Governor de Jongh Appointed to Jobs for America's Graduates Board of Directors; Virgin Islands to Introduce JAG Initiatives at Four Public High Schools

Governor Attends Jobs for America’s Graduates Board of Directors Meeting in Washington

While in Washington D.C. last week, Governor John P. de Jongh, Jr. joined the Board of Directors of Jobs for America’s Graduates and participated in a board member’s meeting for the program. de Jongh was unanimously elected to the board for a term that will continue until January 2011. 

“JAG (Jobs for America’s Graduates) is a school-to-career program implemented in high schools, alternative schools, community colleges, and middle schools across the country and in the United Kingdom. JAG's mission is to keep young people in school through graduation and provide work-based learning experiences that will lead to career advancement opportunities, or to enroll in a postsecondary institution that leads to a rewarding career,” de Jongh said. 

The governor also reaffirmed his commitment to implementing the JAG program in the Virgin Islands. Through the Education department, the Jobs for America’s Graduates multi-year program application will be implemented at four public high school sites within the territory: Central High and Educational Complex on St. Croix and Ivanna Eudora Kean and Charlotte Amalie High Schools on St. Thomas. 

“The JAG-VI program is a credit bearing course with a goal of twenty-five freshmen in 2009-2010; and up to forty to fifty students in 2010-2011,” de Jongh said. “I feel that this is yet another good program to make available to our students in the continuing pursuit of making sure we do all we can to keep our kids in school and give them the tools they need to succeed.” 

The Jobs for America’s Graduates program start date will begin on February 1, 2010 territory-wide.

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