CFVI Awards AT&T STEM Grants to VI Educators

U.S. Virgin Islands– The Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands (CFVI) is awarding $31,500 in grants to support a variety of STEM programs and projects within Virgin Islands public schools and early childhood centers in the USVI. For the third year in a row, these grants were made possible by a generous contribution from the AT&T Foundation.

Hundreds of students within the St. Croix and St. Thomas-St. John districts will have the opportunity to explore the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics through hands-on, creative instruction. Teachers and professionals were required to submit proposals that aimed to improve student achievement. These grants range from $1,500-$5,000 and will be used to boost STEM education.

“STEM industries demand a highly-educated and skilled workforce and provide opportunities for under-represented populations such as women, minorities, and students with disabilities to obtain the skills essential to their future success,” says Joe York, AT&T President of Florida, Puerto Rico & USVI. “These STEM grants provide the opportunity for increased knowledge in fields that are essential to the economic development of our country.”

CFVI President, Dee Baecher-Brown, recognized the continued generosity, vision, and long-term support of AT&T as a model of commitment for businesses in the U.S. Virgin Islands. “We are so appreciative of AT&T’s ongoing philanthropic support of initiatives serving students in the USVI, particularly as many are facing the challenges of split-session school schedules. As we build forward from the September hurricanes, these grants will enable students to access STEM enrichment in and beyond the classroom.”

Pre-schoolers at Head Start facilities throughout the Territory will be utilizing learning kits to engage in STEM-related concepts; physics students at the Charlotte Amalie High School will participate in team-building exercises to construct robots, and students at the Claude O. Markoe Elementary School will be collecting data samples at local ponds to study their chemical composition. These are a few of the enriching projects that were selected as recipients for the 2017-2018 AT&T STEM Grants.

2017-2018 AT&T STEM Grant Recipients

About Philanthropy & Social Innovation at AT&T

AT&T is committed to advancing education, strengthening communities and improving lives. Through its community initiatives, AT&T has a long history of investing in projects that create learning opportunities; promote academic and economic achievement; or address community needs. Our signature philanthropic initiative, AT&T Aspire, drives innovation in education to promote student success in school and beyond. With a commitment of $400 million since 2008, AT&T is leveraging technology, relationships, and social innovation to help all students make their biggest dreams a reality. Through Aspire, we invest in programs that drive innovation in education and create collective impact.

Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands

For more than 25 years the Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands has been a catalyst for positive change in the Territory through initiatives committed to youth, learning, family support and the environment. With a professional staff and a volunteer Board of Directors composed of community leaders, CFVI is a trusted advocate and supporter of programs that ensure opportunity and sustainability for current and future generations. Most recently, CFVI has been serving as a vehicle for receiving and distributing funds to support hurricane relief efforts throughout the Territory. In addition to providing administrative oversight to over 100 named funds and programs, CFVI is focused on meeting the emergency, intermediate and long-term needs of children, youth and families in the aftermath of two Category 5 hurricanes. CFVI is a registered non-profit organization entirely supported by individual donors, grants, trusts, corporate donations and estate planning.