Puerto Rican Youth from Despair to Hope

At PECES Inc. Alternative High School, we are achieving incredible things!  Our goal is to prevent school desertion through a community-based educational model specializing including supervised studies, personal growth dynamics, achievement experiences, and counseling.  One of our most recent standout projects is My Reading Corner which fosters interest in reading. This essential habit improves social and human conditions, allows critical thinking, reflection, creativity, and cognitive development. We have created outdoor and indoor spaces where our students can enjoy reading individually, in groups, or with their families. Furthermore, we promote leadership and community service among the young people at our P.E.C.E.S., Inc. Alternative High School integrating reading for the children and elderly in the community.

The Reading Spaces project achieved many significant milestones exceeding the expectations of the initiative. A participation of 142 students was achieved, of which 42 were kindergarten to third-grade students. We also served 60 elderly individuals and 25 women and mothers through the project’s creative activities.  Positive experiences were developed through the Reading Spaces clubs including reading marathons, competitions for reading narratives and informative texts, sharing with their teachers, family, and friends about their experiences and interests, among others.  A total of 15 young leaders, passionate about reading, played a leading role, reading aloud to the children and creating a motivating and inclusive environment.

Thanks to this initiative, our school has the necessary resources to continue promoting a love for reading. We are committed to further developing these spaces for the benefit of our students and the community at large. We are very grateful for the support received and excited about all we have achieved and will continue to achieve together!