TecLab Puerto Rico graduates first cohort in southern Puerto Rico
The Puerto Rico Science, Technology and Research Trust marked the completion of the first cohort of its TecLab Clubs, an educational program that offered hands-on science and technology training to 103 public school students in the Ponce and Southern educational region.
TecLab Puerto Rico is part of the Trust’s STEM Education and Workforce Development Program and is funded by the Puerto Rico Department of Economic Development and Commerce. The first cohort positions the project as a growing effort to prepare students for science and technology careers on the island.
The ceremony was held at the Aloft Hotel in Ponce with teachers, students, school principals and organizations from the island’s STEM community.
TecLab Clubs operate as afterschool learning spaces where high school students work with coordinating teachers on laboratory activities in fields such as biotechnology and information technology.
The program follows a semester design created for TecLab Puerto Rico and provides each school with equipment, safety materials and classroom furniture. The model also includes adaptations for students in special education programs so they can take part in laboratory practices.
Eight coordinating teachers participated in the first cycle after receiving program training. Participating schools included Ponce High School, Dr. Manuel de la Pila Iglesias and Lila M. Mayoral Wirshing in Ponce; Luis Lloréns Torres in Juana Díaz; Josefa Vélez Bauzá in Peñuelas; Josefina León Zayas in Jayuya; and José Vizcarrondo Añeses in Utuado.
“The impact we witnessed in this first cohort confirms the importance of bringing real scientific experiences into our public schools. Our students not only learned concepts — they practiced procedures that are carried out in laboratories and biopharmaceutical industries,” said Dr. Elsa Trujillo, manager of TecLab Puerto Rico.
“TecLab shows that when we properly equip teachers and students and provide them with a safe space to explore, STEM learning is transformed. This experience prepares them for real opportunities in the island’s workforce,” said engineer Luis Nieves, director of the STEM Education and Workforce Development Program.
Lucy Crespo, chief executive officer of the Trust, said the effort represents “a direct investment in Puerto Rico’s future,” noting that more than 100 students gained access to “meaningful, high-quality experiences regardless of their background or school of origin.”
The Trust is a nonprofit that supports research, innovation and workforce development on the island and was designated in 2023 as one of 31 federal Tech Hubs to lead the PRBio Tech Hub.
Allied groups that joined the closing activity included Casa Pueblo, CienciaPR and the University of Puerto Rico, Ponce. Representatives reaffirmed support for strengthening STEM education and expanding academic pathways for Puerto Rico’s youth.
