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The Children, Youth and Families at Risk (CYFAR)Program is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. CYFAR provides leadership and funding to State Extension Services in Land Grant universities for community programs which are focused on at-risk audiences. The Cooperative Extension Service (CES) personnel implements this program in partnership with the Office of the Governor, the Department of Labor, the Virgin Islands Housing Authority, the Department of Health and the Department of Human Services. The CYFAR Center develops and implements after-school programs, and other programs for strengthening employability and entrepreneurial skills that will impact the well-being of children, youth and families at risk in the U.S. Virgin Islands. |
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OUR VISION As part of USDA's Children, Youth and Families at Risk Program, CYFAR is committed to the vision that: CHILDREN will have their basic physical, social, emotional, and intellectual needs met. YOUTH will demonstrate knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behavior necessary for fulfilling, contributing lives. FAMILIES will promote positive, productive, and contributing lives for all family members. PARENTS will take primary responsibility for meeting their children's physical, social, emotional and intellectual needs; and provide moral guidance and direction. COMMUNITIES will provide safe, secure environments for families with children. |
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OUR GOAL Our goal is to provide marketable skills for the youths and their families, and to give them the confidence they need to manage their day-to-day lives. Community projects provide educational programs: (1) to teach economics and business-related knowledge which enable at-risk families and youth to participate and contribute to the economic and entrepreneurial base of the territory, and (2) to improve school retention by providing experiential-learning experiences in science, math, communications and information technology. The focus of the CYFAR grant is directed to the
above issues as a result of the University of the Virgin Islands'
(UVI) refocusing of its vision, i.e., the university will play
a major role in facilitating the transformation and development
of the islands' economy to meet the challenges of the 21st century.
Mr. Kwame Garcia,CES State Director |