One promise. A new way to learn.

The Center for Educational Growth (CFEG) did not begin as a business idea. It began as a promise.

Our founder, Director Sandra Cannon, was born in Trinidad and Tobago and attended public high school in the U.S. Virgin Islands during the 1970s. Like many immigrant students, she dreamed of attending college. Instead of encouragement, she was told her future was limited because of her immigration status. The guidance she needed was never offered, and the confidence every young person deserves was shaken by the very people entrusted to help her.

Rather than accepting those limitations, she proved them wrong. That experience shaped the course of her life. Instead of walking away from education, she dedicated her career to making sure no other student experienced what she had.

For 32 years, Director Cannon served students throughout the U.S. Virgin Islands as an educator, counselor, and advocate. She helped thousands of students graduate from high school, pursue college degrees, and continue into graduate education. Regardless of a student’s race, nationality, economic circumstances, learning differences, or personal challenges, her philosophy remained unchanged:

No student should ever be denied the opportunity to learn simply because someone failed to believe in them.

That promise eventually became CFEG.

After retiring from public education in 2018, Director Cannon believed there was still more to accomplish.

She had witnessed firsthand that traditional brick-and-mortar education does not always meet every student’s needs. Some students need flexibility. Others need individualized instruction. Many need teachers who know their names rather than simply their student numbers. International students often need schools willing to recognize prior learning while helping them build a future in the United States and beyond.

She envisioned a school where education would adapt to the student—not the other way around.

In 2019, she founded The Center for Educational Growth, Inc. (CFEG), a nonprofit school built around one simple belief:

Every student deserves a pathway to success.

Today, CFEG combines live digital instruction, individualized learning, counseling, and career preparation to help students direct their own education while receiving the support they deserve.

Today, CFEG is a Cognia-accredited, 501(c)(3) nonprofit school, with virtual and fully digital middle, high school, vocational and career building programming headquartered in Frederiksted, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. Where students from the Virgin Islands, the United States, and around the world can earn an accredited U.S. high school diploma through personalized learning designed around their individual goals.

Our students benefit from:

• Small classes held 2–3 times each week
• Individualized, self-paced coursework
• College, General, and Vocational diploma pathways
• Credit recovery and transfer credit evaluation
• Year-round enrollment
• International student admissions
• Tech, Humanities, Culture, Film, Arts, Coding, Agriculture, Music, and Workforce development programs that combine digital and in-person experiences
• Direct access to career professionals and educators who know every student’s story and who work in the industry they teach

Our mission is measured by student success.

Since opening our doors, CFEG students have:

• Achieved 100% graduation and college acceptance among graduating seniors
• Increased GPAs from 2.0 to 3.0
• Accelerated students ahead of traditional grade levels
• Helped seniors graduate with college credit already earned
• Expanded enrollment while serving students across the U.S. Virgin Islands and internationally

These accomplishments reflect more than academic outcomes—they demonstrate what happens when students receive individualized guidance and educators who genuinely believe in their potential.

Our founder’s story is not simply part of our history. It is the standard by which every decision at CFEG is made.

Every enrollment. Every class. Every conversation. Every opportunity.

We believe education should never be limited by where a student lives, where they were born, what language they speak, how they learn, or the obstacles they have faced.

Because one student was once told she didn’t belong. She spent the next thirty-two years proving that every student does.