CONTACT: DEANNA JAMES, PRESIDENT
(TEL) 340.773.9898, (EMAIL) DJAMES@STXFOUNDATION.ORG
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
August 12, 2019
St. CROIX, U.S. Virgin Islands – St. Croix Foundation is pleased to announce that the first cycle of the ProTouch Cares Agricultural Teacher Grant Award will open to all St. Croix elementary and junior high schools on St. Croix beginning August 15, 2019. The Foundation’s ProTouch Cares Agricultural Teacher Grant is specifically designed to expand opportunities for St. Croix teachers to provide targeted student enrichment opportunities around the critical economic and social importance of agriculture on St. Croix.
The ProTouch Cares Agricultural Teacher Grant is open to all public, private, and parochial elementary and junior high school teachers on the island of St. Croix. Successful applicants will demonstrate active student participation in developing the design and outcome(s) of their project, which should be relevant to their classroom curriculum and will allow students to experience the material they are learning in their textbooks in real-world terms. All projects will be thoughtfully considered by St. Croix Foundation’s Grants Review Committee; however, priority will be given to projects that (1) motivate and inspire both students and teachers, (2) provide students with a broad learning experience of the world around them through interactive learning, (3) enliven student creativity, and (4) have clear and measurable goals and methods for evaluation. The maximum amount for the ProTouch Cares Agricultural Grant is $1000. Teachers are encouraged to review the guidelines and prepare to apply using the Foundation’s online application portal at https://www.grantinterface.com/Home/Logon?urlkey=scf. Applications are due by September 16 and decisions will be announced by September 30.
The St. Croix Foundation’s Teacher Grant Award Program was originally established in 2000 with the ultimate goal of enhancing the classroom experience for public elementary students and their teachers. In the fall of 2018, the Foundation’s Teacher Grant was expanded through the generosity of the ProTouch Cares Donor Advised Fund to provide teachers with expanded resources to support hands-on learning around the importance of agriculture in isolated communities. According to Bryan Butler of ProTouch Communications, “We at ProTouch Communications are supportive and excited about the direction of agriculture within the community. We hope that these grants will spark and ignite passion and enthusiasm in our youth about the science and industry of agriculture and how it impacts our community and the world.”
President of St. Croix Foundation, Deanna James, stated, “The ProTouch Cares Teacher Grant and the commitment of ProTouch Communications to support St. Croix teachers and youth is an example of active, hands-on philanthropy that the Foundation is nurturing throughout our direct services and strategic grantmaking. While the Territory continues to rebuild after the 2017 hurricanes, encouraging and providing opportunities to teachers and students to explore the world of agriculture is a path to resiliency and sustainability.”
St. Croix Foundation wishes to extend its sincerest appreciation to ProTouch Communications, who is giving back to the St. Croix community through targeted and relevant programming, and to our Grants Review Committee for their commitment and time. For more information, please visit the Foundation online or call at 340.773.9898.