As the U.S. Virgin Islands affiliate of the Library of Congress&rsquo;s Center for the Book, the <a href="https://cfvi.net/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands</a> (CFVI) has selected two works that celebrate the culture and heritage of the territory for the 2026 Great Reads from Great Places program. The 2026 selections are Creative Callaloo: Art, Poems, and Recipes Inspired by the Virgin Islands by Danica M. David in the adult category, and Broo 'Nansi and Hummingbird by Mario Picayo as the youth selection.&nbsp;
&ldquo;The Great Reads from Great Places program offers a unique opportunity to showcase the stories, voices and cultural traditions that make the U.S. Virgin Islands so special,&rdquo; said CFVI President Dee Baecher-Brown. &ldquo;These books are written by local authors, set in the territory and highlight the traditions and stories that define our islands. We are proud to celebrate authors whose works inspire readers and share the richness of the Virgin Islands culture with audiences across the nation.&rdquo;
Thanks to support from the Department of Tourism, the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the National Endowment for the Humanities, CFVI staff will travel to the 2026 National Book Festival in Washington, D.C., in August to represent the U.S. Virgin Islands alongside the selected authors and literacy representatives from the 50 states and the territories.
In Creative Callaloo: Art, Poems, and Recipes Inspired by the Virgin Islands, St. Croix artist, educator and entrepreneur Danica M. David brings together visual art, poetry, history and culinary traditions in a vibrant celebration of Virgin Islands culture. Featuring contributions from poet Winifred "Oyoko" Loving and chef Mark E. Davis, the book blends storytelling and creativity to capture the flavors, memories and traditions of the territory.
"I am honored and grateful that my book, Creative Callaloo: Art, Poems, and Recipes Inspired by the Virgin Islands, has been chosen as an Adult Reader Selection for Great Reads from Great Places in 2026," said David. "This recognition affirms my commitment to sharing my grandmother's heritage, wisdom and other nuances of Virgin Islands culture. I celebrate this recognition with my contributors, Winifred 'Oyoko' Loving and Mark E. Davis, and with Editorial Campana for trusting my vision and publishing my first book. I sincerely thank the Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands, the USVI affiliate of the Library of Congress Center for the Book, for supporting our stories and allowing me to celebrate my cultural roots as a Virgin Islands ambassador."
The youth selection, Broo 'Nansi and Hummingbird, celebrates the beloved Caribbean storytelling tradition through a colorful and humorous tale featuring trickster Broo 'Nansi. Author Mario Picayo weaves together themes of generosity, community and wisdom while introducing young readers to elements of Virgin Islands and Caribbean culture. Both books are available at local bookstores in all three Virgin Islands.&nbsp;
"Broo 'Nansi and Hummingbird bridges our oral Virgin Islands storytelling, firmly rooted in West African traditions, with the contemporary Caribbean world and culture," said Picayo. "Hurricanes, goats, iguanas, carnivals and our very own hummingbird are all part of the story. It speaks about greed and generosity, about wit used selfishly and wit used for the sake of the community. I wrote the story with the hope of entertaining, educating a little and, above all, as a humble tribute to those who have kept the Broo 'Nansi traditions alive through generations. May readers enjoy it."
CFVI was invited by the Library of Congress in 2022 to serve as the Center for the Book for the U.S. Virgin Islands. Through this partnership, CFVI collaborates with the Library of Congress to promote literacy, reading and literary heritage through local programming, public initiatives and community engagement.
For more information about CFVI's Center for the Book programs and literacy initiatives, visit <a href="https://cfvi.net/U-S-Virgin-Islands-Center-for-the-Book" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">CFVI.net/U-S-Virgin-Islands-Center-for-the-Book</a>

About The Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands
The Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands (CFVI) is the leading philanthropic organization in the U.S. Virgin Islands, dedicated to improving the quality of life for all Virgin Islanders. Since 1990, CFVI has served as a trusted steward of charitable resources, partnering with donors, nonprofits, and community leaders to support a wide range of initiatives across education, health, youth and family services, the environment, disaster recovery, and the arts and humanities. With more than 150 active funds and a deep commitment to equity and resilience, CFVI drives impactful, data-informed grantmaking and community investments that strengthen the territory today and for the future. For more information, visit <a href="http://www.cfvi.net/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">www.cfvi.net</a>.&nbsp;

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As the U.S. Virgin Islands affiliate of the Library of Congress’s Center for the Book, the Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands (CFVI) has...

Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands Announces 2026 Great Reads from Great Places Selections

Adaina Smith of St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, has been selected as the inaugural recipient of the Rashida A. Hodge Scholarship, the transformational award that provides full tuition, fees, housing and mentorship for up to four years at North Carolina State University (NC State).
Smith, selected by the <a href="https://cfvi.net/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands</a> (CFVI) scholarship committee, will begin her educational journey this summer through NC State's Summer Start Program before joining the university this fall.
The scholarship was established through a $1 million endowment created by NC State alumna and Microsoft executive Rashida Hodge in partnership with CFVI, where she also serves as a board member. As the largest scholarship award in CFVI's history, it was created to expand access to higher education for students from the U.S. Virgin Islands public school system by removing financial barriers and creating a direct pathway to one of the nation's leading public research universities.
For Hodge, the scholarship represents a deeply personal mission. The scholarship fulfills a long-held goal of creating opportunities for Virgin Islands students to access the same educational pathway that helped shape her own future.
A graduate of Charlotte Amalie High School in St. Thomas, NC State and Duke University, Hodge attended college through the support of scholarships that allowed her to graduate debt-free and begin her career without the burden of student loans. She established the scholarship to provide future Virgin Islands students with the same opportunity that helped transform her own life.
"Scholarships changed the trajectory of my life," said Hodge. "I came to NC State because others invested in me, and I graduated debt-free because people I had never met believed in my future. Growing up, my parents taught me that if you believe in something, you have to be willing to make a sacrifice. This scholarship is my way of paying that gift forward and creating the same opportunity for the next generation of Virgin Islands students."
Hodge, a St. Thomas native, now serves as corporate vice president of cloud and AI platforms at Microsoft. She established the scholarship in honor of her grandmother, Ioline Hodge, whose legacy of generosity, faith and service continues to inspire her commitment to expanding educational opportunity for others.
"Rashida elevates NC State in all that she does through her leadership, service, and philanthropic commitment," said Brian Sischo, vice chancellor for university advancement at NC State. "This partnership creates life-changing opportunities for talented students from the Virgin Islands while strengthening the connection between NC State and a community that has produced remarkable leaders like Rashida. We are thrilled to welcome Adaina to the Wolfpack family.&rdquo;
Students from the U.S. Virgin Islands often face significant financial and geographic barriers when pursuing higher education on the mainland. The Rashida A. Hodge Scholarship was created to help remove those barriers while strengthening the connection between the Virgin Islands and NC State for future generations.
"Rashida's story is extraordinary because she has reached the highest levels of global leadership while remaining deeply connected to the community that shaped her," said Dee Baecher-Brown, president of CFVI. "This scholarship creates opportunities that will impact students and families for generations while strengthening the connection between the Virgin Islands and NC State."
Inspired by the launch of the scholarship, Hodge is encouraging other leaders to consider establishing scholarships and educational pathways, regardless of size, for next year&rsquo;s graduates in their communities, demonstrating that transformative philanthropy does not require extraordinary wealth, but rather intentional planning, sacrifice and a commitment to creating opportunities for others.
"I am deeply grateful for the Rashida Hodge Scholarship and mentorship opportunity," said Smith, who will pursue a business administration degree on the pre-law track with hopes to become an attorney. "It gives me the chance to attend NC State and fully dedicate myself to my education without placing financial strain on my family. This opportunity motivates me to grow into a leader who not only succeeds, but also gives back and opens doors for others."
"My hope is that years from now there will be dozens of Virgin Islands students walking across NC State's campus because one student became two, two became ten, and ten became a tradition," said Hodge. "This scholarship isn't just about helping a student attend college. It's about creating a pathway that can change families for generations."

Adaina Smith of St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, has been selected as the inaugural recipient of the Rashida A. Hodge Scholarship, the...

Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands Selects First-Ever Rashida A. Hodge Scholarship Recipient

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Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands Announces 2026 Great Reads from Great Places Selections

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Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands Selects First-Ever Rashida A. Hodge Scholarship Recipient