Collaborative agreement signed by the Department of Education and the CARICOOS organization
The Department of Education (DE) and the non-profit organization Caribbean Coastal Ocean Observing System (CARICOOS) today signed a collaborative agreement that will allow the installation of a meteorological station on the premises of the Alejandro Tapia y Rivera Montessori school (ATR) in lajas
This agreement between both parties seeks to integrate efforts and resources to complement the school curriculum in said school, which seeks to be the first Montessori school on the island with a strong curricular component in Marine Sciences.
“CARICOOS intends to take advantage of the opportunity presented by the DE to educate our young people so that they are aware of the risks, as well as the tools and information to minimize them. They become vectors of information to their communities”, shared Julio Morell, executive director of CARICOOS.
The Weather Station Project will connect young people with their environment and encourage analysis and critical thinking. In this way they will be able to understand and transmit the influence of climate on our lives and on important tropical ecosystems.
The information to be collected by the youth provides security on our coasts and oceans, the efficiency of maritime operations, and supports the management of coastal and marine resources in our region.
It should be noted that this collaboration in ATR opens doors for more schools to be part of this project, such as the Montessori school Segunda Unidad Pasto (SUP) in Aibonito, who will also have a weather station at their school.
In addition to addressing the fundamentals of the Montessori philosophy, this project represents an opportunity for students from ATR, SUP and other schools to develop a culture of service to the community, explore their vocations and consider university studies.
''It's something awesome because it helps us investigate, it helps us expand our knowledge. In addition, since in Montessori they teach us to investigate, it is something that enriches us. I feel very happy and I know that my classmates will like that a lot,'' expressed Maria Laura student at ATR school in Lajas.
CARICOOS is one of 11 that make up the United States Integrated Coastal Observing System, covering all coasts in the nation and its territories. Such systems are funded by NOAA IOOS. CARICOOS operates with a network of observation instruments that provide information on ocean conditions and coastal climate in real time, as well as forecasts.
The press conference that took place at the headquarters of the non-profit organization Instituto Nueva Escuela, which serves the 50 Montessori public schools in Puerto Rico, was attended by the secretary of the DE, Elizer Ramos Parés, the Assistant Secretary of Montessori Education, Marlyn Rodríguez, the executive director of CARICOOS, Julio Morell and the associate director Patricia Chardon, Dr. Jazmin Detres, the executive director of Sea Grant, Ruperto Chaparro, and member of his collective, Efra Figueroa, the executive director of the INE, Jennyffer Otero, the co-founder of INE, Ana Maria García Blanco and members of the school community of Lajas and Aibonito.