Ford Driving Dreams returns to Puerto Rico to support youth with $107K in funding
Ford Motor Company Fund has returned to Puerto Rico for the second Ford Driving Dreams program, in collaboration with partners of La Alianza para la Educación Alternativa — ASPIRA, Centros Sor Isolina Ferré, Nuestra Escuela, P.E.C.E.S., and Proyecto Nacer.
The Ford Driving Dreams Puerto Rico program will consist of four phases and will award $107,000 in scholarships and grants for training and incentives that encourage students to “dream big.”
The Ford Driving Dreams program was held in person, with the participation of 75 students from 33 municipalities. The event was also streamed to partner organizations to connect students who couldn’t attend the event.
Executive Director of La Alianza para la Educación Alternativa Clavel Mendez Joy, and Rosángela Guerra, managing director of Ford for Puerto Rico, Central America & the Caribbean attended the event.
“Our organizations are honored to participate in this initiative with Ford Fund. The opportunity that this program provides our students is consistent with our mission to offer educational tools to young people, to inspire them to develop economic ventures that, in turn, contribute to their future lives, and to the strengthening of local business activity. We’re very grateful to have been selected to create this beautiful entrepreneurship alliance,” said José Javier Oquendo, president of the AEA.
The program’s first of four phases consisted of motivational activities, reinforcing the importance of education, and providing entrepreneurship best practices to help students have a better vision of their future, encouraging them to meet their work goals and achieve higher education.
In the following three phases, which will take place through May 2022, students will have the opportunity to create innovative entrepreneurship projects and receive scholarships to help them with their higher educational and professional goals.
“Ford Fund proudly supports students to follow their academic and entrepreneurial dreams,” said Joe Ávila, manager, Ford Motor Company Fund, US, and Latin America. “Through Ford Driving Dreams, we encourage them to pursue their goals and reinforce the idea that no dream is too big.”
The Ford Driving Dreams program has impacted more than 200,000 students across the US mainland, Puerto Rico, Latin America, and Spain since it was launched by the Ford Fund in 2012. The initiative has delivered more than $12 million in educational scholarships, college readiness, mentoring programs, motivational activities, and other resources, the company stated.
