UPR Ponce Hub

Overview:

Created in 2015, the UPR Ponce Hub engages the campus community, public K-12 schools, and the general public in a variety of environmental activities to raise awareness about sustainable material managements (SMM), agriculture, agroecology, water quality monitoring, and more.

Hub Activities:

Engaging K-12 Schools in SMM Practices:
The UPR Ponce Hub has engaged hundreds of K-12 students and many communities in Ponce and other municipalities in hands-on SMM activities. Members of the Hub coordinated a series of workshops and activities to raise awareness of recycling, composting, gardening, and vermicomposting among teachers, students, as well as parents and guardians. As a result, students have become active stewards involved in anti-litter campaigns and other efforts related to waste reduction, reuse, and recycling.

Litter Clean-ups: 
The Hub held several litter cleanups in 2016 that led to the collection of more than 1,000 pounds of litter. A significant amount of the material recovered was ultimately recycled.

Other Activities:
The Hub has also held environmental fairs.

 

Stakeholders:

– UPR Ponce
– GREEN-PR Stewards: Ramon Santos Ruiz, Eduardo Llegus Santiago, Hernaliz Vazquez Torres, Israel Rivera, Alan Figueroa
– Municipality of Ponce
– San Juan Bay Estuary Program (SJBEP)
– Coalición Estudiantil Pro-Agricultura (CEPA)
– Proyecto P.A.N.A.S in Ponce
– Medlife PUCPR Chapter
– Pámpanos Verde
– Insititute for Socio-Ecological Research
– Alpha Mu Fraternity
– Sor Isolina Ferré Center
– La Perla del Sur News
– Community leaders from Playa Ponce

Impacted Schools:
Aurea Collazo School
– Herminia García de Cintrón School
– Celso Barbosa Elementary School
– Julia Cordero Negrón  Elementary School
– Escuela Vocacional Bernardino Cordero Bernard School in Ponce
– Escuela Dr. Pedro Albizu Campos

 

GREEN-PR Mini-Grant Recipient:

Amount: $5,000
Project Period: 2014-2015
The UPR-Ponce Hub was a recipient of funding from SU-EFC’s GREEN-PR Mini-Grant Program for its project entitled, “Impacting Communities through Vermicomposting and the Use of Compost in School Gardens.”