 2024. Tens of billions of dollars set aside for schools will vanish forever if states do not act immediately.

The Annie E. Casey Foundation recommends the following:

• To get children back on track, we must make sure they arrive at the classroom ready to learn by ensuring access to low- or no-cost meals, a reliable internet connection, a place to study and time with friends, teachers and counselors.
• Expand access to intensive tutoring for students who are behind in their classes and missing academic milestones. Research has shown the most effective tutoring is in person, high dosage and tied directly to the school.
• States should take advantage of all their allocated pandemic relief funding to prioritize the social, emotional, academic and physical well-being of students. As long as funds are obligated by the Sept. 30 deadline, states should have two more full years to spend them.
• States and school systems should address chronic absence, so more students return to learn. While few states gather and report chronic absence data by grade, all of them should. Improving attendance tracking and data will inform future decision-making. Lawmakers should embrace positive approaches rather than criminalizing students or parents due to attendance challenges, because they may not understand the consequences of even a few days missed.
• Policymakers should invest in community schools, public schools that provide wraparound support to children and families. Natural homes for tutoring, mental health support, nutritional aid and other services, community schools use innovative and creative programs to support young learners and encourage parent engagement, which leads to better outcomes for

St. CROIX, U.S.V.I., May 17, 2024 – St. Croix Foundation is pleased to announce two competitive scholarship opportunities for 2024 St. Croix graduates through the Patrick and Amelia Williams Opportunity Fund and the St. Croix Educational Complex (SCEC) 20th Anniversary Reunion Committee Fund. A minimum of one scholarship of up to $5,000 will be awarded from the Patrick and Amelia Williams Opportunity Fund to a graduating senior from a St. Croix public high school; the SCEC 20th Anniversary Reunion Fund will award a minimum of one scholarship, not to exceed $5000, to a graduate of the St. Croix Educational Complex. The Foundation will begin accepting applications for both Funds on May 17, 2024, and the application deadline is June 14, 2024.

Open to 2024 graduates from the St. Croix Educational Complex, the SCEC 20th Anniversary Reunion
Fund requires that all applicants provide proof of acceptance to an accredited college or university and indicate and maintain a GPA of 2.0 or higher. The Patrick and Amelia Williams Opportunity Fund is open to all public high school 2024 graduates who must also indicate acceptance to an accredited institute of higher learning and maintain a GPA of 2.0 and higher. All applicants will be asked to submit a 500-word essay describing a time they met and overcame an obstacle, as well as a video presentation describing their educational goals. Applications will be reviewed by the St. Croix Foundation Grants Review Committee and must be received no later than June 14, 2024.

The Patrick and Amelia Williams Opportunity Fund was established by Junior Gaspard, a graduate of Central High School and John H. Woodson Junior High School, in honor of his grandparents. Gaspard recalls the hard work and determination embodied in his grandfather’s spirit when he moved the entire family to St. Croix from St. Vincent. This, combined with his grandmother’s resilience as she courageously contended with the loss of her eyesight, provided a road map to overcoming challenges with strength and perseverance. St. Croix Foundation for Community Development (SCF) administers the Patrick and Amelia Williams Opportunity Fund to provide opportunities to youth who have met obstacles but persevere despite these challenges and see education as a means to achieving personal and professional success that can then be shared with the next generation.

Upholding the spirit of the Williams Opportunity Fund, Anquanette Gaspard, sister to Junior Gaspard and granddaughter of Patrick and Amelia Williams, also recognized an opportunity to increase support for St. Croix youth and established the St. Croix Educational Complex 20th Anniversary Reunion Committee Fund together with the SCEC’s 2003 alum to encourage giving back to the next generation of young people.

Application Process. To apply, interested students should visit the Foundation’s website at https://www.stxfoundation.org/grants-scholarships/ where Application Guidelines can be found. All applications are due by June 14, 2024. Applicants will be informed of decisions by July 3, 2024.

All scholarship recipients are required to report on their successes and challenges throughout the year to help ensure that the Fund continues to meet current needs and to provide students with additional support if needed. If challenges or questions arise regarding completing the application and/or obtaining required documents, staff is available to assist at lcox@stxfoundation.org and/or ajohnson@stxfoundation.org.

St. Croix Foundation wishes to extend its sincerest appreciation to the Advisors and Donors of the Patrick and Amelia Williams Opportunity Fund and St. Croix Educational Complex 20^th Anniversary Reunion Committee Fund and the class of 2003, who are strategically giving back to the next generation. For more information about how to support these special funds, please visit the Foundation online at www.stxfoundation.org or call 340.773.9898.

ST. CROIX, U.S. Virgin Islands – St. Croix Foundation is pleased to offer a minimum of three scholarships between $500 and $5,000 each to 2024 graduating seniors on St. Croix through the Lang-Wise STEM Scholarship Fund. The Foundation will begin accepting applications for the 2024 Lang-Wise STEM Scholarship Fund beginning May 15, 2024, and the deadline to apply is June 14, 2024.

Open to 2024 graduates from St. Croix public, private, or parochial schools, the Lang-Wise STEM Scholarship Fund requires that applicants be pursuing a degree in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM). Applicants must provide proof of acceptance to an accredited four-year college or university to study and must indicate and maintain a GPA of 2.75 or higher. Applications will be reviewed by the St. Croix Foundation Grants Review Committee and must be received no later than June 14.

The Lang-Wise STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) Scholarship Fund was established in the fall of 2022 at St. Croix Foundation by St. Croix resident and engineer Raydiance Wise. Recognizing that scholarships help to cover significant costs associated with higher education, this award is designed to encourage students to pursue STEM-related fields of study by offsetting expenses related to travel, clothing, textbooks, and other expenses that become burdensome. The Fund supports graduating seniors from public, private, or parochial schools on the island of St. Croix.

In its first official cycle, the Lang-Wise STEM Scholarship Fund awarded $13,500 to five St. Croix youth studying nursing, physics, computer science, biology and cyber security at institutions including Howard University, Northeastern University, Texas State University, University of Tampa and Nova Southeastern University.

Application Process. To apply, interested students should visit the Foundation’s website at https://www.stxfoundation.org/grants-scholarships/ where Application Guidelines can be found. All applications are due June 14. Applicants will be informed of decisions by July 3rd. All scholarship recipients are required to report on their successes and challenges throughout the year to help ensure that the Fund continues to meet current needs and to provide students with additional support if needed. If challenges or questions arise regarding completing the application and/or obtaining required documents, staff is available to assist at ajohnson@stxfoundation.org or lcox@stxfoundation.org.

St. Croix Foundation wishes to extend its sincerest appreciation the Lang-Wise family, who is strategically and intentionally supporting our young people. For more information about how to support the Lang-Wise STEM Scholarship Fund, please visit the Foundation online at www.stxfoundation.org or call at 340.773.9898.

St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, May 2, 2024 – St. Croix Foundation for Community Development’s (SCF) KIDS COUNT USVI Team hosted its first KIDS COUNT USVI Summit April 16-17, 2024, on St. Croix at The Grange Event Center near Anna’s Hope. 

Entitled Answering the Call: We are the System and the Solution, the event was held in partnership with the Office of the Governor and convened a carefully curated cohort of key stakeholders from the public, private, and civic sectors who directly impact KIDS COUNT USVI.  Despite the dismal trends reported in the 2023 KIDS COUNT USVI Data Book, the Foundation’s KIDS COUNT Team believes that the size of the Territory, and even our status, may represent untapped opportunities to do things differently: to make radical and rapid strides in the area of child well-being.

The ultimate goal of the Summit was to fulfill the KIDS COUNT USVI Team’s pledge to activate the data published in the annual Data Book by creating a safe space for key stakeholders to cultivate relationships across sectors and, in turn, co-create new, cohesive systems of support for our Territory’s children.

The Summit was facilitated by internationally renowned systems change expert and founder of The Outside, Tuesday Rivera, who has led numerous communities through the deliberative and collaborative process of co-designing new ways of “doing” and “being,” which lead to radical systems change.  A session was also led by Dr. Ulcca Joshi Hansen, formerly of Grantmakers for Education and author of The Future of Smart, who offered a compelling perspective on the American educational system, calling for a human-centered approach that is adaptive to children’s needs and assets as social beings and is less linear and mechanistic than traditional methods.

Some notable highlights from the two-day convening included an early morning serenade from the youth choir of the St. Croix Seventh Day Adventist School as well as a powerful video presentation entitled “Sankofa,” which is an African word that translates to ‘go back and fetch it.’ The video offered a reflective snapshot of the story of the Territory’s children from the Pre-colonial Period to the Present, highlighting the evolution of the Territory’s enslaved population from the 18^th Century. As outlined in “Slave Demography of the Danish West Indian Islands” by Hans Christian Johansen, St. Croix’s enslaved population in the early 1800s topped out at 27,006 relative to significantly lower numbers on St. Thomas and St. John at 5,737 and 2,492, respectively (The Scandinavian History Review Incorporating Economy and History, v.29:1, 1981.) Another compelling data point from the past included the fact that in Earle B. Ottley’s, Trials and Triumphs, The Long Road to a Middle Class Society in the U.S. Virgin Islands, from 1903 to 1915, up to three-quarters of children born in the Virgin Islands died, indicating how much progress the U.S. Virgin Islands has made over time.

According to St. Croix Foundation President, Deanna James, “There are really no words to articulate how both transformational and inspirational the Summit was. Over the course of the Foundation’s 33 years of service, we have hosted a significant number of gatherings. But this meeting was different. In fact, we made a bold decision to frame the summit as a Village Council Meeting, with guests representing not just executives, lawmakers, and leaders, but also Griots, Elders, and Allies – all armed with a multitude of tools, deep wisdom, and hopefully, the will to solve the complex social problems confronting our Children… together!”

From start to finish, the Foundation’s KIDS COUNT Team sought to demonstrate to Summit participants that change doesn’t have to be legislated by policy. In truth, communities can spur radical systems change through a single collective decision – made by just a few – to change their behavior. The Summit also highlighted the issue of Spirituality as a critical component of child well-being with an inspirational “Grounding Ceremony” from Tahirah AbuBakr, a member of the St. Croix Council of Elders who challenged attendees to remember the central role that Elders have played in ancestral societies relative to transferring wisdom, spirituality, and historical cultural values to youth.

The KIDS COUNT USVI Data Researcher and Designer, Laurence Blake, remarked “The summit ignited hope and purpose within our team. Witnessing stakeholders unite to address child well-being challenges was inspiring. Facilitators like Tuesday Rivera and Dr. Ulcca Joshi Hansen showcased new pathways for change. The event fostered collaboration and innovation, empowering us to transcend boundaries and prioritize children’s welfare.”

From the beginning of their stewardship of KIDS COUNT in the USVI, St. Croix Foundation committed to moving beyond rote data collection. The 2024 KIDS COUNT USVI Summit intentionally made space for the collaboration necessary for systems change. Linda Stamper-Keularts, Director of Advancement at Good Hope Country Day School, spoke on the outcomes of the Summit, stating, “Attending the KIDS COUNT Summit was an enlightening experience that truly underscored the importance of collaborative action in tackling the multifaceted challenges faced by our youth.  The Summit brought together a diverse range of nonprofit organizations and GVI agencies from various sectors, fostering rich discussions, new relationships, and innovative solutions to address issues confronting our youth. Good Hope Country Day School is feeling empowered and motivated to continue to advocate for the well-being of our youth.”

In her framing remarks at the start of the Summit, Foundation CEO James outlined what she hoped attendees would walk away from the gathering having learned: THAT EVERYTHING IS CONNECTED TO EVERYTHING IS CONNECTED TO EVERYTHING! She closed by stating, “What the Foundation has come to learn, is that Change, real sustained Change, isn’t often an outgrowth of a comprehensive, well-framed strategic plan or policy agenda, but in some ways (in fact, in many ways), it’s electrified, very simply, by People fused in courageously cultivated Relationships committed to solving big problems – not alone, not siloed, not solo, but together! Cultivating those relationships is the real challenge and an important, often undervalued, under-prioritized factor in systems change.”

An electronic copy of the 2023 KIDS COUNT USVI Data Book is available at https://stxfoundation.info/2023KIDSCOUNTUSVIDataBook.

St. Croix Foundation for Community Development would like to thank the Office of the Governor and Policy Advisor on Workforce Development and Education, Sana Joseph Smith, The Grange Event Center owners and staff, caterers Common Sense and A Matter of Taste, as well as contributors to the Summit’s “Sankofa” Video Presentation, Dr. Lucy Jackson, Neejay Canton, and Dejalys Delgado. St. Croix Foundation also extends its sincere appreciation to local private sector supporters, including Tropical Shipping, DIAM Management, Seven Seas Water Group, Global Asset Management, and TEAM Consultants, along with all other sponsors of the Foundation’s Annual Fundraiser, which supports all of the Foundation’s year-round programming, including KIDS COUNT USVI.

For more information about KIDS COUNT USVI or any resources at the 2024 KIDS COUNT Summit, please visit https://www.stxfoundation.org/kids-count-usvi/. Questions about KIDS COUNT USVI should be directed to President Deanna James of St. Croix Foundation at 340.773.9898 or DJames@stxfoundation.org.

St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands – St. Croix Foundation for Community Development (SCF) is pleased to announce the release of the territory’s 2023 KIDS COUNT USVI Data Book, entitled “A CALL TO ACTION: Sounding the Alarm on Child Well-being in the U.S. Virgin Islands.” The Data Book was presented to a broad range of community stakeholders on Tuesday, December 19, 2023, at 10:00 AM AST during a Virtual Community Stakeholder Presentation open to the public.

A national initiative of the Annie E. Casey Foundation (AECF), KIDS COUNT© has evolved into one of the largest, long-standing data repositories in the United States focused on the status of children and families. A national network of nonprofits, foundations, and consortia from all 50 States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, KIDS COUNT is seen as a vital means of providing critical data about child well-being for many federal, state, and local government agencies.

During the virtual data presentation on December 19th, SCF’s KIDS COUNT Team provided an overview of the 2023 USVI Data Book to Government and Nonprofit Partners and Community Stakeholders. The Data Book comprehensively reports on the status of U.S. Virgin Islands youth in four primary domains: Family and Community, Education, Health, and Economic Well-being. Additionally, KIDS COUNT USVI includes spotlights on Opportunity Youth (ages 16-24) and Community Bright Spots, which incorporates the territory’s nonprofit sector as a vital component of the USVI’s system of supports for children.

An electronic copy of the 2023 KIDS COUNT USVI Data Book is available at https://stxfoundation.info/2023KIDSCOUNTUSVIDataBook. Interested parties may also watch a recording of the Community Presentation at https://stxfoundation.info/KIDSCOUNTUSVI_2023Presentation. Additionally, physical copies of the 2023 Data Book may be requested by reaching out to the Foundation directly at jlawrence@stxfoundation.org or calling 340.773.9898.

The 2023 KIDS COUNT USVI Data Book includes data collected from the most current available data sources from the public and civic (nonprofit) sector throughout the territory, reporting on conditions across all ages of childhood. As part of St. Croix Foundation’s strategy, this year’s data book again targets “Opportunity Youth” (youth ages 16-24 who are not in school and not working). Hot Spots surrounding this age group include an increase in violent crimes

committed, from 198 in 2021 to 243 in 2022 – an increase of 22.7%. Still, youth employment and internship opportunities increased. According to the Department of Labor, its employment programs aimed at opportunity youth had increased enrollment in 2022, with 895 total participants across its three youth-focused programs, an increase from 837 participants in 2021.

For children of all ages, some of the data is urgent and consequential to the future of the U.S. Virgin Islands: 33% of children in the USVI are living in poverty. Among children five years of age and younger, poverty rates are higher across the territory: on the island of St. Croix, the poverty rate for children under five is 42%.

But there are also tangible Bright Spots throughout the territory. Civic organizations such as My Brothers Workshop, Caribbean Center for Boys and Girls of the VI, Women’s Coalition of St. Croix, St. Thomas East End Medical Center, and many more agencies such as the VI Department of Labor and Department of Sports, Parks and Recreation are transforming the lives of youth in our community each day. In fact, many agencies reported a higher demand for their services. For example, the Family Resource Center on St. Thomas served 379 minors in 2022, a large increase compared to the 222 served in 2021.

Also reported in the Data Book: In School Year 2021-2022, academic assessment scores among the USVI’s student population have declined significantly after the 2019 hurricanes and COVID-19. 95% of 7th graders were Not Proficient in Math and 84% were Not Proficient in English Language Arts. Among 11th graders this trend continues with 70.6% as Not Proficient in English Language Arts; and 95% as Not Proficient in Math. Yet, there are also Bright Spots: The graduation rate for the 2021-2022 school year was 74.4%, the highest percentage since the 2016-2017 school year.

There are also important Bright Spots for our community around health that may also serve as models for our territory and the nation. As stated in the 2023 USVI Data Book, “According to the US Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service, the USVI reported the highest breastfeeding percentage rate (including fully and partially breastfed infants) of all WIC State agencies at 70.9% in fiscal year 2021 (October 1, 2020, through September 30, 2021). The nationally leading breastfeeding rate enabled the USVI to blunt the impacts of the national baby formula shortages experienced in 2022. The USVI WIC program’s efforts in promoting and providing resources for mothers allowed for sufficient stock of infant formula even as shortages were prevalent nationwide. The USVI WIC staff conducted targeted outreach to achieve the high levels of breastfeeding, including Zoom classes, nutrition training, providing funds for purchases directly from local farmer’s markets, and doing community outreach at public housing facilities in both districts.”

In the domain of health, a worrying Hot Spot is child maltreatment. In 2022, there was a 39% increase in cases of reported child maltreatment from 2021. This increase is particularly striking as child maltreatment had been decreasing each year from a high of 420 cases in 2019 down to 208 in 2021.

According to Dr. Saul Santiago, Principal Investigator and Data Analyst of KIDS COUNT USVI, “We have compiled, analyzed, and reported up-to-date and comprehensive information, including charts and visualizations, over the last three years on child well-being in the US Virgin Islands. The startling trends found in the extensive data sets of our USVI KIDS COUNT Data Books must serve as a call to action for all stakeholders to work together and ensure a brighter future for our territory.”

A central data point that frames all other data in the 2023 Data Book is the overarching age of the territorial population: Since 2000, the number of children in the USVI has decreased by half according to the 2020 Census. At the same time, the Virgin Islands has become the most rapidly aging population in the United States, with a median age of 45.9 years compared to the national median age of 38.8 years old. As births have decreased and young people have left the island, all age groups under 40 experienced a decline in population between 2010 and 2020, creating an alarming trend that has far-reaching implications for every aspect of the Virgin Island’s future, from workforce development to healthcare and education. The 2023 KIDS COUNT USVI Data Book also urges greater commitment to “systems-thinking” in order to foster collaboration across sectors and connect seemingly disparate data domains so that the Virgin Islands can, more effectively identify and address urgent issues through data-driven policy, programs, and services.

St. Croix Foundation President and CEO of St. Croix Foundation, Deanna James, posed several pointed questions to stakeholders, namely: “Have we, as a territory, upheld our social contracts with children over the course of time? And, most importantly, as we face the reality that our community is growing older and our child population is evaporating, who are we building for? And, what if we were heading toward a future without children?” In the 2023 Data Book’s Welcome Section, James stated that, “While (the Foundation) has tried to maintain neutrality in our storytelling and data sharing, this year’s datasets have felt like a blaring S.O.S. requiring deeper interrogation, context, and decisive action. Intentionally, the image for our 2023 cover, courtesy of David Berg, depicts a child in shadows, on a beach in Frederiksted, blowing a conch shell – symbolism meant to both sound an alarm and issue a call to order.”

St. Croix Foundation extends its deepest appreciation to the Annie E. Casey Foundation for supporting child well-being in the U.S. Virgin Islands through KIDS COUNT©, and to its many local and national partners who support this work including Seven Seas Water Group, TEAM Consultants, OCWEN Services, Tropical Shipping, and GAM Software. Special acknowledgement also goes to the Foundation’s public and civic sector Data Partners for their collaboration and commitment to children and families in the Virgin Islands. Questions about the initiative should be directed to President Deanna James of St. Croix Foundation at 340.773.9898 or DJames@stxfoundation.org.

St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands – St. Croix Foundation for Community Development (SCF) announces the release of the 2023 KIDS COUNT USVI Data Book, “A Call to Action,” on Tuesday, December 19th, 2023, at 10:00 AM AST during a Virtual Community Stakeholder Presentation.

A national initiative of the Annie E. Casey Foundation (AECF), KIDS COUNT© has evolved into one of the largest, long-standing data repositories in the United States focused on the status of children and families.  A national network of nonprofits, foundations, and consortia from all 50 States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, KIDS COUNT is seen as a vital means of providing critical data about child well-being for many federal, state, and local government agencies.

During the virtual presentation on December 19^th, SCF’s KIDS COUNT USVI Team will provide an overview of the 2023 USVI Data Book to Government Partners, Nonprofit Civic Organizations, Policymakers, and Community Stakeholders. The 2023 KIDS COUNT Data Book comprehensively reports on the status of U.S. Virgin Islands youth in four primary domains (Family and Community, Education, Health, and Economic Well-being).  An electronic copy of the Data Book will be distributed to all registered participants and physical copies will be available to interested parties post-release.  Parents, educators, nonprofit organizations, policy makers, and
public administrators are likely to find the information in this year’s Data Book particularly useful.

Interested parties may register for the Virtual Presentation at: https://stxfoundation.info/2023KIDSCOUNTUSVI. There is no cost to attend.

The KIDS COUNT Data Book includes data collected from the most current available data sources (including Governmental as well as Nonprofit) throughout the Territory.  One targeted population that the KIDS COUNT Team seeks to highlight is an often-overlooked subpopulation of our children – Opportunity Youth between the ages of 16-24.

According to President and CEO of St. Croix Foundation, Deanna James: “This year’s Data Book is one of the most consequential publications that St. Croix Foundation has released to date. And, all community stakeholders, public policy officials, political aspirants, and parents, are urged to take time out of their busy schedules to attend. While there are encouraging Bright Spots that are highlighted in our 2023 Data Book, alarming Hotspots demand the attention of everyone in our community who provides services to children, has children, or has uttered the phrase ‘our children are our future’.”

St. Croix Foundation extends its deepest appreciation to the Annie E. Casey Foundation and to its many local and national partners who support this work including Seven Seas Water Group, TEAM Consultants, OCWEN Services, Tropical Shipping, and GAM Software. Special acknowledgment also goes to the Foundation’s public and civic sector Data Partners for their collaboration and commitment to children and families in the Virgin Islands.  Questions about the initiative should be directed to President Deanna James of St. Croix Foundation at 340.773.9898 or DJames@stxfoundation.org.