Puerto Rico’s Education Department, led by Secretary Eliezer Ramos Parés, and Proyecto Nacer, a Bayamón-based nonprofit headed by CEO Dr. Anayra Túa López, signed a collaborative agreement to prevent school dropout among pregnant teenagers and young parents and to ease their access to educational and psychosocial support services. A main component is training school social workers to identify these students’ needs early and guide them on alternatives for continuing their studies.
Training activities will cover risk factors for dropping out, pregnant students’ rights, available educational alternatives, the importance of psychosocial support, prevention and intervention strategies, family support, and resource coordination. The Department will also identify and refer pregnant students or those at risk of dropping out who could benefit from Proyecto Nacer’s specialized services. Ramos Parés framed the agreement within Governor Jenniffer González Colón’s public policy of fair, equitable education, saying the goal is for these students to stay connected to the school system and earn their diploma.
Proyecto Nacer, accredited by the Middle States Association, offers free education from ninth grade through high school senior year to pregnant teens and their partners, serving youth in fourteen towns including Bayamón, Cataño, Corozal, San Juan and Cidra. Its 'Families Incubator' model supports three generations at once. The agreement includes mechanisms for coordination, follow-up and evaluation of joint activities.