Education Dept. formalizes commission for gifted student interns

The Commission for the Gifted Interns Program will be tasked with creating regulations, establishing participation requirements, selecting candidates and coordinating internships with executive agencies.

By The Star Staff

Education Secretary Eliezer Ramos Parés announced on Monday the official creation of the Commission for the Gifted Interns Program, in compliance with Law 217-2018.

The agreement establishing the commission was signed in the office of Senate President Thomas Rivera Schatz, in the presence of the Senate leader, House Speaker Carlos “Johnny” Méndez Núñez and Associate Secretary for Academic and Program Affairs Dr. Beverly Morro.

“Today we celebrate a momentous step forward for gifted students in our public schools,” Ramos Parés said in a written statement. “I am grateful for the strong support of both legislative [leaders], whose leadership has made this commission a reality.”

The commission is composed of the Senate president, the House speaker, the education secretary, the labor and human resources secretary, and a representative of the parents of gifted elementary school students, who is appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the Senate. Its task will be to create regulations, establish participation requirements, select candidates, and coordinate internships with executive agencies.

As a first step, the Education Department launched the program “Summer 2025: Internship Experiences with Academic and Occupational Exploration for PRDE Students on the Campuses of the University of Puerto Rico,” aimed at gifted and talented students in the public system.

Ramos Parés said he will soon convene the commission’s first meeting to outline the program’s initial steps.