The Division of Virgin Islands Cultural Education

29/07/2026

29/07/2026

Society of Virgin Islands Historians, Inc. in collaboraton with CHANT - Crucian Heritage And Nature Tourism

The Society of Virgin Islands Historians (SVIH) Annual Meeting for ...

29/07/2026

How does community knowledge travel from the people and places that hold it into the classrooms where students can investigate, question, create, and apply it?

The DVICE Educational Partnership Wheel illustrates how museums, archives, historic sites, artists, environmental organizations, genealogists, cultural practitioners, and other community experts can work alongside educators to transform community knowledge into structured learning experiences. Through the Kallaloo Framework, that expertise is connected to instructional methodologies, academic standards, assessment, and meaningful student products across Virgin Islands history, science, mathematics, language arts, environmental literacy, fine arts, and other disciplines.

This partnership model does not ask community organizations to become curriculum writers, nor does it treat teachers as passive recipients of cultural information. Each partner contributes a distinct form of expertise, while the Division of Virgin Islands Cultural Education helps build the bridge from community knowledge to school implementation.

Explore the flipbook and see how the partnership wheel moves from cultural stewardship to student learning:
https://midd.me/fIK3

29/07/2026

Building Authentic Stories Through Research and Planning
Guest presenter Devon "Guzbez" Pelle emphasized that compelling visual storytelling begins with careful observation and research rather than memory alone. He encouraged students to use reference photographs, books, and other visual sources to accurately represent the people, landscapes, architecture, and environments they wish to illustrate. Using examples from his own creative process, he explained how studying Caribbean landscapes and the work of other artists helped him create settings that felt authentic rather than generic.

Mr. Pelle also walked students through his storytelling methodology, demonstrating how ideas are first developed through brainstorming, then organized into written scripts, scene descriptions, dialogue, and thumbnail sketches before the final artwork begins. By planning the story before illustrating it, students learned that strong comics are built upon research, intentional design, and a clear narrative purpose.

Kallaloo Framework Alignment
CS.C.C.1 – Draws parallels between knowledge and history derived from oral tradition and from books.
CS.C.C.3 – Views local environment and topography as an endless resource of which to draw useful information.
CS.C.D.1 – Views all community members as potential teachers and all events in the community as potential learning opportunities.
CS.C.D.4 – Makes appropriate use of modern tools and technology to help document and transmit knowledge.
CS.C.E.1 – Provides opportunities for active learning and critical thinking.
CS.C.E.4 – Makes room for emerging technology in the teaching-learning process.

Student Performance Indicators
Students:
Ask questions.
Navigate through modern technology to access information.
Know how to use social data collection to test hypotheses.
Demonstrate the ability to use various media to tell stories.

National Standards
NCSS C3 Framework
D1.5.6-8 – Determine the kinds of sources that will assist in answering compelling and supporting questions.
D3.1.6-8 – Gather relevant information from multiple sources while evaluating the origin, authority, context, and corroborative value of each source.
D3.2.6-8 – Evaluate the credibility of sources while recognizing distinctions among fact, opinion, and interpretation.
D4.1.6-8 – Construct arguments using claims and evidence from multiple sources.

National Core Arts Standards
VA:Cr1.1 – Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work.
VA:Cr2.1 – Organize and develop artistic ideas and work.
VA:Cr3.1 – Refine and complete artistic work.
VA:Cn11.1 – Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural, and historical context.

29/07/2026

Every Comic Page Should Tell a Story

Students explored one of the foundational principles of visual storytelling through guidance from guest presenter Devon "Guzbez" Pelle. He encouraged students to think of every comic page as a complete storytelling experience, explaining that even if a page is part of a larger narrative, it should provide enough context to stand on its own while leaving readers curious about what comes next.

The lesson emphasized intentional planning, pacing, and composition so that every panel contributes to the overall story. Students also learned the importance of refining their work through the inking process, carefully considering line quality, speech bubble placement, and visual clarity before making permanent artistic decisions. Rather than rushing to complete a drawing, Mr. Pelle demonstrated how thoughtful planning and attention to detail strengthen both the artwork and the story it communicates.

Kallaloo Framework Alignment
CS.C.D.2 – Views students as stakeholders in the teaching-learning process.
CS.C.D.3 – Values social learning and the development of interpersonal skills.
CS.C.E.1 – Provides opportunities for active learning and critical thinking.
CS.C.E.4 – Makes room for emerging technology in the teaching-learning process.

National Standards

NCSS C3 Framework
D1.1.6-8 – Developing Questions and Planning Inquiries.
D4.4.6-8 – Present arguments and explanations using print, oral, and digital technologies.

National Core Arts Standards
VA:Cr2.1 – Organize and develop artistic ideas and work.
VA:Cr3.1 – Refine and complete artistic work.
VA:Pr6.1 – Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work.

This segment also reinforces an important principle of the Virgin Islands History Month Comic Book Competition: historical storytelling is strengthened when students thoughtfully organize evidence, sequence events with purpose, and communicate ideas with clarity. Every comic page becomes an opportunity to preserve and share Virgin Islands history through intentional visual narratives.

29/07/2026

This year's Virgin Islands History Month theme, "We Can Be Heroes: Heroes Like Us," reminds students that history is often propelled by ordinary people whose actions leave an extraordinary impact on their communities.

During today's Comic Book Competition presentation, students explored a practical methodology for transforming research into visual storytelling. Guest presenter Mr. Devon "Guzbez" Pelle encouraged students to begin with curiosity, observing the world around them, asking questions, experimenting with ideas, and allowing everyday experiences to inspire meaningful narratives. He demonstrated that great comics are built through creativity, persistence, and a willingness to experiment with different techniques and artistic tools.

That creative process was paired with historical inquiry. Students were challenged to research Virgin Islanders whose leadership, innovation, cultural stewardship, environmental advocacy, and community service have helped propel the territory forward. By combining archival research, oral histories, photographs, and modern technology with the storytelling techniques shared during the session, students now have a methodology for creating comics that are both historically grounded and creatively compelling.

Mr. Pelle's approach demonstrated that the strongest stories often emerge through observation, experimentation, and refinement, a creative methodology that mirrors the historical research process of collecting evidence, testing ideas, and building a well-supported narrative.

Virgin Islands Kallaloo Framework Standards
CS.C.B.1 – Integrates Virgin Islands Cultural Education Across Core Subject Areas

Students combine history, visual arts, literacy, and technology through comic creation.

CS.C.C.1 – Draws Parallels Between Knowledge and History Derived from Oral Tradition and from Books

Students use oral histories, interviews, archival documents, and historical research to construct authentic stories.

CS.C.D.1 – Views All Community Members as Potential Teachers and All Events in the Community as Potential Learning Opportunities

Mr. Devon Pelle serves as a community expert while students are encouraged to see everyday Virgin Islanders as sources of knowledge and inspiration.

CS.C.D.2 – Views Students as Stakeholders in the Teaching-Learning Process

CS.C.D.4 – Makes Appropriate Use of Modern Tools and Technology to Help Document and Transmit Knowledge
Students use digital illustration and modern storytelling tools to preserve and communicate Virgin Islands history.

CS.C.E.4 – Makes Room for Emerging Technology in the Teaching-Learning Process

Comics become a contemporary medium for documenting local history and cultural memory.

College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Framework for Social Studies
Dimension 1: Developing Questions and Planning Inquiries

Dimension 2: Applying Disciplinary Concepts and Tools

Dimension 3: Evaluating Sources and Using Evidence

Dimension 4: Communicating Conclusions and Taking Informed Action

National Core Arts Standards (Visual Arts)
VA:Cr1.1 Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work.

VA:Cr2.1 Organize and develop artistic ideas and work.

VA:Cr3.1 Refine and complete artistic work.

VA:Pr6.1 Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work.

VA:Cn10.1 Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art.

VA:Cn11.1 Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural, and historical context.

28/07/2026