Vimenti has secured $1.031 million in federal funding to develop libraries and next-generation STEM learning spaces at four Puerto Rico schools, expanding access to robotics, astronomy, artificial intelligence, data analysis and other science and technology resources. The money was awarded through the U.S. House of Representatives’ Community Project Funding process and will support Vimenti’s Next Generation STEM Learning Lab Accelerator.
The initiative will create and strengthen STEM spaces at three additional schools in Puerto Rico’s Full-Service Community Schools program, in addition to Vimenti School. Resident Commissioner Pablo José Hernández Rivera secured the funding through a Community Project Funding request submitted to the House Appropriations Committee, and the resources will be channeled through NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement.
Hernández said: "I have been saying for weeks that we have to prioritize the basics, and education is basic. Our children are failing in the basic subjects of Spanish, English, science and mathematics. This type of allocation helps address that problem."
The investment comes as schools across Puerto Rico continue to face challenges in providing students with specialized educational infrastructure and hands-on learning opportunities, particularly in communities with high levels of childhood poverty. The four schools will develop STEM learning environments aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards and Puerto Rico’s academic standards, incorporating robotics and programming, astronomy and space sciences, Earth sciences, data analysis and artificial intelligence.