Pulso Criollo initiative helps Caguas youth stay focused on life goals
- The San Juan Daily Star
- 8 hours ago
- 2 min read
Expanding program makes plain the risk of opioid use, provides tools for self-protection
By THE STAR STAFF
The Pulso Criollo initiative of the Autonomous Municipality of Caguas has impacted nearly 750 young people in the city through an innovative strategy for preventing problematic opioid use.
The strategy, aimed at youth between the ages of 12 and 19, focuses on equipping students with tools to protect their goals, aspirations and life plans.
To date, the program has been implemented at Gerardo Sellés Solá High School, Manuela Toro Morice High School, Antonio Domínguez Nieves High School, José Gautier Benítez High School, and Tomás Alva Edison High School. As part of its expansion phase, the project plans to reach four additional schools to further broaden a significant educational experience for Caguas youth.
“The Pulso Criollo program integrates dynamic workshops, interactive narratives, and digital tools that connect with the language and realities of today’s youth,” Caguas Mayor William Miranda Torres said. “The workshops are held at the C3Tec facilities, allowing us to offer an interactive, dynamic, and innovative learning experience in an environment aligned with hands-on learning and the use of technological resources.”
The mayor added that the experience “not only includes an educational component, but also direct services and support, if necessary, according to the particularities identified in each school community.”
The training experiences allow participants to clearly understand the risks associated with substance use and, above all, how it can negatively impact their personal, academic and professional aspirations.
The effort is led by the municipality’s Secretariat of Human Development, with the support of the municipal Department of Education and the backing of the SANOS Corporation, the Albizu Psychological Services Clinic, and the Innovative Strategic educational resource, which have contributed experience, services and specialized support.