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VIRGIN ISLANDS
| University of the Virgin Islands 2 John Brewer's Bay St. Thomas, VI 00802-9990 |
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| Phone: | (340) 693-1125 |
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| Fax: | (340) 693-1125 |
| Title: | University of the Virgin Island Family Life Center |
| Project Period: | 08/01/03 - 07/31/06 |
| FLC Director: | Carmen Rogers-Green |
| Target Group: | Students 9-12 |
| The purpose of the University of the Virgin Islands Family Life Center is to reduce and prevent violent and antisocial behaviors among at-risk youth and their families. The project serves 40 African American and Hispanic youth who attend the Michael J. Kirwan Elementary School. The project consists of an after-school program and a summer program. The after-school program operates four days per week. Instructors from the program and University student mentors provide after-school instructional tutorials in mathematics and spelling, and reading assistance in small group sessions. Students requiring individual help are also assigned a mentor for assistance in the development of phonetic and analytical skills. Recreational, leisure and interpersonal development activities focus on increasing teamwork, cooperation, relaxation, healthy lifestyles, and interpersonal skills. Cultural development activities include arts appreciation and cultural arts activities such as woodcarving, African and Caribbean drumming, calypso writing, food preparation, and historic field trips. Family bonding activities focus on family relations, interpersonal relationship skills development workshops for parents, life skills workshops to improve parent/child relationships and increase family stability, and counseling sessions with referrals to outside agencies as necessary. Career development activities are offered to encourage participants to explore work attitudes and vocational options, and include career exploration and jobs skills development activities. Personal development activities include substance abuse education and conflict resolution sessions, and once a quarter, community projects. The five-week summer enrichment program, conducted on the University campus, includes all of the components of the after-school program. Additionally, special emphasis is placed on positive recreational and culturally enriching activities. A Summer Production ceremony is held for parents and family members to showcase the work of the participants. |