CHARLOTTE AMALIE — The Department of Human Services (DHS) and the University of the Virgin Islands’ Caribbean Exploratory Research Center (UVI CERC) announced that they are winding down the federally funded, one-year project “Road to Success.” The early child care and education program will end with a series of virtual town hall meetings, open to the public.
Members of the Core Strategic Planning Group (CSPG) are interested in hearing from parents, guardians, teachers, caregivers, policy makers and other community members about their perspective on the draft strategic plan for children birth through five years old.
The communities of St. Croix, St. John, St. Thomas, and Water Island are invited to participate in one of the four scheduled Virtual Town Hall meetings to be convened via Zoom.
The meetings are part of the USVI’s early childhood education strategic plan and will provide a forum for all voices to be heard and for community members to share their perspective on the draft strategic plan.
All are encouraged to share feedback to help ensure the plan is creating an
effective path to achieving the territory’s vision of thriving USVI children, birth through five, instilled with a love for learning.
• Tuesday, November 10 – 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.
• Thursday, November 12 – 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.
• Tuesday, November 17 – 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Information to Join Zoom Meetings
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86038779521
Meeting ID: 860 3877 9521
Dial by your location
+1 301 715 8592 US (Germantown)
+1 929 205 6099 US (New York)
+1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
Meeting ID: 860 3877 9521
The Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five (PDG B-5), was awarded to DHS.
The project was implemented under the direction of the University of the Virgin Islands’ Caribbean Exploratory Research Center (UVI CERC), which served as the designated state school.
As a preliminary step to inform the development of the strategic plan, UVI CERC conducted the qualitative and quantitative research necessary to complete and direct the completion of a comprehensive needs assessment of the current B-5 ECE mixed delivery system in the USVI.
The project is winding down with the development of the USVI’s PDG B-5 Strategic Plan which will set out the territory’s roadmap for developing and sustaining a high quality, mixed delivery B-5 ECE system in the territory. DHS did an MOA with UVI to do the research, Needs
Assessment and Strategic Plan.
The Town Hall meetings are part of the protocol to gather feedback
from the community.
“We’re inviting parents, educators, care providers and all other community members to join and participate in these important conversations about the territory’s strategic approach to providing high quality early childhood
care and education for children birth through five in our community. Your voice is not only important, but also essential,” project director Noreen Michael said.
The Town Hall meetings are part of the protocol to gather feedback
from the community.
“It is our collaboration and collective input that will ensure a truly wholistic and effective strategic plan that addresses access to and quality of an early care and education program for our youngest that we can all be proud of,” DHS Commissioner Kimberley Causey-Gomez said.
For more information on how the U.S. Virgin Islands is building a base on which our children can grow and thrive go to https://bit.ly/2krH2GL or contact principal investigator Noreen Michael, the USVI PDG B-5 Project Director at [email protected]