San Juan, Puerto Rico – L'Oréal Caribe and Ciencia Puerto Rico (CienciaPR) celebrated the third graduation of the For Girls in Science program, an initiative that provides tools and academic mentoring to young women to gain admission to university programs in STEM. In this edition, 18 high school students successfully completed the program, which culminated in a graduation ceremony at the Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico. This ceremony featured the special participation of Deborah Martorell, who will soon become the first meteorologist to travel to space, who shared a message about perseverance and vocation, encouraging young women to claim their space in science.
"With this program we open doors so that more young people not only become interested in science, but also see themselves leading from it. After the implementation of this third cycle in Puerto Rico, we reaffirm our commitment to the transformative impact of this initiative and the valuable alliance we have built with Ciencia Puerto Rico," said Liana Camacho, vice president of Marketing for L'Oréal Caribe. This effort is part of the L'Oréal Foundation's global commitment to a more inclusive science: according to UNESCO, only 33.3% of researchers in the world are women.
Aimed at students between ninth and eleventh grade, the program includes specialized mentoring by scientists, visits to laboratories, inspirational talks and scientific challenges. In addition, the participants, who were alumni of the Semillas de Triunfo program, took on the role of mentors for the girls within the same program, reinforcing the accompaniment between generations.
"Our goal is to have the girls prepare for their college future within a career in STEM. This would not be possible without the voluntary efforts of their mentors and role models who accompany them along the way. Our greatest thanks to them," said Dr. Abniel Machín de Jesús, director of the Education Unit of CienciaPR
This edition was supported by partner organizations such as the Trust for Science, Technology and Research of Puerto Rico, the Polytechnic University of PR, Glenn International, the Rio Piedras Campus of the UPR, Science and Heels and Latinas in STEAM. To learn more about the program or future local calls, visit: https://www.cienciapr.org/es/seeds-success/loreal-girls-science-puerto-rico
