Nuestra Escuela Inc.

To identify and provide assistance to young and adults with scarce economic resources, most of them deserters from school. Also to obtain the fourth year high school diploma based on a traditional and alternative holistic program.

Nuestra Escuela was founded as a a community-based organization with the primary function of providing to those youth who has abandoned the school with an alternative model of education to finish high school. The model focuses on the improvement of social and economic well-being while advancing its learning and educational attainment. A collaborative group of education social work and psychology experts develop an alternative educational program through an action-research process based on the principle that the social psychological situations of teens needed to be addressed alongside their academic goals in order for them to become productive members of society. The efforts have produced an effective community-based program in which student's competencies, self-esteem, family and peer relationships, and character are developed through caring and engaged personnel who work as a team. The present historic moment requires hand-on transformation with a creative approach that focuses on the talent and skills of youth paired with community and market needs in order to develop individuals who have the necessary skills and understanding to engage in projects and work that will support the culture, humanity and economy of our communities. For this reason, the model is not based on "needs" or what students lack, but rather skills and capacity development. The capacity is increased in the areas of bio-psychosocial, academics, formation and entrepreneurship. The school has served 2,269 students, including active students and 1,354 graduates, with sustained retention of approximately 98% and attendance maintained in approximately 80%. Due largely to attitudinal changes in them, with reduction in violence and drug use and increase retention in post-high school studies. For year ended June 30, 2018, 328 students were served and 48 students graduated. Enterprising initiatives include vegetable garde fishing, agriculture and tourism. Other accomplishments include the insertion in Puerto Rico's public schools providing support for the adoption of the school model as a resource to increase student retention. At the international level, Nuestra Escuela is promoting and supporting the transformation of education in Latin America and Africa. In the America's 19 nations are currently represented. In Africa, the initiative proposes developing and promoting the school's alternative educational model.