About the Authors

Hello! We are the four students from Worcester Polytechnic Institute who have created this guide. Starting from the left, we are Nick, Tiana, Christian, and Noah. Each of us are 2023 graduates and are studying engineering. Nick studies Electrical Engineering and enjoys playing soccer. Tiana studies Aerospace Engineering and enjoys cheerleading. Christian studies Robotics Engineering and enjoys playing dominoes. Noah studies Mechanical Engineering and enjoys fishing. Our experiences in Puerto Rico with the non-profit community centers down below were amazing and will not be forgotten!

Community Centers

Taller Communidad

La Goyco

Comite Desarrollo Cultural y Social

Cubuy-Lomas

Caras con Causa

La Conde

La Goyco is located in San Juan, Puerto Rico and was the acting partner of this project. They provide services to the Machuchal community pertaining to culture, health, and environment. We were able to attend events and volunteer at La Goyco which allowed us to gain a new appreciation for Puerto Rican culture. Parts of this guide were informed from interviews held with their members: Mariana, Eunice, Ricky, and Iliana.

Comite Desarrollo Cultural y Social is located in Naguabo, Puerto Rico. They started their transformation in 1999, chasing crime out of their neighborhood. We were able to learn about their long journey and recent successes. They represented a community center that was well established in their community and provided valuable information for our research. Parts of this guide were informed from an interview held with their member, Maribel.

Cubuy-Lomas is located in Lomas, Puerto Rico. The area is very rural and home to a tight knit community. We were able to go on a tour of the facilities and get an idea of their vision. While the center still has yet to officially open (as of May 2022), they provided insight into the challenges of the beginning stages. The inspirational director, Javier, also gave each team member some homemade honey directly from their hives. Parts of this guide were informed from an interview held with their director, Javier.

Caras con Causa is located in Catano, Puerto Rico. They provide services to their community, focusing on environment and education. We were informed of the different educational aspects they provide including a charter school. The center includes large water cisterns for accessibility and science labs available to local schools. Their director attests most of their volunteer efforts to the local middle and high school students. Parts of this guide were informed from an interview held with their director, Michael.

La Conde is located in Carolina, Puerto Rico. They are led by a strong group of lively women who even fed our team after the interview. They have been able to transform a dining area and a single classroom as of May 2022. They use these areas to hold different workshops available to the local residents, young and old. Some of our team members were able to volunteer at La Conde which allowed us to gain a first hand experience in their efforts. Parts of this guide were informed from interviews held with their members: Glenny, Carla, and Dolly.

Resources

Guia Comunitaria para la Recuperacion de Espacios en Desuso(Centro Para la Reconstruccion del Habitat)
Community Guide & Toolkit (Cubuy Lomas & WPI)