Children & Youth
Empowering Our Leaders of Tomorrow
Children and youth are the heart and future of Puerto Rico. However, the children in our region face multiple complex challenges that threaten their well-being and ability to thrive. High levels of poverty and unemployment, lack of access to fresh and healthy food, and an under-resourced educational system combine to endanger their health and safety. These factors worsened after Hurricanes Maria (2017) and Fiona (2021), earthquakes in 2020, and the global Covid-19 pandemic, as these events caused an increase in inequality and economic instability in the region.
82%
Of participating children and youth live below the poverty line
44%
Of Puerto Rico’s public schools have closed since 2007
40%
Of households in Puerto Rico experience food insecurity
How do we create solutions to these challenges for our children?
Our Children and Youth Program focuses on the holistic development of our participants. We address not only the intellectual dimension, but also the emotional, social, and spiritual. The holistic education we offer is based on the understanding that each person is a unique and complete being, and therefore, their education must address all these dimensions.
Through all the program's activities, we nurture their minds and hearts through experiential learning in the garden, cooking and healthy eating, socio-emotional learning, and artistic exploration. We integrate all these elements with the goal of working hand in hand with the children in our communities to build a more sustainable future, where they can thrive in health, balance, and harmony.
How do we do it?
Weekly visits to the school gardens of our partner public schools, where students learn to grow their own food, care for the environment, and adopt healthy eating and wellness habits.
Bi-weekly meetings of the Plenitud PR Youth Club, aimed at students in grades 8-12, promoting the development of practical skills in agroecology, healthy eating, and entrepreneurship, thus fostering leadership and self-sufficiency.
Monthly educational tours at the Plenitud PR educational farm, to provide direct nature experiences for students from schools in the region.
Training for educators in agroecology, healthy eating, and socio-emotional learning, equipping teachers with tools to become agents of change in their communities.
Testimonial
“The service of the Plenitud team and teachers is hard work, but in the end we see the satisfaction and achievement of each student. Every time they visit the garden and learn about planting and harvesting, they are filled with joy. They learn, share, release energy, and most importantly a healthy environment is fostered.”
- Marlene Avilés, Teacher at Escuela Silverio Medina Guad
Our Impact
2,500
Children and youth have participated in our holistic education programs since 2017
1,860
healthy meals were delivered to children and the school community in 2023.
5
Educational eco-creative spaces have been established in schools in our community
420
Gardening, art and cooking educational kits have been distributed to children and youth
11
Educational videos have been produced and published for children and youth both locally and worldwide
Invest in our children’s future
Help us continue offering our educational programming to the children and youth of the region. Our goal is to expand our impact through partnerships and sharing educational resources focused on holistic and comprehensive education.
Explore videos & activities for children!
Access to holistic education is changing lives.
Check out their stories!
Thank you to our partners!
