Ciencia Puerto Rico

ANNUAL REPORT 2016

CONTENT
Executive Director's Message ........ 3
Who We Are ........ 4
Our Mission ........ 5
Our Programs ........ 6
2016 Achievements ...... 10
Our Collaborators ...... 25

CienciaPR | Anual Report 2016 | Page 2

Message from our Executive Director
Dear friends,

In 2016 we had the joy of celebrating the 10th

anniversary of Ciencia Puerto Rico. What began as a
website for anyone interested in science and Puerto
Rico, has become today a movement of more than
7,700 scientists, students, STEM professionals and
citizens committed to the advancement of science
education and careers.
Looking to the future, we hope to continue
For the last ten years, you, the CienciaPR community, facilitating connections between scientists,
have been the inspiration and secret weapon of all students and educators to ensure that the
our initiatives. Thanks to youyour contributions, excitement of science is available to everyone. As
your example, your achievements, your advice, your a song by Silvio Rodrguez says: "Yo vivo de
commitment, your knowledge, and your donations preguntar. Saber no puede ser lujo" (I live to ask,
we have impacted more than 25,000 students and knowledge cannot be a luxury." With your help, we
educators. hope to continue promoting curious minds and
critical thinkers who contribute new knowledge to
None of the achievements we share in this report the world and to Puerto Rico.
could have been made without your help. That's why
we want to say THANK YOU!

GiovannaGuerrero-Medina,PhD

CienciaPR | Anual Report 2016 | Page 3

 WHO WE ARE

7,700+
Ciencia Puerto Rico (CienciaPR) is a non-profit organization
composed of scientists, professionals, students, and citizens
members committed to the advancement of science in Puerto Rico

100+
and to promoting scientific dissemination, education and
careers.
disciplines

60%
CienciaPR's main resource is its extensive and diverse
network of members and collaborators. Thanks to the
professionals capacity, knowledge, and commitment of our members, for

>440
the past decade we have implemented a series of initiatives
to transform scientific education and improve the research
universities ecosystem in Puerto Rico.

CienciaPR | Anual Report 2016 | Page 4

 OUR MISSION

Promoting scientific education and research in

Puerto Rico to meet the needs of its people

Raising awareness about the importance of

science in Puerto Rico and the role of the
archipelago in the advancement of scientific
knowledge worldwide

To serve as a resource for the formation of the

next generations of scientists from Puerto Rico

CienciaPR | Anual Report 2016 | Page 5

 Our
Programs
 SCIENCE

COMMUNICATION

Science in rice and beans

In 2011, we published Ciencia
Boricua! Essays and Anecdotes of
the Puerto Rican Scientist, the first
anthology of essays on science and
Puerto Rico.

Since 2006, we have published 600

science articles, written by scientific
experts, through national and
international media outlets.

Since 2008 we have launched more

than 260 podcasts (Radiocpsulas
and Mirada Cientfica) that have
also been broadcasted by Puerto
Rican radio stations.

CienciaPR | Anual Report 2016 | Page 7

 K-12 EDUCATION

Creating science culturally relevant

education resources
In 2012, through the Ciencia
Boricua Project, we demonstrated
that culturally relevant teaching
can improve students' attitudes
toward science.

Since 2012, over 220 students

have participated in our
educational programs.

In 2015, we created Seeds of

Success, the first program to
engage girls as STEM Ambassadors
in Puerto Rico.

More than 430 educators have

benefited from our workshops.
CienciaPR | Anual Report 2016 | Page 8
 PROFESSIONAL

DEVELOPMENT
Encouraging young talent and
highlighting #CerebrosBoricuas
Through our extensive members
network, we connect students
with STEM career opportunities,
career information, and
mentoring.

In 2014, we partnered with Yale

University to increase diversity in
science.

In 2015, we received a 5-year $

1.6M federal grant to create the
Yale Ciencia Academy, an
innovative program to transform
the training and professional
development of over 200
Hispanic doctoral students. CienciaPR | Anual Report 2016 | Page 9
 2016
Achievements
CIENCIA BORICUA! TALKS

In collaboration with the San Juan

Wildlife Museum, and as part of the
celebration of our 10th anniversary,
CienciaPR held a cycle of talks entitled
"Ciencia Boricua !: Scientific stories
inspired by members of Ciencia
Puerto Rico.

The lecture series provided an

opportunity for the general public to
get a firsthand look at the work of
many Puerto Rican scientists and hear
about the relevance of their work for
science and Puerto Rico.

CienciaPR | Anual Report 2016 | Page 11

CIENCIA BORICUA! TALKS

13 489 414
talks participants educator professional
development certificates

CienciaPR | Anual Report 2016 | Page 12

2016 YALE CIENCIA ACADEMY

This year we welcomed the first class of the

Yale Ciencia Academy (YCA), a program to
accelerate the professional development of
doctoral students in Puerto Rico and the
United States in the biological, health, and
behavioral sciences.

The 2016 YCA fellows participated in

workshops and virtual conversations with
successful scientists to explore different
careers; define academic and professional
goals; expand their networks; and acquire
new communication and leadership skills.
The fellows also completed scientific
outreach activities and participated in two
international scientific conferences.

CienciaPR | Anual Report 2016 | Page 13

2016 YALE CIENCIA ACADEMY

34
participants
21 40+
institutions in
PR & the US
panelists
& instructors

CienciaPR | Anual Report 2016 | Page 14

 2016 YALE CIENCIA ACADEMY

24 28 2
workshops
& conversations
science outreach
projects
national
conferences

CienciaPR | Anual Report 2016 | Page 15

SEEDS OF SUCCESS CELEBRATION

In March 2016, CienciaPR celebrated the

achievements of the Seeds of Success
participants during the 'Puerto Rico STEM's Up
To The Challenge' summit.

The Seeds of Success: Young STEM Ambassadors

Program, held during the 2nd semester of
2015, provided 6th-8th grade girls the
opportunity to develop as leaders and
become STEM ambassadors through
workshops with professional scientists and
engineers and science outreach activities. Thi
year Seeds of Success was also highlighted by
the White House Initiative for Educational
Excellence for Hispanics.

CienciaPR | Anual Report 2016 | Page 16

 162 60
girls from 119 middle schools volunteer scientists and
in 51 towns engineers

10,500
people reached through 97 science outreach
projects undertaken by the girls

92%
of girls are more self-confident in their
96%
of girls indicated they will follow
STEM skills after their participation a STEM career
 SEEDS OF SUCCESS CELEBRATION

"Seeds of Success helped me develop academically and

personally. I learned more about STEM careers and how they
relate to our environment. Developing the project at school
was a great help as I learned to relate to teachers and
strengthened my leadership and learning skills.This program
motivated me to continue participating in activities related to
STEM. "
Participant, Seeds of Success Program

CienciaPR | Anual Report 2016 | Page 18

 VII INTERNATIONAL SPANISH

LANGUAGECONGRESS (CILE 2016)

CienciaPR collaborated with CILE 2016 to
celebrate, for the first time in the history of the
Congress, the role of science in the most
important world celebration of the Spanish
language.

CienciaPR led the evaluation of entries to the

Science Essay Contest, a national science writing
competition, in which almost 100 high school
students from all over Puerto Rico participated.
Twelve members of the CienciaPR community
served as judges to select 3 winners and 7
finalists.

Members of CienciaPR also participated as

moderators and panelists in a session entitled
Let's Talk about Science, presented by the Puerto
Rico Science, Technology and Research Trust.

CienciaPR | Anual Report 2016 | Page 19

RECOGNITION BY THE AAAS

CARIBBEAN DIVISION

In September 2016, the Caribbean Division

of the American Association for the
Advancement of Science (AAAS) dedicated
its annual conference to CienciaPR "in
celebration of its 10th anniversary, to
highlight its efforts in favor of scientific
education and dissemination, and to foster
a Puerto Rican scientific society within and
outside of Puerto Rico. "

During her presentation at the conference,

our Executive Director, Dr. Giovanna
Guerrero Medina, highlighted the efforts of
CienciaPR to foster a scientific culture in
Puerto Rico for the benefit of the country.

CienciaPR | Anual Report 2016 | Page 20

 FORWARD RESEARCH AND

INNOVATION SUMMIT

This past September, CienciaPR participated in

the Forward Research and Innovation Summit
organized by the Puerto Rico Science,
Technology and Research Trust.

During this event, which brought together the

scientific, technological and business
community of Puerto Rico for the first time,
the leaders of CienciaPR discussed the origins
and achievements of the organization in the
panel entitled Transcending Boundaries for the
Benefit of Science, Puerto Rico and the World.
CienciaPR also participated as an exhibitor
and members of our community offered
presentations or posters, and participated in
mentoring sessions.

CienciaPR | Anual Report 2016 | Page 21

 FORWARD RESEARCH AND

INNOVATION SUMMIT

"The CienciaPR model and its initiatives have served as

inspiration for other groups on the island and the world.
Without fear of exaggeration, I can say that this model is
truly a global innovation. Just look at how many
countries have managed to connect their scientific human
TRTSRP ,aredaM soJ :otohP

capital inside and outside their territory on the same

platform, open and free to everyone and full of resources?

Dr. Greetchen Daz, Grants Program Director,,

Puerto Rico Science Technology and Research Trust

CienciaPR | Anual Report 2016 | Page 22

 CROWDFUNDING

CAMPAIGN

As part of CienciaPR's 10th anniversary, in

September 2016 we launched our first
crowdfunding campaign, #ConCienciaPR.

Thanks to the donations received we can

continue to celebrate #cienciaboricua; we will
reach more students and educators with
culturally relevant scientific education
resources; and we will support more scientific
and young Puerto Rican scientists.

Thank you for being

#ConCienciaPR!

CienciaPR | Anual Report 2016 | Page 23

 CROWDFUNDING

CAMPAIGN

$15,000
collected!

106 individual &

organization donations

CienciaPR | Anual Report 2016 | Page 24

 Our
Collaborators
OUR COLLABORATORS

CienciaPR | Anual Report 2016 | Page 26

THANK YOU FOR BEING

#CONCIENCIAPR!

Thanks to our volunteers,

community members, donors and
collaborators for their commitment
and support so that scientific
knowledge can reach to all Puerto
Ricans.

CienciaPR | Anual Report 2016 | Page 27

 Yo vivo de preguntar.
Saber no puede ser lujo.
Silvio Rodrguez, Escaramujo

WWW.CIENCIAPR.ORG

FB.com/CienciaPR

@CienciaPR

bit.ly/ApoyaCienciaPR

Contact@CienciaPR.org