Over the past 16 years, the Puerto Rican government closed over 600 schools. School closures have negatively impacted surrounding communities in myriad ways which led community groups to "take back" and repurpose abandoned schools into community centers. Our project collaborated with Taller Comunidad La Goyco, a community center in San Juan, to learn about and support these rescued school projects. Through a multi- method approach, we identified 161 repurposed school projects (35 are non-profit “rescued school” community centers), interviewed 10 schools, and hosted 2 community meetings. Our results identified common motivations, services, and challenges faced by rescued school projects and generated a framework and initial resources for a solidarity-based rescued school network.

• This report represents the work of one or more WPI undergraduate students submitted to the faculty as evidence of completion of a degree requirement. WPI routinely publishes these reports on its website without editorial or peer review.

Creator

• Abrogar, Jacob
• Brown, Madison
• Bourgoin, Jocelyn
• Polito, Francis
• Kellum, Evelyn

Subject

• Project-Based Learning
• Well-Being
• Community

Publisher

• Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Identifier

• E-project-030623-094746
• 91511

Keyword

• Communication
• Closed Schools
• Rescued Schools

Advisor

• Davis, John-Michael
• Carrere, Alize

Year

• 2023

Center

• San Juan, Puerto Rico Project Center - IQP

Sponsor

• Mariana Reyes

UN Sustainable Development Goals

• 8 - Decent Work and Economic Growth
• 17 - Partnerships for the Goals

Date created

• 2023-03-06

Resource type

• Interactive Qualifying Project

Source

• E-project-030623-094746

Rights statement

• In Copyright

Last modified

• 2023-06-09