The West Indian Foundation

The West Indian Foundation (WIF) was founded by members of the West Indian Social Club (WISC) in 1978. The WIF allowed the social members to create a non-profit charitable organization to continue to do work for their community. The WIF has always focused on improving educational opportunities for West Indians. In the recent past, they have worked on improving access to college by providing scholarships to West Indian students in the Hartford area.

Through their work in the community, the West Indian Foundation learned that newly arrived English-speaking West Indian students were experiencing some difficulties transitioning to the U.S. education system. They approached the Action Lab to research what current services are (or are not) available for West Indian students enrolling in local schools, and to document the experiences of these students and their families as they navigate a new educational system.