We have been selected as a 2020 AARP Community Challenge Grantee!

VICA is thrilled to announce that we have been selected to receive an AARP Community Challenge grant. We are one of only 184 grantees selected from across all 50 states, Washington D.C, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
With this “quick-action” grant we will give our seniors the opportunity to increase social engagement and mental health through public art projects (murals) in St. Thomas. This project will be spearheaded by Mary Davis, Sherri Smyth and Caryl Johnson. We are incredibly proud that AARP selected VICA to receive this grant. “AARP is a nationwide leader on making neighborhoods, towns, and cities more livable for all residents and we are honored that they see the tangible value this project will bring to our community.

About the Community Challenge
The Community Challenge funds innovative projects that inspire change in areas such as transportation, public spaces, housing, smart cities, civic engagement, coronavirus response and more. It’s all part of AARP’s nationwide work on livable communities, which supports the efforts of neighborhoods, towns, cities and counties across the country to become great places for all residents. AARP believes that communities should provide safe, walkable streets; affordable and accessible housing and transportation options; access to needed services; and opportunities for residents to participate in community life. To learn more about the work being funded by the AARP Community Challenge across the nation – including all 184 granted projects this year, visit aarp.org/CommunityChallenge. You can also view an interactive map of all Community Challenge projects and AARP’s livable communities work at aarp.org/livable.

Final Reports – DUE

Are you a 2020 VICA grant award recipient?

As part of the grant award criteria you are required to submit a Final Report Form to the Council along with your receipts or/and cancelled checks and other documentation of completion of your project (i.e. copies of cds, program/booklets, flyers, press releases, pictures etc.) on or before August 1, 2020. To turn in your Final Report Form, simply sign in to your grants account here https://vica.smapply.io/ and click on final report.

PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT FAILURE TO SUBMIT YOUR REPORT WILL JEOPARDIZE FUTURE FUNDING.

CARES Emergency Relief Grant

VICA has awarded $192,500 in emergency funding from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) to address the COVID-19 pandemic and its related effects through the CARES Act. A total of 12 arts and cultural organizations and 15 USVI artists were funded. These funds were awarded to provide short term financial relief to those in the arts, cultural, and creative industries impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

These are the winners for the 2020 Congressional Arts Competition!!! 🎨

We would like to thank Congresswoman Stacey Plaskett and her staff for making this competition possible, the amazing art teachers that assisted along the way and our judges: Jasmine Lindquist, Iria Stiles and Jannet Prosper!

Poetry Out Loud – 2020 Champion

These are the winners of the 2020 V.I. Poetry Out Loud Territorial Finals!!!!

*1st places goes out to ANGELICA STERLING of the St. Thomas/St. John Seventh-day Adventist School!! Angelica will receive a $700 cash prize & her school will receive $500 for the purchase of poetry materials!

*2nd place goes out to ANIKA HAHNFELD of Antilles School!! Anika will receive a $400 cash prize & her school will receive $200 for the purchase of poetry materials!

*3rd place goes out to JEDELL TITUS of the Free Will Baptist School!! Jedell will receive a $200 cash prize.

Our top 5 competitors we’re Shana Sargeant, Angelica Sterling, Jedell Titus, Anika Hahnfeld &
Vivian Morris.

Please visit our facebook page to view some of the winning recitations.