Solar Powered First Response Center in Puerto Rico

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Nuestra Escuela has worked tirelessly to guarantee the safety and wellbeing of our students, their families, and that of Puerto Rico’s most vulnerable communities.

1. We have managed to continue our educational services with virtually no interruption through Nuestra Escuela Virtual. Our students can connect with their teachers and classmates every day, thus complying as an organization with the highest educational standards that our students deserve and have enjoyed for 19 years. The COVID-19 pandemic has challenged our ability to remain flexible and responsive to our communities’ needs. To do so, we developed a comprehensive response strategy for the continuation of our services. Our multi-pronged approach integrates the following areas: health and safety, socio-emotional support, and increased access to technology. We are delighted with our results: 90% of our enrolled students have continued to attend classes online, and we have maintained a 65% average attendance rate across all of our programs. Ensuring our services’ continuity and providing relief and peace of mind to the families we serve is our greatest reward. 
2. We have secured the support of Puerto Rico’s philanthropic sector to guarantee our students’ access to technology and connectivity. We have acquired 138 electronic devices with internet access for students and personnel. 
3. Thanks to GlobalGiving, we have supported Red Comunitaria de Respuesta (Comunity Response Network) in the construction of a Resilience Center in Guánica, Puerto Rico. 
4. We are proud to have retained 100% of our employees with their complete salaries. 
5. We assumed an active role in the Task Force Social del Pueblo (People’s Social Task Force), which serves as a mechanism for increased coordination between the government’s and the nonprofit sector’s response to COVID-19. 
6. Responding to the economic fallout caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, we’ve supported our communities in Cagua, Loiza, and Toa Baja by distributing over 10,224 boxes containing food supplies, amounting to 357,840 pounds of fresh food for our communities. Before distributing food, we provided families with money to purchase food at supermarkets. Aware that the vast majority of our families live below the poverty line, it was paramount for our organization to support families with fulfilling their basic needs. We extended these benefits to school personnel facing financial hardship as well. 

This work was made possible thanks to the commitment and resolve of our staff, donors, families, and communities. Because our priority is to safely provide in-person teaching to our students, we have focused our efforts on preparing our sites for eventual reopening. Therefore, we have decided to postpone the construction of our solar-powered dining room to May 2021. We are forever grateful for your continued support!

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