February 15, 2016
The second year of the Syracuse University Environmental Finance Center’s (SU-EFC) GREEN-PR program kicked off with an all-day training on Saturday, January 30, at the Metropolitan University in San Juan. The goal of the GREEN-PR program–which stands for Generating Replicable Environmental Education Networks in Puerto Rico–is to bring environmental education to Puerto Rico to the next level by developing a strong network of environmental stewards and community “GREEN-PR Network Hubs,” as well as providing seed money to foster creative education initiatives through mini-grants.
The training was attended by representatives and Stewards from various Hubs around the island, including those in Ponce, Lajas, San Juan, and Carolina, as well as former mini-grant recipients and prospective Stewards. The training, titled “GREEN-PR 2.0: Creating Environmental Education Hubs,” included a full day of presentations on green infrastructure and sustainable materials management (the core GREEN-PR subject areas) provided by SU-EFC staff and special guests, a campus tour of green infrastructure, as well an opportunity for members of different Hubs to introduce their work and progress. The training concluded with site visits to one of the Hubs, Urban Grove Greenhouse and Forest in Capetillo, and a mural painted by GREEN-PR volunteers in summer 2015. GREEN-PR stakeholders will reconvene later in the spring semester to visit Hubs and discuss development goals.