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HomeNewsArchivesBEACON SCHOOLS EXPAND PROGRAMS

BEACON SCHOOLS EXPAND PROGRAMS

Beacon Schools of the Virgin Islands will be able to add two schools and expand programs at three other schools, thanks to a three-year grant award of $499,000 for after-school program expansion.
Addelita Cancryn Junior High School had already been chosen as the site of a mini-Beacon for the establishment of a Juvenile Mentoring Program, known as JUMP. The Beacon Schools received an award of $197,305 in March to establish JUMP programs in two schools. They had selected the site for JUMP in St. Thomas when the $499,000 for a 21st Century After School Learning Center grant was received by the V.I. Education Department.
By combining efforts and funding, Beacon Schools V.I. will be able to phase in Cancryn as a comprehensive Beacon School site, according to a release from Valerie George, executive director of Beacon Schools V.I.
The 21st Century grant will also increase programming by 50 percent for E. Benjamin Oliver Elementary School's Beacon program.
The JUMP program is targeted to help at-risk students improve academic performance, school attendance and behavior, according to George. It matches at-risk male junior high school students with mature, stable and committed adult mentors age 21 or older.
JUMP program coordinator and site-based counselor positions will be advertised soon. The program coordinator will be trained at the 1999 JUMP Cluster Meeting in New Orleans in June. Mentors will be recruited after the cluster meeting in June.
JUMP will be looking for mentors from all parts of the community: law enforcement, human services, businesses, civic organizations and University of the Virgin Islands students.
"The 21st Century grant provided the V.I. Department of Education and Beacon Inc. with a unique opportunity to extend their joint response to the critical after-school education, social and recreational needs of Virgin Islands children, youth and families by allowing Beacon Inc. to prepare the narrative, budget and supporting documents for the Education Department's 21st Century application package," the release said.
Other schools in the territory will also receive funding for their Beacon Schools program as a result of the Education Department grant.

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