2015 ST. CROIX FOOD & WINE EXPERIENCE

St. Croix, US Virgin Islands – April 2015 – The St. Croix Foundation announces the start of St. Croix Food & Wine Experience, 2015.  This culinary, wine and spirits festival held in the US Virgin Islands, is scheduled to run from Sunday April 12 through Saturday, April 18. The weeklong event will consist of an impressive roster of guest chefs including well-known TV personalities, cookbook authors, James Beard winners and corporate chefs.

Guest chefs will participate in multiple events during the culinary series, working alongside students from the Career and Technical Education Center (CTEC) culinary program as well as with local chefs. Through a deepening partnership with the Department of Tourism, the event also brings to the Territory a variety of travel writers, bloggers and media representatives, expanding St. Croix’s national and international position as a culinary and tourism market.

As an outgrowth of the wildly successful, A Taste of St. Croix, which celebrates its 15^th anniversary this year, funds raised from the St. Croix Food and Wine Experience support the St. Croix Foundation for Community Development, enabling the Foundation to continue its work in the areas of community revitalization, public safety, public education, and economic development.

According to St. Croix Foundation’s Executive Director, Deanna James, “Beyond, being a fundraiser for the Foundation, the Food and Wine Experience is also—at the core, a celebration of the rich culinary industry in the Territory.” “Named one of the top 10 international food and wine events by Forbes Travel.com, the event features a majority of St. Croix’s restaurants and wine purveyors, giving guests an unprecedented opportunity to really get a taste of local cuisine,” James continued.

The line-up of guest chefs for the 2015 St. Croix Food & Wine Experience includes:

Tony Castellucci – Executive Chef at Facebook and third time participant in the St. Croix Food & Wine Experience.

Sam Choy – Author, James Beard winner, restaurateur, Iron Chef winner, TV personality, “Godfather of Poke,” and the ambassador for Hawaiian cuisine. 

Tiffany Derry – TV personality, national spokesperson for the Art Institute’s Culinary Arts Program, Top Chefs All Stars fan favorite and finalist, most recently appearing on Spike TV’s Hungry Investors and Bar Rescue.

Duff Goldman (Ace of Cakes) – Founder of Charm City Cakes in Baltimore and Los Angeles, Chef Goldman starred in Food Network’s Ace of Cakes, a reality show named after his bakery, and now hosts his current hit, Duff Till Dawn.

Kevin Fonzo – Owner and Executive Chef of K Wine Bar, a James Beard nominee and acclaimed by Zagat and Bon Appetit, Fonzo is also known for his extensive work with First Lady Michelle Obama’s Chefs Move to Schools and the Edible Schoolyard.

Ray Lampe (Dr. BBQ) – Author, expert Judge on Travel Channel’s “American Grilled” and “World Food Championships,” frequent TV show guest and the newest inductee to the BBQ Hall of Fame.

Dean Spinks – Executive Chef at Facebook and third time participant in the St. Croix Food & Wine Experience.

Guest chefs of the St. Croix Food & Wine Experience participate in at least three events during the week, which range from relaxed to elegant options for foodies. Guest wine makers, spirit companies and breweries are paired with each event. The 2015 schedule of events is:

Sunday, April 12 – Cuisine on the Green golf tournament and tasting (at Carambola Golf Club)

Tuesday, April 14

• Gourmet Vintner Dinner (at Tutto Bene) featuring Chef Tiffany Derry
• City Crawl (Christiansted dine around) featuring Cafe Christine, Rum Runners, and desserts by Chef Duff Goldman at Zion Modern Kitchen

Wednesday, April 15

• Icing on the Cake, held at the Buccaneer for an intimate cake decorating class with Duff Goldman
• Food Fight on the Beach with Chefs Sam Choy, Dr. BBQ, and Dean Spinks (at Renaissance St. Croix Carambola Beach Resort & Spa)

Thursday, April 16 – A Taste of St. Croix (15^th Anniversary Celebration) at the Divi Carina Bay Resort

Friday, April 17

• Intimate Cork & Fork dinners featuring Chef Tony Castellucci and the St. Croix Culinary Juniors, Kevin Fonzo and Digby Stridiron
• Sunset BBQ (on the Frederiksted Pier) featuring Sam Choy, Billy Desimone, Dr. BBQ,  Dean Spinks, and Chef Doos with the culinary students from the St. Croix Educational Complex

Saturday, April 18

• Kids Cooking Event (at Pearl B. Larsen) with Chefs Ashley McKinnon and Frank Robinson
• Wine in the Warehouse (at Leeward Islands Warehouse) fine wine tasting and appetizers
• Food & Wine Experience has also led to the development of a dynamic Culinary Internship Program that provides St. Croix youth annual spring internships at participating guest chefs’ establishments. To date, CTEC students have interned at Facebook’s Headquarters in Silicon Valley California- an opportunity which translated into full-time jobs in California for the first two interns in 2014. Two more interns recently returned from a three week internship, which included a two week stint at Facebook and one week in Hawaii at the restaurant of James Beard award winner, Sam Choy. Next year, a lucky student will intern at the world famous bakery of guest chef Duff Goldman, Charm City Cakes.

“Despite St. Croix’s economy and declining population, the Foundation is grateful to all the organizations and individuals that sponsor the Food & Wine Experience, and to the guests who return each year to make this the preeminent food and wine event in the Caribbean,” stated James. “Even more consequential than the fact that most of the events in this year’s line-up are sold out, is the fact that the St. Croix Food and Wine Experience is now providing rich career pathways for local youth and in turn opening doors and transforming lives,” she concluded.

For information about tickets, events, and sponsorship visit https://www.stxfoodandwine.com or call the Foundation at 340-773-9898.

Major sponsors of St. Croix Food & Wine Experience, 2015 are U.S Virgin Islands’ Tourism; Leeward Islands Management Company; Divi Carina Bay; Glazer’s Premier Distributors, LLC; Reliable Rentals; Crucian Point; Innovative; H. Douglas & Jeannine Schrock; Seaborne Airlines; The Buccaneer; and Team Consultants.

St. Croix, USVI – The St. Croix Foundation announces the launch of the 2^nd annual island-wide Christmas Lights Competition to usher in the 2014 Christmas Season.

As an extension of the Foundation’s “Believe …” Campaign, the contest seeks to inspire and unify residents and businesses to come together and spread good cheer by lighting up our community. Through this contest, the Foundation hopes to revive the ‘ole time’ tradition where families toured the island at night to enjoy Christmas decorations.

Residents and businesses who wish to participate in the competition should contact the Foundation at 773-9898 to fill out an application form. The decorative theme should reflect Virgin Islands culture and should be creative, eye-catching, and incorporate the “Believe…” theme. Judging for the Christmas Lights Competition will take place Saturday, December 20^th through Tuesday, December 23^rd and all displays must be visible from the street. The competition is open to St. Croix residents and businesses only.

The Foundation kindly encourages everyone to use high efficiency LED lights for their displays, but this is not a requirement. There will be a maximum of six winners with prizes ranging from $75 to $400 to offset energy costs. Applications are currently available at the St. Croix Foundation’s office at 1023 Market Street, Christiansted, VI 00820 (or on the Foundation’s website at www.stxfoundation.org) and must be turned in by Tuesday, December 16, 2014.

The Foundation would also like to encourage businesses and individuals to donate to this festive celebration of the Season. For more information about the St. Croix Foundation’s “Believe …” Campaign or how to support the Foundation’s work in public safety, education, and community revitalization, please contact the Foundation directly at 340.773.9898 or visit their website.

The St. Croix Foundation Board of Directors announces that President Roger W. Dewey is stepping down from his role after 22 years of leadership. Deanna James, Chief Operations Officer, who has co-directed the Foundation with Mr. Dewey for the past 12 years, will be guiding the Foundation’s transition with Board and Staff.

Dewey took the helm of the Foundation two years after its inception in 1990. The Foundation was established by two community activists, Philip Gerard, leader of the municipal government movement, and Michael Neuberger, retired aerospace executive. They desired to create a flexible, responsive organization that could address critical community and socioeconomic needs after Hurricane Hugo devastated the US Virgin Islands.

Since Dewey took the helm of the Foundation and with the leadership of Ms. James, the Foundation has been recognized for its work on the local and national stage by the National School Boards Association, the National Youth Leadership Council, the US Center for Disease Control, the US Small Business Administration, the International Downtown Association, and the Council of Foundations. Additionally, with the vision and dedication of many longstanding and productive partnerships, the Foundation’s annual fundraiser, the St. Croix Food and Wine Experience is now an internationally known event, named one of the Top 10 International Food and Wine Festivals by Forbes Travel Magazine, contributing to countless charitable projects and serving as an economic engine for the hospitality industry.

The Foundation’s scope of work, spanning from youth and education to community revitalization, public safety, economic development, and fiscal services encompasses all three islands and supports both critical services as well as impacts public policy. Dewey stated, “It has been a true honor to serve our community side by side with committed staff and Board members. The partnerships we’ve built over the last 22 years are the bedrock for the Foundation’s success and are testimony to our motto that “together we can make a difference.”

For more information on the St. Croix Foundation, please call the St. Croix Foundation at 773-9898 or visit their website at www.stxfoundation.org.

Together, We Can Make A Difference!

The St. Croix Foundation is pleased to announce over $28,000.00 in   Educational Grants awarded to public schools on the island of St. Croix.

As an extension of the Foundation’s Model Schools Initiative, the Sprint To Excellence (STE) Grant alone awarded $23,000 in 2014. Launched in the fall of 2011, STE offers grants to public schools for projects in the following priority areas: 1) Innovative Instruction and Professional Development; 2) Literacy Enrichment and Assessment; 3) Classroom Management & Discipline and; 4) Mentoring and Personal Development.

After a comprehensive review and selection process, the Foundation’s Grant Review Committee awarded grants to four(4)programs based in local public schools for the implementation of high-impact, academic-based initiatives that support the whole child. Grants under the Sprint to Excellence title were awarded to the following schools:

Ricardo Richards Elementary School – $15,000.00 for their Berry Core Ready Project

VI Department of Education – $5,040.00 for the Advancement via Individual Determination (AVID) Program

Arthur Richards Junior High School – $1,000.00 for a Classroom Management Initiative

V.I. Ja Goju Jitsu-Ryu Federation St. Thomas Parental Committee, Inc. – $2,500.00 for a Charles H. Emmanuel Afterschool Education Connections Program

The Foundation also awarded $1,777.00 in Teacher Grants to public elementary school teachers for projects that enliven students’ creativity and provide students with a broad, interactive learning experience that incorporates the world around them. Grants were awarded as follows:

Ricardo Richards Elementary School- $299.99 for their Foreign Language Club

Alexander Henderson School -$500.00 for a Kindergarten Authors Project

Eulalie R. Rivera School – $489.99 for an Interactive Reading Project

Alexander Henderson School – $488.84 for an Arts and Craft Studio Project

The St. Croix Foundation’s Grant Review Committee has established strict grant reporting measures and phased disbursements, seeking to ensure that schools stay focused on meeting self-identified programmatic goals and timelines. In demonstration of their commitment to each school’s success, the Foundation is providing ongoing support and guidance throughout the duration of the project with the hope that successful initiatives will serve as models for other schools in the future.

In addition to the Sprint to Excellence and Teacher Grant awards, the Foundation also awarded Dove Memorial Art Scholarships totaling $3,000.00 to four students. Scholarships were awarded to the following students for enrichment opportunities ranging from music and dance to the culinary arts:

Tariq Lionel, University of the Virgin Islands Music Summer Enrichment Program

Keyshawn Hardy, Interlochen Arts Camp in Michigan

Kaylisha Ann Jerris, Skills USA Conference in Kentucky for the culinary arts

AnutMeri Kahina Christopher, Dance Theatre at Harlem School

According to St. Croix Foundation’s Chief Operations Officer, Deanna James, “The Foundation is firmly committed to supporting our students and teachers through innovative and targeted grants and scholarships. In these challenging economic times, our organization is acutely sensitive to how critical the funds provided through our grants are for students and schools.”

For more information on the Foundation’s educational grant programs or to donate to a scholarship fund, please call the St. Croix Foundation at 773-9898.

Together, We Can Make A Difference!

Caribbean Students Selected for 2015 Culinary Internships at Facebook and Sam Choy’s Hawaii

St. Croix Foundation Announces Internship Fund to Support Educational Opportunities

St. Croix, US Virgin Islands – August 2014 – The St. Croix Foundation, a nationally recognized, award-winning community non-profit in the US Virgin Islands, announced today that Tony Castellucci and Dean Spinks, the Executive Chefs at Facebook, have selected two students for the 2015 culinary internships at the corporate campus of Facebook. This is the second internship that the Facebook culinary team has coordinated as a result of their participation in St. Croix Food & Wine Experience, the major fundraiser for the St. Croix Foundation. After spending two weeks at Facebook, the interns will spend a week learning from James Beard winner Chef Sam Choy at his restaurant in Hawaii. The St. Croix Foundation has started an Internship Fund in order to support current and future internships. To donate to the new internship fund, please contact The St. Croix Foundation at 340-773-9898 or asimpson@stxfoundation.org.

“These internships are life-changing opportunities for our youth,” said Roger Dewey, President of the St. Croix Foundation, “The first two St. Croix students who participated in a culinary internship at Facebook are now contract employees there. Our goal with the internship fund is to ensure that students are able to participate in all kinds of internships, from culinary to computer programming, at companies all over the world.”

The culinary internships provide students with on-the-job training starting in February 2015 with a two-week program at the corporate campus of Facebook in Menlo Park, California, followed by a one-week internship in Hawaii with Chef Sam Choy, winner of the James Beard award, cookbook author, ambassador and event chef to Bruno Mars.

The students were selected based on the chef’s experience working with them during the St. Croix Food & Wine Experience. During this event, culinary students from the St. Croix Educational Complex, a career and technical public school in the US Virgin Islands, are able to assist visiting chefs as they prepare and participate in the events of  the week. Chef Tony Castellucci, Chef Sam Choy, Chef Dean Spinks will teach again when they participate in 2015 St. Croix Food & Wine Experience, to be held April 12-18. For details, visit www.stcroixfoodandwine.com.

The St. Croix Foundation created the Internship Fund to support these and future internships. For more than 23 years, the St. Croix Foundation has been nationally and locally recognized for its accomplishments education reform, public health and safety and community and economic development. For more information or to make a donation, please contact The St. Croix Foundation at 340-773-9898 or email Arlene Simpson at asimpson@stxfoundation.org.

About the St. Croix Food & Wine Experience

The St. Croix Food & Wine Experience, named one of the Ten Best International Food and Wine Festivals by Forbes Travel, showcases the diverse cuisine and wine available on St. Croix, US Virgin Islands. The multi-day event includes gourmet dinners, wine seminars, wine auctions, and the annual culinary competition, A Taste of St. Croix. Started in 2001 by restaurant owners Katherine Pugliese and Kelly Odom, the event is recognized as the pre-eminent food and wine event in the Caribbean. The event benefits the St. Croix Foundation (www.stxfoundation.org), a non-profit community foundation that serves the entire US Virgin Islands in the areas of education, historic preservation, public safety, community and economic development. To date, the events have raised more than $1.4 million dollars. For a detailed list of events and to purchase tickets to additional events, visit www.stcroixfoodandwine.com.

St. Croix Foundation Opens 2014 Fall Cycle for Teacher Grant Awards

 

St. CROIX, U.S.V.I., September 1, 2014– The St. Croix Foundation is pleased to announce the opening of the 2014 Fall grant cycle for the Teacher Grant Award Program. Geared towards enhancing the educational experience of public elementary school teachers and their students, grants in the amount of $500 will be awarded to successful applicants.

All applications will be judged on the project’s ability to enliven students’ creativity and provide students with a broad, interactive learning experience of the world around them. Elementary school teachers from all public schools on St. Croix are eligible to apply. Grant Applications will be reviewed by the St. Croix Foundation Education Committee and must be received no later than October 1st. Awards will be announced by October 17, 2014.

Since the inception of this Fund in 2001, the St. Croix Foundation has awarded grants to every elementary school on St. Croix for exciting projects like: 1) Creating personalized family trees; 2) Reading books and meeting the authors; 3) Teaching students the art of creating mosaics using ceramic tiles; 4)Learning about the growth and care of plants and flowers in a third grade classroom; 5)Working on literacy skills and building students’ self-concepts through the program Writing and Reading through Journaling; and 6)Creating a classroom aquarium through and learning about the importance of different environments and how to value them.

The Foundation encourages all public elementary schools teachers to visit the Foundation’s website at www.stxfoundation.org to download an application or send email inquiries to staff@stxfoundation.org. Applicants are encouraged to email their submissions to staff@stxfoundation.org but may also submit applications by hand delivery or mail. For more information about this program, call the Foundation at 773-9898.

The St. Croix Foundation is pleased to announce over $23,540.00 in Sprint to Excellence Education Grant awards on the island of St. Croix. As an extension of the Foundation’s Model Schools Initiative, the Sprint to Excellence Grant Program was launched in the fall of 2011 and offers grants to public schools for projects in the following priority areas: 1) Innovative Instruction and Professional Development; 2) Literacy Enrichment and Assessment; 3) Classroom Management & Discipline and; 4) Mentoring and Personal Development.

After a comprehensive review and selection process, the Foundation’s Grant Review Committee has awarded $23,540.00 to four (4) programs based in local public schools for the implementation of high-impact, academic-based initiatives that support the whole child.

Grants were awarded to the following schools:

1. Ricardo Richards Elementary School – $15,000.00 for their Berry Core Ready Project
2. VI Department of Education – $5,040.00 for Advancement via Individual Determination (AVID) Program.
3. Arthur Richards Junior High School – $1,000.00 for Classroom Management Initiative.
4. V.I. Ja Goju Jitsu-Ryu Federation St. Thomas Parental Committee, Inc. – $2,500.00 for a Charles H. Emmanuel Afterschool Education Connections Program

The St. Croix Foundation’s STE Grant Review Committee has established strict grant reporting measures and phased disbursements which seeks to ensure that schools stay focused in meeting self-identified programmatic goals and timelines. In demonstration of their commitment to each school’s success, the Foundation will provide ongoing support and guidance throughout the duration of the project, with the hope that successful initiatives will serve as models for other schools in the future.

In addition to the Sprint to Excellence grant awards, the St. Croix Foundation has also awarded Dove Memorial Art Scholarship totaling $3,000.00 to Tariq Lionel, Keyshawn Hardy, Kaylisha Ann Jerris and AnutMeri Kahina Christopher for Arts scholarships.

According to St. Croix Foundation, Chief Operations Officer, Deanna James, “the Foundation is firmly committed to supporting innovative and collaborative educational projects on St. Croix. In these challenging economic times, our organization is acutely sensitive to how critical the funding provided through our grants is for our students and for community organizations.”

For more information on the Foundation’s educational grant programs or to donateto a scholarship fund, please call the St. Croix Foundation at 773-9898.

Together, We Can Make A Difference!

The St. Croix Foundation is pleased to announce that the second round of Sprint to Excellence Education Grants is being offered to public schools on the island of St. Croix. As an extension of the Foundation’s Model Schools Initiative, the Sprint to Excellence Grant Program was launched in the fall of 2011 and offers grants up to $10,000 to schools for projects in the following priority areas: 1) Innovative Instruction and Professional Development; 2) Literacy Enrichment and Assessment; 3) Classroom Management and; 4) Mentoring and Personal Development.

During the first grant cycle, the Foundation awarded $32,500 to public schools for the implementation of high-impact, academic-based initiatives. 2012 Grants were awarded to the following:

1. St. Croix Educational Complex – $10,000 for ‘Model Schools Site Visits’ and for their ‘Implement Literacy: Reading Interventions Program Evaluation.’
2. John H. Woodson Junior High School – $7,500 for a ‘Group Reading for Students’ Initiative and for implementing a comprehensive Classroom Management program.
3. Elena Christian Junior High School – $7,500 for a Literacy Program, entitled “Speak Up and Listen” in addition to a “St. Croix Youths Doing Something Positive” mentoring program.
4. Evelyn Williams Elementary School – $2,500 for their Positive Behavioral Interventions & Supports (PBIS) Program.
5. Department of Education – $5,000 for the Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) Program to cover the cost of UVI student tutors for the Program.

The St. Croix Foundation’s STE Grant Review Committee has established a phased grant disbursement schedule which seeks to ensure that schools stay focused in meeting self-identified programmatic goals and timelines. In demonstration of their commitment to each school’s success, the Foundation will provide financial support throughout the duration of the project, with the hope that successful initiatives will serve as models for other schools in the future.

According to St. Croix Foundation, Chief Operations Officer, Deanna James, “the Foundation is deeply committed to supporting innovative and collaborative educational projects. In these challenging economic times, our organization is acutely aware of how critical the funding provided through our grants is for our schools and for community organizations.”

The Foundation wishes to invite corporate citizens and individual donors in the community to join them in pooling charitable resources together so that we can collectively support more high-impact educational opportunities for our students and our schools. The ultimate goal of the Foundation’s Sprint To Excellence Grant Program is to provide larger grants to schools in order to support best practices and rapid innovations which can, in turn, foster the Foundation’s vision of large-scale educational transformation throughout the Territory. Grant Deadline is May 15, 2014.

For more information on the Sprint To Excellence Grant program or to donate to this funds, please call the St. Croix Foundation at 773-9898.

Together, We Can Make A Difference!

The St. Croix Foundation is pleased to offer two summer scholarship opportunities for students on St. Croix.

1. Dove Memorial Art Scholarship Fund
Funded through generous seed donations from local attorney Diane Russell and Don and Patricia Weeden in 2005, the DOVE Arts Scholarship Fund was created in memory of the late Crucian artist, Lloyd “Dove” Braffith. Through this Fund scholarships of up to $750 will be awarded to young people are serious about developing their skills in the arts including creative writing.

With a broad focus on performing, culinary and visual arts, the Dove Memorial Scholarship offers grants to public and private school students in grades 7th thru 11th on the island of St. Croix for the purpose of attending internships and summer art enrichment programs.

2. Math and Science Scholarship Fund
The Foundation is also accepting applications for its Math and Science Scholarship Fund which was launched in 2005 and awards grants of up to $2,000 to qualifying public high school students on the island of St. Croix. To be eligible for this grant, students must have a cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) of a (B) or better and be accepted into an accredited enrichment program locally or stateside, with a specific focus on math or science.

Since the inception of both the Funds, over $75,000 in grants has been awarded.

THE APPLICATION DEADLINES FOR BOTH THE DOVE AND MATH and SCIENCE SCHOLARSHIPS ARE MAY 15TH, 2014. Interested parties should e-mail their requests for an application to the Foundation at staff@stxfoundation.org or call the St. Croix Foundation directly at 773-9898 for more information.

This past weekend, two young Virgin Islanders embarked on a chance of a lifetime internship with Facebook Executive Chefs at the social media Mega Corporation in prestigious Silicon Valley. For 21 year olds Aaron Tutein and Denika Boyd, both former students of The St. Croix Career and Technical Center (CTEC) Culinary Program, the opportunity is a dream come true.

Their internship is the result of a meeting with Facebook Culinary Executive Chef & Director, Josef DeSimone, and his team of executive chefs who participated in the 2013 St. Croix Food and Wine Experience. The chefs spent a week working with young people from CTEC, mentoring the burgeoning young cooks for the annual Sunset BBQ event on the Frederiksted Pier. Chef DeSimone formed a strong connection with the CTEC students and, in turn, handpicked Aaron and Denika to attend a two week internship in Facebook’s corporate kitchen.

Upon Chef Josef DeSimone’s return to California after the 2013 St. Croix Food and Wine Experience, he also pledged to continue his relationship with CTEC and help train culinary students. Sadly, just two weeks later, Josef passed away in a tragic motorcycle accident. In memoriam of his commitment to young people, his brother Billy DeSimone, and colleagues, Tony Castellucci and Dean Spinks, made Josef’s vision a reality. Remaining in direct contact with the St. Croix Foundation, Facebook Chefs Castellucci and Spinks committed to fulfilling Josef’s promise of providing a career boosting opportunity for St. Croix youth. Billy, Josef’s brother (also a chef) went on to establish the Josef DeSimone Giving the Dream Memorial Foundation, which will begin providing scholarships to aspiring young chefs in 2015.

Located in San Francisco Bay Area, Facebook’s headquarters is in northern California’s Silicon Valley, home to many of the world’s largest technology corporations and thousands of small startups, including a large number of silicon chip innovators and manufacturers for the United States’ high-technology sector.

Prior to their departure on Sunday, February 23rd, Aaron and Denika were sized for chef jackets and readying themselves to study under the tutelage of Executive Chefs at Facebook’s California Headquarters. St. Croix Foundation staff provided the interns modern computer tablets and installed contact information and other critical information based apps to facilitate their travel and success. In addition to technical support, staff assisted the interns with building professional resumes and cover letters and coached them on interview skills. According to Deanna James, Chief Operations Officer of the Foundation, “We are so proud of these two young people, and we have confidence that they understand this opportunity means more than just what it can do for them individually. It is affording them the chance to be role models for other Virgin Islanders who aspire to part of this global environment.”

Students will be provided with a rigorous curriculum in which they will strengthen their culinary skills ranging from learning kitchen etiquette and creating innovative recipes to wielding chef knives with precision. Aaron believes the opportunity will be a life changing event: “Cooking, to me, in one word means, ‘Life.’ I’m ecstatic to have this privilege to intern at Facebook– this is a next step up the ladder for me, and I thank the Facebook Culinary Team and the St. Croix Foundation.”

Denika said of her experience, “It was a great opportunity to work with Chef Josef. I only wish that I’d had more time so that I could have learned more from him. He encouraged me to move forward with my culinary career, and I thank him and Chef Anton Doos (CTEC Culinary Instructor) for that. It is even more exciting to intern at Facebook.”

Roger Dewey, President of the Foundation, stated that, “As the St. Croix Foundation’s annual fundraiser, the St. Croix Food & Wine Experience funds critical projects focusing on public education reform, public safety, and community & economic development. We also estimate that this event series has brought nearly 4 million dollars of economic activity into the US Virgin Islands economy since its inception.” He continued, “This event is the catalyst that nets positive benefits for the Virgin Islands as evidenced by this partnership with Facebook.”

Named as one of the top 10 food and wine festivals in the world by Forbestravel.com, the St. Croix Food and Wine Experience is a weeklong event series that began with its anchor event, A Taste of St. Croix in 2001. With 14 events that range from kids cooking classes to elegant private dinners to barbeques on the waterfront, the 2014 theme is “Culinary Futures” and it aims to promote the future of St. Croix’s diverse and expert culinary industry, including showcasing and supporting St. Croix’s younger talent pool. As their newest 365 Project, A Taste of St. Croix built the St. Croix Culinary Juniors, a team of four seventh and eighth grade students who will learn the basics of a kitchen, be trained by a St. Croix Executive Chef Gary Klinefelter, and cook with celebrity Chef Todd Gray, First Lady Michelle Obama’s favorite chef, at the 2014 St. Croix Food and Wine Experience. The project serves to complement existing programs and helps create a pipeline of opportunities to interest, engage, and prepare St. Croix youth for a career in the culinary arts. Katherine Pugliese, Co Founder of A Taste of St. Croix, believes that these experiences lead to opportunities like internships at Facebook and stated that, “We are very fortunate to have known Josef. He saw talent here on St. Croix that might have never been brought to light. It is our hope that these students continue his legacy of the love of food, people, and giving back to their community.”

St. Croix Foundation and A Taste of St. Croix are still seeking partners to fund this extraordinary opportunity, asking corporate citizens and community members to band together to sponsor Aaron and Denika’s travel and hotel stay for their culinary internship at Facebook.

The St. Croix Foundation would like to thank A Taste of St. Croix, Facebook and their extraordinary Culinary Team, Watkins PR, the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Education Foundation, Kazi Management, TEAM Consultants, the Career and Technical Education Center, and Chef Anton Doos.

To support this and other worthwhile efforts of the St. Croix Foundation, contact at 340-773-9898 or visit their www.stxfoundation.org. The Foundation will also be following Denika and Aaron on their Facebook page. For more information on the 2014 St. Croix Food and Wine Experience visit Stcroixfoodandwine.com.