Division of Virgin Islands Cultural Education

The Virgin Islands Division of Virgin Islands is the home of the Virgin Islands Framework for Integrated Learning, which aim to integrate island legacy and history seamlessly into every subject, ensuring that students experience a comprehensive education rooted in the traditions and history of the territory. This framework prioritizes interdisciplinary learning, where mathematics, science, literature, and the arts are contextualized within the layered narratives of Virgin Islands history and ancestral knowledge. This approach moves beyond compartmentalized lessons on local aspects, embedding our traditions as a foundational element of the curriculum.

“Where community history lives in every lesson: Community history is the compass that guides every subject.”

About

About the Division of Virgin Islands Cultural Education

The Division of Virgin Islands Cultural Education is where Caribbean heritage meets 21st-century learning. Rooted in the vision of Dr. Charles Wesley Turnbull, who served as Commissioner of Education from 1979 to 1987, the Division was established to ensure that the cultural legacy of the Virgin Islands is present in every classroom, every subject, and every lesson. It was further strengthened by Act 4844, which mandated the teaching of Virgin Islands and Caribbean history in public schools.

But this Division goes beyond history. Using the Kallaloo Framework, cultural education is seamlessly embedded across all subject areas — from math and science to technical education and foreign language. This approach positions cultural knowledge not as a stand-alone course but as an active, essential part of daily learning. Students encounter local design principles in geometry, see sustainable practices in environmental science, and explore linguistic connections in world languages. Virgin Islands heritage isn't a chapter in a book — it’s the lens through which every subject is taught.

The Division works in tandem with Common Core Standards and aligns with 21st-century methodologies to create a learning experience that is both globally relevant and locally grounded. By linking local heritage to global competencies, students develop the critical thinking, analytical, and problem-solving skills they need to thrive in a modern world. Every teacher is equipped to teach culture not as "extra credit" but as the core fabric of every lesson plan.

This integrated model relies on the collective wisdom of teachers, elders, and cultural stewards, who contribute to the design of culturally responsive lesson plans. Together, they create a classroom environment where students see themselves reflected in the curriculum. This ensures that students don't just learn about the world — they see their place in it.

The Division of Virgin Islands Cultural Education is a reminder that education is not just about mastering subjects — it’s about mastering self and story. Through this work, every student gains the knowledge, pride, and purpose to face the future while remaining firmly rooted in the past. “Where culture lives in every lesson.”

About the Division of Virgin Islands Cultural Education

The Division of Virgin Islands Cultural Education within the Virgin Islands Department of Education strategically integrates the territory's dual Caribbean and American heritage into contemporary educational approaches. Inspired by the vision of former Commissioner of Education, Dr. Charles Wesley Turnbull (1979-1987), the Division was founded to embed the cultural legacy of the Virgin Islands within all aspects of learning – across classrooms, subjects, and lessons. This commitment was reinforced by Act 4844, which mandated the teaching of Virgin Islands and Caribbean history in public schools.

At the heart of this integration is the Kallaloo Framework, an instructional method that fundamentally positions culture as an essential component of every subject. This framework ensures that cultural knowledge is not a separate topic but an active and vital element of daily education. For instance, mathematics lessons utilize local architectural principles to illustrate geometry, environmental science explores sustainable practices rooted in the islands' ecological understanding, and world language curricula examine linguistic connections spanning the Virgin Islands, the wider Caribbean, and the global community. Virgin Islands heritage is not merely a class; rather, it serves as the guiding perspective for all learning.

Collaborating with Common Core and local VISA Standards that align with modern educational practices, the Division fosters a learning experience that is both globally relevant and locally contextualized. By connecting local heritage with global competencies, students cultivate the critical thinking, analytical, and problem-solving skills necessary for success in today's world.

Every teacher is equipped to weave in community knowledge not solely as a stand-alone course, but as the central component of every lesson plan.

This teaching model progresses through an ongoing process of shared work and enhancement. Instructors are vital to this endeavor, taking on roles as both students and leaders. Yet, this vision takes time and collective action to realize. We work closely with instructors to implement these concepts in classrooms. This happens through both careful, incremental progress and significant, impactful changes. Every engaging workshop, curriculum development meeting, and professional growth session offers a chance to improve, consider, and expand upon this effort. The Division continues to develop, continues to learn, and hopes to see these practices flourish in every learning space.

The Division’s efforts stem from the conviction that education is not solely about mastering academic subjects but also about fostering a sense of identity and connection to the complexities of today's world with confidence and self-respect. This effort is never truly complete, nor should it be, because quality education is always a vibrant and evolving journey. Where our surroundings enrich every lesson.

Kallaloo Framework: Cultural Standards

Resource

KallalooFrameworkPrint.pdf

First page of the PDF file: KallalooFrameworkPrint

"This is where our local understanding guides us. Not as a topic. But as the entire learning."

In 2011, a Task force was established to begin the process of developing the Virgin Islands Guiding Principles for Learning, which are currently referred to as the Kallaloo Framework.

Dr. Chenzira Davis Kahina, Dr. Laverne Terry, who served as Commissioner of Education at the time, Dr. Sarah Mahurt, who served as Deputy Commissioner, and several other task force members to include the Division’s first Director, Dr. Lauren Larsen and a number of tradition bearers all contributed to the first draft of the principles that were adopted from the Assembly of Alaska Native Educators in 1998.

The Task Force suggested that public campaigns entitled "Keep VI Traditions Alive" be run. The overarching proposal is for local groups and historical institutions to work together in order to ensure the success of the local education guidelines. The learning principles that are now often referred to as the Kallaloo Framework were first developed in 2011 in compliance with GVI Order #422-2006, which is a component of Act 7167.

The Kallaloo Framework is a contextually relevant approach to education that integrates the layered background of the Virgin Islands into every aspect of learning. It centers the belief that learning is relational, communal, and lived, reflecting the values of both Virgin Islands' traditional wisdom and insights from global cognitive development research.

The framework draws on the developmental principles found in the works of Alaskan Indigenous education models, which prioritize locally grounded, hands-on learning rooted in lived experience. This approach aligns with the thinking of cognitive theorists like John Piaget, but it goes further by recognizing that learning through local traditions involves locally relevant stories, customs, and community interaction.

The natural progression of learning under the Kallaloo Framework allows students to build knowledge through local context. By engaging with their environment, island legacy, and our common past, students don't just memorize facts; they learn how to apply knowledge in real-world contexts. This process emphasizes:

Critical thinking: Students analyze traditional practices, local artifacts, and local ecological knowledge.
Problem-solving: They approach challenges with solutions drawn from both traditional practices and modern knowledge.
Valuing our local identity and responsibility: Students see themselves as contributors to the ongoing story of the Virgin Islands, not just consumers of content.

At the heart of the Kallaloo Framework is the belief that learning is a communal act. It’s not something students do alone at a desk. It’s a shared experience. It pulls from the stories of elders, the guidance of teachers, and the expertise of community knowledge holders.

Download Your Copy Here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SjZLlk98RZqS2qthr4aj6uuq5JhhJ6fQ/view

Resources

Genealogy Access

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What if the key to understanding the history of these islands and your connection to them was sitting in plain sight, hidden in the tales of those who came before? The Virgin Islands Department of Education (DOE) is exploring this powerful idea with its new family history project in collaboration with American Ancestors, designed to bring genealogy into classrooms as a tool for discovering our past and learning.

At its core, this project is about giving students and teachers the resources to reconnect with their past while enriching their understanding of the legacy of the Virgin Islands. The Virgin Islands Heritage Learning, recently joined WTJX Radio NewsFeed to discuss the program. Division Director, Stephanie C. Brown, explained how the project serves as a bridge between the past and the present, helping students see those who came before not as distant figures, but as integral parts of the world they live in today.

The partnership with American Ancestors, a respected genealogical research organization, provides educators with tools to incorporate individual and local history into lessons that are as meaningful as they are impactful. Teachers will have access to resources that make it easier to weave Virgin Islands narratives into classroom projects.

To hear more about how this program is bringing the past to life for the benefit of Virgin Islands students and educators, listen to Director Brown’s full interview on WTJX Radio NewsFeed. Access the podcast episode here:

WTJX NewsFeed – January 22, 2025 https://newsfeed.wtjx.org/podcast/wtjx-newsfeed/2025-01-22/wtjx-newsfeed-january-22"

Projects

Multimedia Resources

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLG-KN18yk3JVzvUHDqoPsnowW8C0QKKIt

DVICE Blog

African Americans and Labor

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Overview

As educators across the Virgin Islands prepare to honor Black History Month 2025, this resource provides an invaluable tool to bridge the local contributions of the Virgin Islands people with African heritage with the broader national theme, "African Americans and Labor." At its heart is the story of Ashley Totten, a pioneering labor leader born in St. Croix, whose work with the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters (BSCP) significantly influenced the American labor landscape.

Totten’s legacy is contextualized alongside contemporaries like David Hamilton Jackson, founder of The Herald, and Casper Holstein, a Harlem philanthropist, to showcase the Virgin Islands’ profound role in global narratives of fairness, strength, and impartiality. Through this lens, educators can encourage students to connect with historical figures, not as spectators but as inheritors of a proud legacy of advocacy and progress.

View the teacher resource at the VIDE DIVCE Hub: https://goopenusvi.vide.vi/courseware/lesson/696/overview

Ashley Totten, a son of the Virgin Islands and a towering figure in the labor movement's life and work has inspired dramatizations that highlight the struggles and triumphs of workers of African descent. His story is a reminder that the fight for fairness resonates far beyond his time, carrying lessons that remain vital today.

One notable depiction of Totten comes from the 2002 television film, 10,000 Black Men Named George, which chronicles the formation of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters. Portrayed by actor Mario Van Peebles, Totten’s character stands as a steadfast figure in the fight for labor rights, alongside the iconic A. Philip Randolph. The film captures Totten’s dedication to securing fair wages and better working conditions for Pullman porters of African descent, many of whom, like Totten himself, had Caribbean roots.

You can watch the full movie for free on YouTube at this link: https://youtu.be/_iiHhxHk64A?si=msYocATa-mrBClXw

Reframing Cultural Education: Honoring Indigenous and Afro-Caribbean Knowledge in the Virgin Islands

The Division of Virgin Islands Cultural Education supports a complete educational strategy that emphasizes the historical, cultural, and intellectual impacts of Caribbean, African, and the First Peoples of this hemisphere. Recognizing the Virgin Islands as part of an extensive island chain influenced by ancient wisdom, African heritage, and the interaction of cultures, we endeavor to ensure students build a meaningful comprehension of the territory's shared past.

raphic highlighting the Indigenous and Amerindian peoples of the Caribbean with names of islands and their indigenous origins. It includes Saint Croix (Ay Ay, Taino, 'The River'), Puerto Rico (Borikén, Taino, 'Land of the Valiant and Noble Lord'), Hispaniola (Ayiti, Taino, 'Rough earth; Mother of all lands'), Anguilla (Malliouhana, Arawak, 'Arrow-Shaped Sea Serpent'), Nevis (Oualie, Kalinago, 'Land of Beautiful Water'), and Cuba (Cobao, Taino, 'Large island or place').

Our instructional design centers on cultural understanding that moves past usual narratives, integrating local geographical names, oral accounts, environmental understanding, and artistic practices into learning spaces. This method underscores the importance of cultural identity and heritage in shaping students’ views of the world, ensuring they can connect with history in ways that are pertinent to their individual lives.

By placing Afro-Caribbean and the knowledge of the First Peoples of this region alongside international viewpoints, we build a learning environment that encourages intellectual curiosity, critical thought, and a deep appreciation of cultural awareness. Ultimately, our objective is to foster knowledgeable, engaged learners who value the intricacies of their heritage and understand their contribution to preserving and advancing cultural stories.

Reimagining Early Literacy: Contextually Relevant Teaching with Mini Mathilda

"Mini Mathilda" offers educators a dynamic, contextually relevant tool to engage early learners in 21st-century literacy. Based on the traditions of the Virgin Islands, this program goes beyond traditional reading instruction by positioning literacy as an interactive, transformative process. Developed by Alexis Matarangas King, a 2023 summer intern with the Division of Virgin Islands Cultural Education, Mini Mathilda intertwines self-expression, technology, and regional culture. By using animated characters like Benny the Bananaquit and Mathilda, the series makes books feel like living portals to imagination, history, and understanding oneself. For educators, this is a chance to move beyond rote learning toward a deeper, more meaningful engagement with text. Students are encouraged to view themselves as active participants in learning, not just consumers of it.

Teachers can utilize Mini Mathilda as a versatile, multimodal resource that integrates teaching sensitive to local culture into daily practice for our youngest readers. Each episode introduces Virgin Islands cultural foundations through narratives that support reflection of self and learning about different lives. Students recognize their own backgrounds reflected in the stories while also being exposed to different viewpoints. The intentional incorporation of local authors like Alis Lewis Brown’s Moko Jumbie Majorette series and Angela Golden Bryan’s James and the Fireburn helps students engage with themes of who they are, fairness, and the ability to overcome challenges. Educators are encouraged to pair episodes with pre-viewing questions that activate prior knowledge and post-viewing activities like story mapping, creative writing, and reflective journaling. These methods support comprehension, critical thinking, and emotional understanding and relationship skills. By incorporating Mini Mathilda into classroom routines, teachers help students build literacy skills while nurturing their positive cultural self-image and connection to their community within the wider world.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8uMFSnrQFw4&list=PLG-KN18yk3JVzvUHDqoPsnowW8C0QKKIt&index=3

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ue7EYCPrmzo&list=PLG-KN18yk3JVzvUHDqoPsnowW8C0QKKIt&index=5

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmdQz0meIeg&list=PLG-KN18yk3JVzvUHDqoPsnowW8C0QKKIt&index=6

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