Anchor Institutions Advancing Local and Global Sustainable Community Development

2017-2018 Conference Proceedings Rutgers University–Camden

Author Biography Gregory M. Anderson, Ph.D. Dean, College of Education, Temple University Dr. Gregory M. Anderson is a sociologist whose scholarly interests include socio-economic and racial and ethnic inequality, access to higher education, and social change and development. Dr. Anderson is on numerous national and regional boards including the Deans for Impact and the Philadelphia Education Fund and is committed to improving the quality of education for all students but with a special focus on children of color from low-income and immigrant backgrounds

Gloria Bonilla-Santiago, Ph.D. Director of the Community Leadership Center, Rutgers Board of Governors Distinguished Service Professor, Board Chair of the LEAP Academy University Charter School Dr. Santiago is a Board of Governors Distinguished Service Professor, Graduate Department of Public Policy and Administration at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. She also directs the Community Leadership Center and is the overseer and Board Chair of the LEAP Academy University Charter School. Throughout her academic career, she has established a track record in coordinating large scale programs and private and public ventures that bring together external and internal stakeholders from a range of organizations, including government, business, non-profits and philanthropic sectors at the local, national and international levels. Dr. Bonilla-Santiago is well known expert in Education policy and Community development. She is the author of numerous books and articles and has an international reputation for up-scaling best practices on Higher education and innovative ideas.

Heidie Calero JD President, H. Calero Consulting Group, Inc. Heidie Calero is an economist and lawyer, is currently President of H. Calero Consulting Group, Inc., a consulting firm in the areas of economics, planning, and finance. She was Chairperson, President, and Partner of a private consulting firm in the area of economics. As Executive Vice President, she was in charge of the Corporate and Municipal Finance Department of Drexel Burnham Lambert, Puerto Rico, Inc. She established the office of the top investment banking firm of Salomon Brothers, Inc. in Puerto Rico. As Head of the Economics Research Department for Citibank in Puerto Rico, she did extensive research on the impact of US Code Section 936 on the Island. She also taught macroeconomics at the University of Puerto Rico and Managerial Economics - Master’s Degree Level – at the Central University in PR. She edited and published the book: Inside the Puerto Rico Economy, 1998- 2007. She completed her post graduate studies in economics at the University of York in England and later became a lawyer and was admitted to the Puerto Rico Bar Association. Throughout her career, she has received several distinctions and awards.

Nancy Cantor, Ph.D. Chancellor, Rutgers-Newark Dr. Nancy Cantor is Chancellor of Rutgers University–Newark, a diverse, urban, public research university. A distinguished leader in higher education, she is recognized nationally and internationally as an advocate for re-emphasizing the public mission of colleges and universities, both public and private, viewing them not as traditional “ivory towers,” but as anchor institutions that collaborate with partners from all sectors of the economy to fulfill higher education’s promise as an engine of discovery, innovation, and social mobility. Having led a highly inclusive and democratic strategic visioning process at Rutgers University–Newark in her inaugural year, she is now leading implementation of the institution’s first strategic plan, which is designed to leverage the university’s many strengths, particularly its exceptional diversity, tradition of high-impact research, and role as an anchor institution in Greater Newark.

María del Carmen Zabala, Ph.D. Professor and Researcher Faculty of Latin American Social Sciences (FLACSO) University of Havana Dr. María del Carmen Zabala researches social development from an interdisciplinary perspective, with an emphasis on the themes of social inequality, poverty, equitable politics, family and gender. She recently won a prestigious award from the National Academy of Sciences of Cuba on an investigation on economic efficiencies and social equity. She received her PhD in Psychological Sciences from the University of Havana.

Matthew Closter MPA, MS, Senior Research Associate, Community Leadership Center and PhD Candidate Public Affairs, Rutgers University Matthew currently serves as a Research Associate for the Rutgers-Camden Community Leadership Center, where he organizes a public lecture series on issues of education and community development, writes grant proposals, maintains the Alfredo Santiago Endowed Scholarship Fund for students from LEAP Academy University Charter School to attend Rutgers University, and produces the annual Alfredo Santiago Endowed Scholarship Gala. Matthew has extensive experience in community development and educational exchange programs, having worked for local, national, and international organizations, including the City of Philadelphia Mural Arts Program, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, AFS Intercultural Programs, the Institute of International Education, and Amigos de las Americas. Matthew has a B.A. in Anthropology and Sociology and a Minor in Spanish from Brandeis University and a Master’s in Public Administration from the University of Pennsylvania. He has also been published in Public Library Quarterly.

Cristina Diaz López, Ph.D. Distinguished Professor and Consultant Department of Analytical Chemistry, University of Havana Dr. Cristina Diaz López is a renowned scholar in the field of Analytical Chemistry. She has recently studied the role of the university in the creation of an environmental culture for sustainable development. Her other research interests include the development of analytical procedures for the preconcentration and determination of heavy metals in waters, sediments and organisms; high blood tension in Cuban’s pregnant women; and the assessment of the pollution and integrated management in coastal zones in Havana. She has a PhD in Chemistry Sciences from the University of Havana.

Wanda Garcia, MSW, Associate Director, Community Leadership Center, PhD Candidate Public Affairs, Rutgers University Wanda Garcia is Associate Director of the Community Leadership Center at Rutgers University-Camden, she oversees the Rutgers/LEAP Centers of Excellence and serves as the Board Liaison for the LEAP Academy University Charter School. Ms. Garcia is originally from Puerto Rico and has Master’s degree in social work with a concentration in administration and policy in 1993. She is currently a doctoral student in the Rutgers Public Affairs Program. Ms. Garcia has served in the Board of a number of community and professional organizations, including: Founding member of Camden County Hispanic Affairs Commission and the ASPIRA of NJ Board of Directors. She is also a member of the Board of Directors of the NJ Public Charter Schools Association, a membership organization providing advocacy and support to charter schools in the State of New Jersey.

Ira Harkavy, Ph.D. Associate Vice President and Director, Netter Center for Community Partnerships, University of Pennsylvania Dr. Ira Harkavy, is Associate Vice President and founding Director of the Barbara and Edward Netter Center for Community Partnerships at the University of Pennsylvania. As Director of the Netter Center since 1992, Dr. Harkavy has helped to develop academically based community service courses and participatory action research projects that involve creating university- community partnerships and university-assisted community schools in Penn’s local community of West Philadelphia. Dr. Harkavy has written and lectured widely on the history and current practice of urban university-community-school partnerships and strategies for integrating the university missions of research, teaching, learning, and service.

Reynaldo Jiménez Guethón, Ph.D. Director, Faculty of Latin American Social Sciences (FLACSO), University of Havana Dr. Reynaldo Jiménez Guethón specializes in the study of the transformation and development of the cooperative culture in rural and agricultural regions of Cuba. He has conducted research and been invited to serve on leadership committees throughout the world in Guatemala, Chile, Canada, the United States, Costa Rica, Turkey, Honduras, Ecuador, Mexico, Italy, and Brazil. Dr. Jiménez Guethón received his PhD in the Sociology of Education from the University of Havana.

Marta Lourdes Baguer, Ph.D. Distinguished Professor, President of the Science Faculty Council, Coordinator of the National Program in Basic Science of MES, University of Havana Dr. Marta Lourdes Baguer specializes in numerical linear algebra and its applications; parallel computation; numerical mathematics; and image processing. She currently leads the National Research Program for Basic Sciences in Cuba and has been a member of the Organizing Committee between Cuba and Mexico on the Numeric Methods and Optimization. Dr. Lourdes Baguer received her PhD in Numerical Mathematics from Humboldt University in Germany.

Janet Rojas Martínez, Ph.D. Faculty of Latin American Social Sciences (FLACSO) of the University of La Habana in Havana, Cuba. Dr. Rojas- Martinez has many specialties in tele-detection and special techniques, international and social relations development, public policy analysis, youth programs development, economic and structural development of Cuba and local development. In her experience as an academic, she has conducted many classes and investigations with topics related to: problem and conflict identification techniques, human geography, public health and Cuban society. She has received support from various organizations for her work, including territorial and social cohesion in Cuba for the CESBH and CITMA, early childhood and youth studies projects for FLACSO-Cuba, CEPDE-ONEI and UNICEF, among many others.

Dr. Sofía Magdalena Porro Mendoza Professor and Researcher Faculty of Latin American Social Sciences (FLACSO) University of Havana Dr. Mendoza’s academic background is based on an early degree in education, courses on foreign languages such as Russian and English, a Master’s degree in social and international relations development and a Doctorate in Sociological Education from the University of La Habana in Havana, Cuba. Dr. Porro-Mendoza’s research and publications are related to fields in social and early childhood development, the Cuban families’ realities and perspectives connected to social policies and the social relation to science and technology. Her participation in a diversity of projects include coordinating, collaborating and project designing for gender and youth studies, cooperatives of agriculture, economic, and social and community development initiatives, among many others

Dennis R. Román Roa Director of the Center for Puerto Rico Dennis R. Román Roa has over 25 years of experience in the commercial and manufacturing industry. Throughout his career he has distinguished himself by his executions in topics of organizational transformation, strategic planning, productivity, sales and marketing. Román Roa has a Juris Doctor degree and a Master's degree in Business Administration, as well as a bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering. His extensive professional experience includes the following positions in the renowned company AVON: General Manager of the Caribbean, Executive Director of Sales of the Northeastern United States. He has also served as professor of Engineering and Management for the University of Puerto Rico, the Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico and the Inter-American University in San Germán.

Kiersten Westley-Henson, MA Research Associate, Community Leadership Center, PhD Student Public Affairs, Rutgers University Kiersten received her MA in Psychology from Rutgers University and is currently is enrolled in the Public Affairs and Community Development PhD program at Rutgers University. Kiersten’s current research focuses on food security, tourism, national/international development and environmental sustainability. Kiersten has presented at the Annual Association of Psychological Science, IAGG World Congress of Gerontology and Geriatrics and Rutgers Camden Graduate CURCA event. Kiersten is currently working with Dr. Gloria Bonilla-Santiago on research pertaining to collaborations with Cuba in community development. She has served on the board of the Rutgers Camden Student Health Services and the Graduate Student Advisory Board, and is a recipient of the Smithsonian Earth Optimism Summit Scholarship, Graduate Merit Fellowship, Rutgers University, Camden, and the David & Dorothy Cooper Scholarship.

Table of Contents

Conference Proceedings, Puerto Rico & Cuba

Introduction Bonilla-Santiago, Gloria, Ph.D., Calero, Heidie, JD, with Closter, Matthew, Senior Research Associate at the Community Leadership Center, graduate candidate for Ph.D. in the Rutgers-Camden Public Affairs and Community Development program

“Weathering the Storm – Challenges for PR’s Higher Education System” Bonilla-Santiago, Gloria, Ph.D., Calero, Heidie, JD, with Garcia, Wanda, graduate candidate for Ph.D. program in the Rutgers Camden Public Affairs and Community Development program, Closter, Matthew, graduate candidate for Ph.D. in the Rutgers- Camden Public Affairs and Community Development program, & Westley-Henson, Kiersten, graduate student in the Ph.D. program in the Public Affairs and Community Development program

“Higher Education for Puerto Rico’s Future Recovery and Sustainability” Bonilla-Santiago, Gloria, Ph.D., Calero, Heidie, JD, with Garcia, Wanda, graduate candidate for Ph.D. program in the Rutgers Camden Public Affairs and Community Development program, Closter, Matthew, graduate candidate for Ph.D. in the Rutgers- Camden Public Affairs and Community Development program, & Westley-Henson, Kiersten, graduate student in the Ph.D. program in the Public Affairs and Community Development program

“A Partnership for the Empowerment of Future Leaders Generations in the Re-building of Communities and Neighborhoods” Román Roa, Dennis, R.

“Community development and social equity in Cuba: achievements and future prospects” del Carmen Zabala Arguelles, María, Ph.D.

“Cooperatives and local development in Cuba: Current Challenges” Jiménez Guethón, Reynaldo, Ph.D.

“Betting on the future. Some experiences of community work with children from the University of Havana, Cuba Rojas Martinez, Janet, PhD.

“The social situation of Cuban children and adolescent” Magdalena Porro Mendoza, Sofia, PhD.

“Role of Universities in the Creation of an Environmental Culture for Sustainable Development: Experiences of the University of Havana, Cuba.” Diaz López, Cristina, Ph.D.,

“Non-negative matrix factorizations: Ideas and applications” Lourdes Baguer Díaz-Romañach, Marta, Ph.D.,

Symposium Education Series “Anchor Institution-Community Engagement in Newark: Striving Together” Cantor, Nancy, Ph.D.,

“University-Community Partnerships in Pursuit of Social Justice: An Anchor Institutions Approach to Advancing Teaching and Research and Improving the Quality of Life” Harkavy, Ira, Ph.D. and Hodges, Rita A., Ph.D.,

“Leveraging Opportunity: How a College and a University Can Engage in Community Development as a Social Justice Mission” Anderson, Gregory M., Ph.D.

Anchor Institutions Advancing Local and Global Sustainable Community Development Through Teaching, Scholarship, and Research Gloria Bonilla-Santiago, PhD and Matthew Closter

Universities, as anchor institutions, have learning to change the social conditions around a moral and just responsibility to fulfill social them and fully empower communities to excel justice missions to improve the educational and and succeed in their educational and economic economic wellbeing of their communities paths. The Rutgers-Camden Community (Bonilla-Santiago, 2014). They harness Leadership Center (CLC), led by Rutgers Board incredible human, social, intellectual, and of Governors Distinguished Service Professor physical capital (Flora, Flora and Fey, 2004) that Gloria Bonilla-Santiago, has been a leader in the can be leveraged to empower neighborhoods and movement to instill a community development residents to change educational, environmental, framework within universities to take action and economic conditions. Universities have against the status quo in education that leaves so traditionally developed partnerships with many children and families behind, particularly businesses, schools, and nonprofit organizations in Camden, New Jersey. to produce an ecosystem of collaborative It convened two conferences and a learning and engagement, but their role has symposium from 2017-2018 to share knowledge shifted to engage in the fabric of the community from local initiatives in the Philadelphia/New as agents of change. Jersey region and from Puerto Rico and Cuba, The Rutgers –Camden campus has been where it has been fostering a major collaboration the leading partner with the LEAP Academy on sustainable community development. The University School as the only educational following proceedings are papers presented by pipeline from cradle to college in the country. symposia participants on the collective As an institution of higher learning, we are responsibility of universities and communities to preparing students from early ages through the embrace a social justice mission and work with K-16 system to be college and career ready for a communities to build solidarity and shared learning and workforce environment that meaning. The consensus is that universities have requires college degrees. Our campus has not traditionally been an ally of communities and embraced a model of civic engagement and have a long way to go to build trust and avenues experiential learning for college students to for college resources and access. Rutgers- volunteer, intern, and assist in community Camden takes much pride through the work of programs to get exposure to life beyond the the CLC to highlight our pipeline model for college boundaries and to study and reflect on children and families as we improve the their impact. educational and economic outcomes of The purpose of this monograph marginalized populations in the City of Camden. and compilation of symposia proceedings is to The CLC has an accomplished history of disseminate original research papers of how developing sustainable university partnerships faculty and entrepreneurial university leaders go with the community through joint projects and beyond civic engagement and experiential initiatives to steer the educational landscape towards a more balanced and just system. The known model of a pipeline under the auspices of CLC’s mission is to “foster understanding and one governing system. LEAP’s Board of acceptance of new organizational environments Trustees is comprised of senior administrators and strategies for building bridges and from Rutgers University, Rowan University, partnerships among urban communities, Stockton University, and Camden County academia, and organizations for dealing with College, amongst parents, business leaders, and race relations and urban development.” Through alumni, so that the universities can connect social action research, leadership development, directly with the students and families as a training and community partnerships, the Center bridge for their next steps in higher education. provides a forum for the analysis, discussion, The Rutgers/LEAP Enterprise has a and assessment of policy issues while developing record of accomplishment of 100% high school new knowledge regarding strategic approaches to graduation and college placement since the meet the changing needs of urban communities. inaugural graduating class of 2005, including The CLC applies four main drivers to its student acceptances and completion at esteemed philosophy to guide its community development universities Brown, Princeton, the University of outcomes: (1) Birth-16 Pipeline of Educational Pennsylvania, Howard, Jefferson, Swarthmore, Investments and Innovation, (2) Academic Temple, Rutgers, and Rowan. Students have Entrepreneurship and Applied/Experiential graduated college and established careers in law, Learning, (3) Applied Research and education, engineering, medicine, nursing, Dissemination, and (4) Leadership and finance, business, and management due to LEAP Community Development. These four pillars has specialized STEM curriculum and academies work in tandem to ensure that the community that focus on these prominent industries. The development efforts are aligned with the CLC’s groundbreaking Early College program is university’s mission of teaching and research. in its first year of placing the entire senior class Since its inception, the Center has overseen local in college level courses at Rutgers and Rowan to and global collaborations to share and adapt a prepare them for the rigors of college and to model of universities anchoring community obtain actual college credits. The CLC development strategies to empower communities facilitates university and faculty placements through education and economic development amongst Centers of Excellence throughout initiatives. The Center’s first major venture was LEAP, including ELRA, the Center for College to develop a comprehensive birth to college Access, the Center for Health and Wellness, the pipeline where students and families could attend STEM Fabrication Lab, and the Parent an early learning program, proceed through a K- Engagement Center. 12 school district, and obtain college degrees, all These Centers serve as a way to apply along an educational corridor in one downtown academic research to build practical solutions to location. The creation of the Early Learning community-based problems, especially around Research Academy (ELRA) and LEAP Academy the degradation of environmental conditions in University School (LEAP stands for Leadership, Camden and the lack of social services and Education, and Partnership) has accelerated the programs for individual family and child educational pipeline concept and is the only support. The school serves as a vehicle for community development by integrating these Dr. Santiago, with support from the comprehensive and holistic services into the university presidents, renewed a Memorandum daily operations so that students and families can of Understanding (MoU) with the University of access what they need in one geographic Havana in October 2016, during the first annual location. Furthermore, the Rutgers/LEAP conference on the Rutgers-Cuba collaboration, to Enterprise’s growth along Cooper Street has expand research opportunities through joint increased the vitality of the corridor through the courses and projects, academic exchanges construction of new buildings and acquisition of through student and faculty residences and study historic buildings. The physical transformation, trips, and conference presentations in the U.S. and property value increases, is implicative of and Cuba. The focus of the collaboration centers the community development process that richly on five major themes that Rutgers and the defines the role universities can attain in universities in Havana share: (1) Community educational and economic development. Dr. Development, (2) STEM Fields, including Santiago has used the Rutgers/LEAP Enterprise Environmental and Computational Science, (3) as a lab and zone of practice to engage Rutgers Population Health, (4) Arts and Humanities, and students and faculty apply theories of community (5) Law and the Economy. The papers compiled development and best practices in the field, and in this monograph of proceedings stem from the to compile lessons learned to share with other second annual conference of the Rutgers-Cuba stakeholders and community partners. The Collaboration in November 2017, the theme of collaborations have extended beyond Camden’s which was “Future Directions for a New Cuba: borders to embrace knowledge and partnership in Building Sustainable Partnerships.” other countries, particularly Cuba, Paraguay, and The conference solidified specific Puerto Rico (even though Puerto Rico is part of collaborative ventures, including comparative the United States). Dr. Santiago has nurtured studies of community development in Cuba and these partnerships to build bridges and networks Camden, the public participatory process of between Rutgers and other institutions of higher designing the Master Plan of Havana, STEM learning to foster student and faculty exchanges research in using biomedical products to advance for advancing community development projects community health, and community nursing anchored by universities. Since the early 2000s, models for sustaining healthy neighborhoods. Dr. Santiago has formalized collaborations in Dr. Santiago has forged other significant Puerto Rico, Paraguay, and Cuba between partnerships with renowned artists Jose Rutgers University, the University of Havana, Rodriguez Fuster, Santiago Hermes, and Lester San Geronimo College, UNA University, the Campa to host students, faculty, and workshops Center for Puerto Rico and the University of around the transformative power of art to Medical Sciences of Havana. The purpose of the beautify community with symbols of shared collaborations is to engage scholars, meaning and identity. The Rutgers-Cuba practitioners, and artists in joint research projects collaboration has proven to be a positive and shared dialogue around creative measures endeavor uniting civil society as a means to for transforming and beautifying community break down any political barriers. through social and place based initiatives. Dr. Santiago has also extended knowledge and skills in community development partnerships and best practices from the to impact the growth and sustainability of the Community Leadership Center to Paraguay and educational and workforce sectors. The the National University of Asunción (UNA). devastation from Hurricane Maria in September She received a Fulbright Fellowship as a 2017 has exacerbated the fragile infrastructure of Specialist to focus on developing and facilitating Puerto Rico following the economic recession, a Professional Development Institute on bankruptcy, and accelerated population loss Leadership, Resource Development, and within the past decade. The CLC is committed Community Engagement for a selected group of to working with its partners in Puerto Rico to faculty, administrators and stakeholders from the devise innovative solutions to revive the university around the theme of The Engaged educational workforce, particularly through University with Community. Through this public symposia, joint research projects, and effort, the UNA is exploring how to scale best publications. The CLC has a call to action to practices from the LEAP Enterprise model as a unite researchers, policymakers, and members of linchpin for developing a university partnership the public to rebuild Puerto Rico and chart its that can lead to a school improvement plan for path for a better future. We have included Paraguay. The San Francisco project was research papers from this presentation first in this identified as the focal point for the collaboration monograph from various scholars, economics with the university. This project encompasses and Puerto Rico practitioners, including excerpts the development of one of the poorest written from CLC researchers from economist communities in Asunción with a comprehensive Heidie Calero’s new book How Hurricane plan that integrates housing, economic Maria Forges Puerto Rico’s Economic Future. development and education. Dr. Santiago will The second set of papers are compiled from two facilitate the education elements along with a conferences that Cuban scholars participated in team of university and local stakeholders. The at Rutgers-Camden that the CLC facilitated in work in Paraguay also resulted in an academic the invitations and presentations. Dr. Sofia MOU between Rutgers-Camden and the UNA Magdalena Porro Mendoza and Janet Rojas for an expanded collaboration around other Martinez, of the University of Havana Faculty of academic programs. Latin American Social Sciences (FLACSO), Similarly, the CLC has been joined faculty at the June 2017 international invested in the academic, economic, and social conference of the Society for the History of progress of residents and communities in Puerto Children and Youth, where they presented on the Rico. It is a partner with the University of university engagement of children and Puerto Rico and the Center for Puerto Rico to adolescents. Their papers reflect the intentional conduct research projects and to oversee a outreach of universities towards children and Rutgers Master’s Program in Public Policy and youth to build a secure foundation for their Administration with a specialization in educational and social development. Then in Community Development. The partnership November 2017, the CLC hosted a major reflects a long-term interest in empowering international conference on “Future Directors for students and collaborating with faculty to build a New Cuba: Building Sustainable Partnerships,” where Cuban scholars presented their research in to build an “architecture of inclusion” to harness community development, STEM fields, arts and entrepreneurs, artists, and learning networks humanities, and law and engaged in roundtable within their spheres of influence. Dr. Ira conversations with Rutgers faculty to develop Harkavy and Rita Hodges, Director and collaborative research projects. Assistant Director, respectively, of the Netter The following papers from scholars at the Center for Community Partnerships at the University of Havana document how the University of Pennsylvania, call for an integrated community development framework and agenda learning approach where universities engrain is reinforced through university scholarship and experiential learning into its curriculum as a way practice. Dr. María del Carmen Zavala to build a stronger democratic and civic Arguelles, Professor of the Faculty of Latin partnership with communities. Dr. Gregory American Social Sciences (FLACSO), presents Anderson, Dean of the School of Education at the experiences and perspectives of how Cuba Temple University, challenges the traditional has fostered community development and approach of community engagement of promotes social equity at the local/community universities and encourages a more active role level. Dr. Reynaldo Jiménez Guethón, also of for universities to foster the development of early FLACSO, discusses the growth and trajectory of learning centers and K-12 programs so students agricultural and non-agricultural cooperatives and families in the university neighborhood that empower workers in the decision-making receive the best quality educational services. processes. Dr. Cristina Diaz López, These papers reflect the burgeoning Distinguished Professor in Analytical Chemistry, conversations of universities actively questioning shares her research in how universities build an their impact and effectiveness in building and environmental culture of sustainable empowering the communities around them. development to protect natural resources and use They demonstrate that universities, as anchor them for research and development of life- institutions, can foster a social justice mission to sustaining products and processes. improve the educational and economic Finally, Dr. Marta Lourdes Baguer, conditions of children and families throughout Professor of Mathematics and Computer Science their life cycle. They have a renewed mission to applies nonnegative matrix factorizations as support entrepreneurial faculty, leaders, and computational analytical tools to detect and treat students, who embed themselves in the breast cancer, symbolizing the active role that community building process and ensure that universities contribute to STEM and medical resources are directed to better the world around research to directly impact life-saving them.■ procedures. The final set of papers are from ______leading scholars from the Philadelphia/New REFERENCES

Jersey region who presented at the CLC’s Spring Bonilla-Santiago, G. (2014). The miracle on Cooper Street. 2017 symposium on “Integrating Research, Archway Publishing, 2014. Flora, C. and Jan Flora with Susan Fey (2004). Rural Policy, and Practice: Reimagining the communities: Legacy and change. 2nd ed. Boulder, University/City Connection.” Rutgers-Newark CO: Westview Press Chancellor Nancy Cantor promotes universities Weathering the Storm – Challenges for PR’s Higher Education System Gloria Bonilla-Santiago, Ph.D., Heidie Calero, JD, Wanda Garcia, MSW, Matthew Closter MPA, MS, & Kiersten Westley-Henson, MA Natural disasters, such as hurricanes, economic disasters, bankruptcy, unmanageable government debt, and economic stagnation, present the opportunity for institutions of higher learning to assess their role as anchors of their communities (Crespo, Hlouskova & Obersteiner, 2008; Skidmore & Toya, 2002). Unfortunately, many of these institutions of higher learning are not prepared and aligned to deal with the devastation caused by widespread damage to flooded buildings, the financial impact caused by loss of tuition income, the significant disruptions on the lives of university students, faculty, and staff, In 2017, Hurricane Maria devastated outward migration, and the dysfunction of the Puerto Rico and shattered an already daily business of academia. struggling economy and the Island’s higher As one of the most diverse and education system (Meléndez & Hinojosa, accessible systems in the world, Higher 2017; Bonilla-Santiago, 2017). Hurricane Education performs an indispensable duty in Maria killed more than 90 people and caused the formation of future citizens, leaders, upwards of $100 Billion in damages in Puerto thinkers, and entrepreneurs; and plays a Rico. It also caused the loss of thousands of transformative role in community and crops as well as forced thousands to leave the economic development (Abel & Deitz, 2012). island, millions to lose their homes and many That was precisely the reason why then communities to be destroyed (Ferre, Sadurni, poor Government of Puerto Rico established Alvarez, & Robles, 2017). the University of Puerto Rico (state university) While the loss and devastation of a in 1903. After 114 years, hurricane Maria natural disaster is immediately unbearable reminds us that the higher learning sector in with its tremendous attack on human life and Puerto Rico must redefine its strategies and natural devastation, disasters offer an vision and reinvent itself to survive and to opportunity for reinvention, development and contribute to the future of the Island (Matos, innovation (Matos, 2017). 2017). How does Higher Education respond to After Hurricane Maria devastated the the challenges resulting from an Island of Puerto Rico in September 2017, the overwhelmingly massive Category Five discourse about the impact on Puerto Rico hurricane (Matos, 2017). categorized the aftermath as an economic disaster with serious implications for life and anchors, out migration of residents and prosperity. Disasters have the peculiarity of intellectual capital to the United States, and a exposing the vulnerabilities of a country, collapsing system of K-12 and higher especially when the devastation causes loss of education (Bosworth & Collins, 2006; Federal life, housing, energy and a collapse of Reserve Bank of New York, 2012). infrastructure (Cowen, 2014). After five The causes for the economic months since Hurricane Maria ravished the devastation of Puerto Rico are varied and Island, Puerto Rico is dealing with a reality influenced by elements of a political structure that has resurfaced the profound issues of that requires rethinking, an economic model poverty, inequality and outdated infrastructure that has hinged on borrowing to cover the (Melendez-Olivera, 2017). government expenditures, a culture of partisan However, devastation also brings a fanaticism that strangles innovation and political environment that, for a short window, responsibility, and a neglectful treatment of provides new conditions for economic and children and families. In June 2015, the social change (Cowen, 2014; Vallas & government of Puerto Rio announced the Pankovits, 2010). This is the case in Puerto Island would default on its public debt of $74 Rico where areas such as health reform, billion plus $49 billion in unfunded pension education, job training, housing liabilities. improvements, and restructuring of the In June 2016, US Congress appointed economic base are opportunities that demand an oversight board through the Puerto Rico an investment of public and private capital. Oversight, Management, and Economic Furthermore, the international Stability Act (PROMESA) to take over the attention, federal aid, private donations, and financial management of Puerto Rico and the work of Puerto Ricans that reside in the spearhead the process to regain fiscal United States in helping fellow Puerto Ricans sustainability. In the midst of these pre-Maria that remained on the island have generated circumstances, the impact of Hurricane Maria emergency capital that, if managed well, can intensified what was already a critical situation alleviate the immediate effects of the hurricane in Puerto Rico and placed the island in a and set the island on a new trajectory. (Ferre- survival mode. Sadurni, Alvarez, & Robles, 2017) A Higher Education strategy is Higher Education emerges as an paramount to forging a new economic model anchor with assets for a new industry for the Island that is progressive, equitable, The number of degrees conferred by sustainable and focused on common private higher education institutions in Puerto prosperity. What makes post-Hurricane Maria Rico has steadily grown since 2009, granting so devastating is that Puerto Rico was already more than half of total degrees in comparison going through one of its most challenging to the public higher education system. While economic times. The country struggled with the number of degrees remained virtually flat the impact of mounting government debt, from 2009 – 2011, there were minor increases bankruptcy, the exodus of private sector from 2001- 2016. For the 2016-2017 year, hospitals, including Centro Medico, which is there was a significant drop in the overall the largest tertiary health provider in the numbers. Post-Hurricane Maria, this number is Island. Its programs cover multiple expected to drop as many institutions had to specializations including: medicine, pharmacy, close and many students either did not attend nursing, dentistry, public health and allied schools or decided to complete studies in health professions. Together with other United States universities. For the 2016-2017 advanced programs such as social work and academic year, higher education enrolled psychiatry, the UPR Medical School produces 227,255 students. quality health professionals that serve the population in critical areas. (Plan SoS UPR, 2.0, March 2018)

The Higher Education system in Puerto Rico comprises one public university system and a large network of private higher education institutions offering a variety of degrees. The University of Puerto Rico is the The UPR also houses important state university; receives 68% of its funding partnerships through programs such as from the government of Puerto Rico; and Programa de Acceso e Integración Deporte operates 11 regional campuses with Rio Comunitario (PAIDCO), which leads in the Piedras serving as its headquarters and promotion of physical activity and wellness; Mayaguez as the STEM campus. the Proyecto Enlace Caño Martín Peña, which Through its Medical School, it also promotes environmental health for the administers the Hospital Universitario residents in communities from the G-8; and (University Hospital) de Carolina Dr. Federico the alliance with the Ricky Martin Foundation J. Trillas, which serves approximately 58,000 and the Office for Women Rights in promoting people annually. The faculty at the Medical education programs for women, as well as School plays an important role in providing combating issues of human trafficking. At the healthcare for the entire Island through their Mayaguez Campus, these efforts include work with tertiary health institutions and SIEMPREVIVAS Project, the University paralleled by severe development areas, such Institute for Community Development, the as, underutilization of labor resources, high Red Sísmica, the Sea Grant Program and the unemployment, and low labor force various offices housing the agricultural participation (Federal Reserve Bank, 2012). extension programs, as well as experimental Now more than ever, addressing these stations that promote the development of challenges are at the core of the future of communities, the safety of people and Puerto Rico and require out-of-the- box, communities in the presence of earthquakes innovative, and integrated solutions that focus and tsunamis and environmental conversation. on alignment, consistency, and investments on (Plan SoS UPR, 2.0, March 2018) the local human and social capital. Higher The private Higher Education system Education and the K-12 educational system has grown substantially in Puerto Rico and play paramount roles in ensuring that the receives most of their funding from the competitive edge for Puerto Rico is maximized combination of Pell grants and tuition revenue and that the human and intellectual capital is from students. On the positive side, most nurtured, sustained and retained. students enrolled in higher education are College and universities play a completing 4-year degrees and the number of fundamental role in advancing the new students completing graduate degrees at the knowledge economy and therefore any master’s and doctoral levels has been strategy for economic development must increasing. integrate these institutions as important Key indicators of the higher education anchors in four core areas: education, sector in Puerto Rico compared to the United innovation, knowledge transfer, and States reveal that Puerto Rico outperforms the community engagement (Shaffer and Wright, rest of the United States in spending on 2010). education as a whole and as a percentage of its Therefore, the Higher Education sector GDP (6.4% in PR compared to 5.4% in the must be at the forefront in providing a US) but falls behind in other indicators related comprehensive strategy to address a new to higher education. economy that produces social and economic Higher Education has been an development and is grounded on innovation. important cornerstone of Puerto Rico’s These imperative demands for colleges and economy and in particular, has a track record universities to better align educational for providing quality academic choices to its trajectories to the preK-16 system, as there students. A report commissioned by the lays the true potential for making education an Federal Reserve Bank of New York in 2012 extraordinary asset for local economic and points to a number of features that make social development (Bonilla-Santiago, 2014; Puerto Rico potentially competitive, including: Shaffer and Wright, 2010). high literacy rates, a labor force that is largely bilingual, a favorable location for business, and Puerto Rico’s political association with the United States. These potential advantages are

This will require rethinking on how the higher education sector evolves as part of the long-term solution and to ensure that educational pipelines from early childhood through college and careers are built and aligned to the labor force (Shaffer and Wright, 2010). Puerto Rico needs a competitive workforce to forge and sustain a new economy and improve the standard of living for its people.

A conceptual model with Higher Education as a community capital asset Higher Education is the anchor for change and sustainable development. The Community Capitals as Assets Framework informs this vision (Emery, Fey & Flora, 2006). Hence, we focus on eight capitals that are the core of transformative development: financial capital, built capital, human capital, intellectual capital, social capital, cultural capital, political capital, and natural capital. The Community Capitals as Assets framework is used as an analytical tool for evaluating sustainability performance on the island enables people to work, earn a living and lead (Emery, Fey & Flora, 2006). This framework in a new economy; (d) Cultural/Social capital is used widely in regional and community in terms of the creation and sustainability of development practice as a tool for identifying networks and relationships of trust and assets and integrating them as strategies in a reciprocity that enable people and system of sustainability. organizations to collaborate; and (e) Natural capital as it relates to access to key environmental resources, such as water, agriculture, land, clean air, fisheries, and forests, all within the context of research, development and applied learning. (Brereton & Pattenden, 2007; Emery, Fey & Flora, 2006) Colleges and universities are important anchors in bridging these capitals to create opportunity, build the capacity of people, and engage the private and public sectors, and foster innovation and change. In any economic model with potential for success, the role of higher education institutions in knowledge creation, knowledge transfer, community revitalization, and human capital development must be placed front and center.

The Higher Education sector as an When applied to the higher education asset sector, these assets provide a compass for The Higher Education sector occupies identifying strengths and opportunities within an important role in the economic stability of the context of the challenges facing Puerto the Island. Education in Puerto Rico has long Rico, as follows: (a) Political/Financial capital been considered a gateway to upward social in terms of income, political connections and mobility for individuals from lower socio- financial resources available or with potential economic backgrounds, and as a way of to be generated; (b) Built capital refers to the improving social advantages. With the physical infrastructure, such as buildings and increase in the number of young people technology available for community as well as entering the university, the higher education resources for business development, system has reached a saturation point for community building and resources generated several decades. through public/private partnerships for development; (c) Human/Intellectual capital as it relates to the skills and knowledge that The expansion witnessed in represented the best strategy for sustaining the participation rates over the last few decades Island and progressing into the future. A has largely been achieved by a modest highly educated workforce was in part a broadening of the base of the undergraduate significant incentive for US companies, population in terms of social class. It was not especially pharmaceutical and high-tech long ago that Puerto Rico was making great companies, like Hewlett Packard, to establish strides in educating its citizens. According to a operations on the Island. Brookings Institute study (2006) from 1960 to Universities, such as the University of 2000, “the average schooling of Puerto Ricans Puerto Rico Mayaguez Campus and the 25 years or older increased from 6.2 years to Polytechnic University became important 11 years: an achievement unmatched by any developers of human and intellectual capital other country in the world”. (Ladd, & Rivera- and have been effective in preparing Batiz, 2006) The level of educational productive workers with the necessary levels attainment of Puerto Ricans in the Island has of competency and skill to thrive in the private steadily increased in the last decade. sector and STEM focused industries. The significance of this human asset is reflected in the investment per student at Public Institutions of Higher Education in Puerto Rico (mostly the University of Puerto Rico (UPR)). In 2010, UPR invested $23,450 per student. Although this number is significantly lower than the investment per student at public research universities in the U.S. ($43,250) for the same year, it must be understood that the difference reflects the higher GNP per capita of the U.S. relative to

Puerto Rico.

The level of schooling of Puerto Ricans exceeds that of the best educated countries in Latin America and is one year below the U.S. level at 12.5 years. (Collins, Bosworth, & Soto-Class, 2006) This is the kind of indicator that compares favorably with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries and places Puerto Rico in a competitive position. Throughout its history, Puerto Rico has invested in education as it has always

was the predominant industry in Puerto Rico, Despite its many challenges and has undergone fundamental changes over the economic limitations, education in Puerto Rico years as a result of increased emphasis on is treated as an important asset for building the higher-wage, high-technology industries, such economy and for preparing its future as pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, computers, workforce. The changing economic outlook microprocessors, professional and scientific compounded by rising poverty rates and the instruments, and certain high technology outflow migration of people have contributed machinery and equipment. to a steady educational decline as early as (Burtless & Sotomayor, 2006) This 2006. According to the Brookings Institution sector has weakened even further as a result of 2006 Report on The Economy of Puerto Rico, the end of the phase-out of Section 936 of the “the K-16+ education system was not U.S. Tax Code (which stipulated the tax delivering the well-trained workforce that benefits for US domestic corporations Puerto Rico needed.” operating in Puerto Rico), the net loss of In order for Puerto Rico to compete in patents on certain pharmaceutical products, the the knowledge economy of the 21st century, it escalation of manufacturing production costs “needs to make an infusion and investment (particularly labor and electricity), the into the economy and Puerto Rico needs to increased use of job outsourcing, and, grow.” As the Report from Brookings currently, the effects of the global economic indicates, the solution to this challenge is not decline and the recent US Tax and Jobs Act of only investing more in education, but also 2017. restructuring higher education and aligning K- Despite these challenges, 12 education to make the systems more manufacturing still dominates the other sectors efficient, competitive, innovative and in terms of production. The service sector, effective. which includes insurance, real estate, The current economic situation places wholesale and retail trade, transportation, a high priority on investing in higher communications and public utilities, and other education. (Bram, Martinez & Steindel, 2008) services, follows with a contribution of $38.7 However, funding for higher education is at an billion or 37% of PR’s GDP in 2016. all-time low. In order to place higher education (Government of Puerto Rico, 2016) within the context of economic development, The economic decline that escalated in it is important to review the dominant sectors 2006 has continued on a steady downfall of the Puerto Rico economy in terms of through 2017 and it has naturally impacted the production and income. higher education sector. Enrollment in private The manufacturing sector represents universities declined by half a million 47% of total production but only 8% of jobs students, almost 11.85%. (Matos, 2017) contributing $50 billion to Gross Domestic The roots for this decline stem from Product (GDP) in FY 2016. (PR Planning deep economic stagnation, changing Board, Economic Report to the Governor, demographics for the island and a government 2016) The manufacturing sector, which once leadership that has neglected the sector as a viable contributor to community and economic damages to university properties and research growth. (Bosworth & Colling 2006) stations and the decrease in student enrollment and migration to the mainland United States. The aftermath has altered the course of academic instruction and research throughout the island as students and faculty adjust their schedules and plans. The uncertainty of students returning to Puerto Rico to complete their studies and the significant financial losses have left the university structure in flux as administrators determine how to revise the academic programs. The University of Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico’s largest public university system with 11

campuses across the island, suffered almost Post-Hurricane Maria conditions have $120 million in losses. The Humacao campus worsened due to the devastation of Built alone experienced $35 million in losses, Capital (infrastructure, energy, ports, telecom,) including damage to athletic fields and and the exodus of Human Capital (people, academic buildings. (Colón Dávila and students, businesses and faculty members). Figueroa Cancel, 2017) Recently, Governor Ricardo Rossello’s The Rio Piedras campus, located in the administration articulated the importance in municipality of San Juan, had significant forging partnerships with these institutions for damage of natural capital (forest, vegetation, the overall economic recovery of the Island. green spaces, and trees,) along with collections Companies like “Microsoft, Lufthansa, of law library books and student residential Bacardi, Medtronic, Amgen and Sartorious and science buildings. (Rodríguez, 2017) have invested for a long time in Puerto Rico Other campuses, including Arecibo, the and have made a commitment to Puerto Rico. School of Medical Sciences, Carolina, and Others, including Tesla and Google, are Bayamon, experienced loss in electricity and investing in the island's recovery - from damages to labs containing animals and plant innovation to renewable energy - which helps life. (Colón Dávila and Figueroa Cancel, 2017) revitalize the future of Puerto Rico”. Other universities experienced widespread (Irfan,2017) damage as well. The Universidad Sagrado

Corazon in San Juan lost electricity for 40 Impact of Hurricane Maria on days, which affected labs, computers and Higher Education institutions recording studios. After it struck, Hurricane Maria In order to save the academic year, exacerbated the already fragile infrastructure Professors assigned special projects, moved of the higher education system in Puerto Rico, night classes to the weekends and extended the with the largest effects in terms of physical length of the academic calendar. (López Alicea, 2017) Sistema TV, a PBS affiliate Student transfers to the mainland are a housed at the Ana G. Mendez University and critical drain to the human and intellectual was disconnected when the hurricane struck capital of the university system. As the island (Noticel, 2017) and as yet, has not reopened. slowly recovers, it is still early to determine The hurricane produced widespread disruption how many students will return to Puerto Rico in all of university operations throughout the to either complete a degree or utilize a degree island, creating massive disturbances and obtained at a mainland institution to improve delays in the academic trajectory of students. economic and social conditions on the island. According to the Center for Puerto Incentives and programs to entice Rican Studies at the City University of New students to return will have to be York, between 17,000 and 32,000 students conceptualized. Five months after Hurricane between the ages of 18 and 24 will leave Maria struck, 28% of Puerto Ricans still lack Puerto Rico, a dramatic increase from the electricity (Mazzei, 2018) and approximately annual average for the past three years of two-thirds of the population are at a severe risk 9,700. (Korn, 2017) As of December 1, 2017, of drinking contaminated water. the University of Puerto Rico reported that it (Panditharatne, 2017) lost over 1,500 students (Duany, 2017), These numbers continue to rise as representing a 2% drop in total student recovery has been very slow. By all accounts, enrollment (Agencia EFE, 2017), most of the response from the federal government has whom transferred to mainland universities, been inadequate and neglectful, particularly including several in Florida, New Jersey, New around the provisions of clean drinking water, York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Louisiana, hot meals, and adequate shelter. (Konyndyk, Texas, and California, who have offered in- 2017) FEMA assistance, along with local state tuition rates, scholarships, and other municipal support for housing and relocation, financial assistance. (Duany, 2017) Candidates is already dissipating for families migrating to eligible for graduation decreased from 58,600 the mainland. The recent U.S. Tax Cuts and to 57,700 at the UPR Rio Piedras campus, Jobs Act approved by US Congress in which experienced significant damage from December 2017 poses another challenge to the storm. (Agencia EFE, 2017) investment by US companies by operating in Puerto Rico as foreign companies or Controlled Foreign Corporations (CFCs). Worldwide, CFCs are subject to a 12.5% tax on intellectual property. This could discourage companies from establishing a presence, recruiting university students, and partnering with faculty on innovative business approaches. (Mazzei, 2017) There is some hope, however, as the recently proposed U.S. budget included $17 billion to provide relief to Puerto Rico. be willing to reinvent themselves multiple (Mazzei and Williams Walsh, 2018) times in their educational trajectory. Another The structural provisions of the recent trend deals with the economic shifts toward legislation, though, could hurt employers’ emerging markets in that enrollment abilities to make long term contributions to the worldwide in higher education has economic wellbeing of the workforce and experienced an expansion in middle income accelerate growth on the Island. The new nations interested in STEM fields, especially reality of Puerto Rico poses challenges to the in countries, such as, Brazil, Russia, India, Island’s assets in the higher education system. China, South Africa, and others in Latin Trends impacting Higher Education America. Higher Education leaders should Mega trends impacting the future of many start looking for ways to reach out to students universities around the globe also shape the globally. We need to increase more global future of the Puerto Rico higher education collaboration and partnerships to address the system. geographical isolation of the island and put Therefore, Puerto Rico higher Puerto Rico at the table with collaborators and education leaders need to rethink the place of competitors. education in preparing the future workers, The growing disconnects between entrepreneurs, innovators, and retraining the employer and college experience which will current workforce given the new challenges of require higher education institutions as well as the post Maria devastation and economic K-12 systems to maximize its focus on crisis. Some of these trends are related to labor technology integrations, proficiency, blended market shifts and the rise of automation. There learning, and augmenting the development of will be a demand for specific skills, and it is joint ventures and institutional partnerships. expected that the workplace will undergo a With the increase in migration to the mainland, dramatic transformation that demands for growth in urbanization and the shift toward people to master workplace-ready skills, cities, universities in Puerto Rico might including creating spaces and programs to consider creating hubs where partners and train workers in technical and skilled manual collaborators come together from all over the work, i.e., electricians, plumbers, and chefs, world to enable education for all and use their which are trades that are the hardest to different talents and expertise to help restore automate. PR’s trajectory to prosperity. Retraining and reinventing the Puerto Rico needs to become globally approaches to prepare people in many other engaged to attract multisector cooperation occupations, such as law, accounting, routine from higher education to industry, computer programming, journalism, and data professionals, business and students. As processing is also essential to prepare people resources, spending and budgets become less for fields that have already being disrupted by accessible, Higher Education will have to global trends. (Finegold, David, 2018) The share resources and utilize emerging trend is for the market to develop more technologies like massive online courses entrepreneurial and resilient students who will incorporating the concept of “utilizing globally There is a lack of schools is an important strategy as it alignment between the has worked well in some of the most but assessing locally”. (Holmes, Trevol, 2015) K-12 and college compromised urban school systems in sectors, including birth the United States and was in fact, an We need to envision education as a through college important factor in rebuilding New lifetime experience and acknowledging that pipelines. Orleans’ educational system post Katrina. investing in basic skills, such as reading, Higher Education is also an important resource in transforming teachers and writing, critical thinking and creativity are school leadership preparation. necessary for developing and sustaining the Teachers and principals are at the core of good schooling and hold the human assets that are essential for the future of keys for transferring teaching and learning. Puerto Rico has an Puerto Rico. Faculties in all fields in the opportunity to adopt programs that various universities, public and private, need place education students in classrooms as part of the required to play a key role in PR’s future, including teaching clinical experiences under the supervision of talented faculty Schools of Education that are charged with and outstanding teacher mentors. preparing the future K-12 educators that will Teacher Residencies like the Boston Residencies could serve as models for shape and prepare generations of future replication.

college student, entrepreneurs, scientists, and workers. The Higher education sector must be able to adapt and customize its educational range to the needs of the country. Edward Glaeser of Harvard Challenges and assets for addressing higher and Albert Saiz of the University of education Pennsylvania conclude that “generating new technologies locally does not seem as important as having Challenge Opportunities the capacity to adapt them” (Glaeser and Saiz, 2003). The university needs to assess its teaching and The universities play a paramount learning focus to ensure that they can role in advancing innovation through align the role of knowledge creation new technologies, new processes, through research and technology Lack of innovative new products, and new ideas that can transfer with that of knowledge approaches for be catalysts for rebuilding the local transfer through education and human creating new economy and for connecting Puerto resource development. Workforce businesses and for Rico to the global economy. The labor force in development is crucial and in the attracting high tech University faculty and talented Puerto Rico needs spirit of developing a cohesive higher companies to establish students can leverage their strengths retraining and new education sector, the role of the junior operations on the in knowledge creation to generate training and colleges needs to be revisited as they Island. This is crucial economic benefits. preparation to be a should play an important role in to building the demand The Higher Education sector can viable resource. developing 2-year programs that lead for jobs and for support the private sector through to certificates and that prepare strengthening the knowledge transfer that is deployed students to enter the workforce as economic tax base of through worker training, capacity well as to continue into a four-year the country. building for management, help in degree. Academic program incubating start-up businesses and development needs to be aligned to development of industrial parks and the needs of industry and business to small business incubators. ensure that training leads to jobs and that companies can get the human An ineffective K-12 capital that is necessary to thrive and system that is failing Higher education can be a catalyst for be competitive in the business sector. to prepare students transforming the way in which K-12 Training programs should be that are ready for education is delivered in Puerto Rico consolidated into a single entity to college and career. in a variety of ways, including: ensure alignment and usefulness. Puerto Rico’s public working with the Department of One example comes from Georgia education system is Education in restructuring and Tech and its Enterprise Innovation broken, inadequate reinventing the organization, Institute. and a contributor to governance and structure of schools. inequality. The new proposal to establish charter Higher education is critical in addressing issues of community development in a number of ways. Higher education is equipped with the Universities occupy strategic real talent and research prowess that is estate in communities across the necessary to incubate innovation. island. Therefore, they need to be Since innovation begins with involved to ensure that they are part research, universities can secure the of the community life that surrounds resources and develop the conditions and mechanisms to engage its best their campuses and that they create Puerto Rico’s faculty in purposeful research that opportunities for community- economy has been hit leads to business development. university exchanges, including hard and the path to a Higher education should be a Puerto Rico Higher sharing of facilities, boosting local failing economic partnership with government and the education system business and engaging in promoting model started decades private sector in Puerto Rico to create housing has collapsed and preserving the cultural life. ago and has reached a business clusters, industrial parks and along with basic Universities also are responsible for breaking point. The launching efforts that are built in the services and a loss of training those that work with political debacle of the concept of “knowledge economies”. safety and hopes for communities including teachers, status of Puerto Rico is Four areas of development are at the prosperity. social workers, and public a critical element. core of facilitating this transformative administrators, among others. However, the country change in the role of the university: needs to create two 1) attracting and retaining a cadre of With this in mind, it is of paramount pathways—one that talented and prominent faculty; 2) importance for the higher education reinvents its economic engaging university leadership that sector to revisit how teaching and model in spite of the can think “outside the box” and that learning is delivered to better prepare political relationship conceive a university that is an workers for the public and third of annexation with the anchor for building the future sectors. US and one that is trajectory of the country; 3) the In addition, strategies such as developed under a new physical infrastructure needed for Americorps should be explored to set of political research and development, such as expose students to service learning, conditions whether the labs, research parks and classrooms; co-ops and experiential learning as island becomes a state and 4) the type of flexibility and part of their training. This is a win- or reaches higher facilitative environment that frees up win as the student benefits and the sovereignty. community also benefits. the university to commercialize research outcomes. This approach needs to encompass collaboration among all institutions of higher education and therefore, a country- The system needs to be structured to wide mechanism for collaboration capitalize on the diversity of strengths and sharing needs to be in place. of the various institutions, both public and private. A Higher Education Consortium should be in place to facilitate the kind of articulation that is necessary. The tuition costs for the The Higher Education public university needs revision and system in Puerto Rico adjustment. A system of scholarships lacks a management should be in place to assist the Conclusion: information system neediest students. However, that is updated. The In sum, the Puerto Rico Higher scholarships should be accompanied system now is by a requirement for students to Education system must become part of the inefficient, overly remain working in Puerto Rico for at dependent on least five years. The concept of new emerging economy and serve as a catalyst government subsidies internationalizing the academia and has not caught up for transforming the island through new should be a strategic element to raise with the new realities the level of talent as well as income. technologies and resilient power networks of operating the This can be done by promoting, institutions as marketing and aggressively recruiting partnering with private industry to modernize enterprises. international students to come study infrastructure, implement broadband across the in Puerto Rico. These students pay a higher tuition rate and cover their Island, and upgrade research facilities and costs. Further, partnerships with universities in the US and other rebuild a new education system. countries should be forged to allow A stronger Puerto Rico with a thriving for joint academic offerings. economy will create huge opportunities. The old model for economic development efforts that is centered only on financial incentives, need to be strengthened and be highly infrastructure development, land and capital selective when choosing entrants. These development, and labor policy, among others, graduates will teach pre-K, K to 12 students of needs to be transformed to meet new the future Puerto Rico and there lies the challenges. The new paradigm for economic Island’s biggest resource. Therefore, we need development is to make the shift to a to align the Island’s talent with the needs of “knowledge first” approach that builds on the economy now more than ever. higher education’s capacity to connect with all The road to recovery and solvency is sectors that are invested on economic going to take time and it requires a reinvention development. 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Higher Education for Puerto Rico’s Future Recovery and Sustainability Gloria Bonilla-Santiago, Ph.D., Heidie Calero, JD, Wanda Garcia, MSW, Matthew Closter MPA, MS, & Kiersten Westley-Henson, MA Overall, Puerto Rico’s future recovery marshal new immediate resources for requires a sustained large-scale strategy that comprehensive recovery and transformative engages multiple sectors, the political development of the island, as well as establishment and the residents of the Island. entrepreneurs that can leverage private funding Given that Puerto Rico is a territory of the for transformational initiatives. United States, it also requires a bipartisan The higher education sector represents an commitment from the United States Congress to important resource and an absolute requirement rebuild its future. Rebuilding Puerto Rico will to advance Puerto Rico towards a new paradigm require tens of billions of dollars in new capital for economic and social development. Higher investments, which will only be possible with education can position itself to contribute in a substantial new multiyear resources from the US leading way to address these remarkable and federal government, as well as funding parity unprecedented challenges in the history of Puerto with programs such as Medicaid, education, Rico. Puerto Rico can capitalize on its housing and business development. entrepreneurial spirit, tax incentives, natural These federal funds must be linked to a resources, and geography to make it an attractive clear and strategic public re-investment plan that launching pad for opportunity and innovation. is grounded on a new vison for a stronger This approach includes placing Puerto economic future for Puerto Rico. The federal Rico in a competitive condition within the global government has funds available through economy. This requires local leadership to entitlement programs, such as the funds that are integrate into its plan for recovery the concept of coming to the Island for disaster recovery “globalization” which is based on the integration through CDBG grants; as well as competitive of global and local political economic factors opportunities for funding innovative ideas that into a strategy for development and change. can be turned into advantages for the Island and (Swyngedouw, 1997) its people. There are untapped opportunities for Any long-term strategy must include a investments in tourism, agriculture, emerging commitment of the local political and civic industries, pharma and federally regulated leadership for reinventing the approaches to ventures. There are also new opportunities for development and for forging a vision that builds carving a vision for development that focuses on on local capacity, is grounded on existing people and place strategies. These can be resources already available through the Island’s grounded on reciprocal and well aligned higher education system, capitalizes on the multisector partnerships with higher education at natural resources of the Island, and invests on the forefront as the engine for knowledge people and communities. Puerto Rico needs creation and knowledge transfer. policy advisors and lobbyists to aggressively

The sustainability of the higher education system as a valuable sector for the country is tied to the survival of the economy. The University of Puerto Rico still is regarded as one of the best in the Western Hemisphere with a ranking of 33 from the SCIMAGO Institute Ranking and No. 15 in Latin America and the Caribbean. (SCIMAGO Institute, 2017). A number of the private institutions, like Interamerican University also ranks well in our region. Therefore, colleges and universities have a determining stake on how Puerto Rico aligns its resources and opportunities to create a new paradigm for development to ignite economic Core areas for higher education revitalization as a core element in their missions. Core areas include: knowledge creation, The level of multidisciplinarity inherent knowledge transfer, community revitalization, in higher education institutions and the rich and education, to set the context for redefining talent of faculty and students create the necessary the role of higher education in propelling a new mix and match of assets and brainpower to economic model for Puerto Rico and provide the engage private and public sectors to innovate and foundation for the recommendations provided create opportunities. This vision is absolutely below. essential to create economic revival and attract The conceptual growth plan anchoring private investment. There are four core areas of this report focuses on 4 strategic economic endeavor for higher education. (Shaffer & sectors—tourism, agriculture, manufacturing, Wright, 2010) and selected services. The Higher Education sector depends on the viability for developing these strategic economic sectors and the feasibility for such development depends on how well the Higher Education sector connects with them.

Higher education and economic investment opportunities Innovation and the capacity to connect new ideas to practice is at the core of the work of higher education institutions and is the key for a thriving economic model. Puerto Rico’s economic, social and political conditions have changed. We need an economic model based on improving value of property, real estate global competitiveness and collaboration. development and developing sustainable systems Therefore, new solutions are needed to meet an of energy and water utilization, and identifying entirely new set of challenges and capitalize on methods for small business development and new opportunities that can be created through microenterprises. innovation and people/place-based strategies. For example, in Camden, New Jersey, With this contextual setting, the following are Dr. Gloria Bonilla-Santiago, a Distinguished essential opportunities to re-envision the higher Professor in Public Policy and Administration at education system in Puerto Rico. Rutgers University, organized parents, local businesses, local community organizations, 1) Puerto Rico Higher Education university administrators, and New Jersey state System can anchor community legislators to envision and create a new University and Community School Social development through people and place- Enterprise model in the mid-1990s to upend the based strategies. status quo in urban public education. As anchor institutions, universities have The planning group formed LEAP the capacity and capital to rebuild adjacent Academy (Leadership, Education, and communities through investments in education, Partnership Inc.), as a cradle to college public its workforce, real estate and the physical school that families could attend throughout their landscape. entire schooling trajectory, starting as infants and Universities are hubs for learning and toddlers, followed by pre-K, K-12, and then into social engagement for local residents and college, all along an educational corridor in businesses that build social capital and connect Downtown Camden. The targeted STEM people to the mainstream society. Faculty and College Access curriculum, Early College, students can work directly with communities on Fabrication Lab for innovation and asset-based projects to benefit the residents and microenterprise, Parent Engagement and Family neighborhoods, through transforming community Support, and Health and Wellness programs spaces into businesses, repurpose communities provide a comprehensive and holistic approach and educational corridors. to public education that prepares students and In cities and towns where universities are their families for college and careers. (Bonilla- located throughout the island, the university Santiago, 2014) leaders, faculty, and students can take an active Dr. Santiago received an initial planning role in uniting residents in shared meaning, grant from the Delaware River Port Authority in learning and dialogue about the future of their 1992 for $1.5 million to organize parents and the communities. community to envision and plan the new school. University personnel can serve as Over 25 years, she has been able to fundraise facilitators of knowledge to elicit and implement over $100 million from public and private ideas that move the community forward, sources to create state-of-the art buildings and particularly around rebuilding a pre-K-12 endowment funds for college scholarships. education system aligned with Higher Education, 2) Universities as a place for access, the public university need revision and affordability, quality, accountability, adjustment. For the academic year 2016-2017, the average tuition costs for University of Puerto and innovation. Rico (UPR) is $2,537 for instate and $4,372 for Higher education enrollment outcomes out-of-state students. in Puerto Rico reflect poorly on the education investment that has already been made. Because increased demand for higher education has not been matched by increased levels of funding, the quality of higher education in Puerto Rico has been compromised. Higher education systems in Puerto Rico are in need of renewal and its resources need to be strengthened and aligned to the current economic needs of Puerto Rico as well as to the demands from the global community. The system needs to be structured to capitalize on the diversity of strengths of the various institutions both public and private. A The average cost of tuition and fees for Higher Education Consortium should be in place the 2016– 2017 school year in the US is $9,970 to facilitate this process. Puerto Rico needs to for in-state residents at public colleges, and adopt a new strategic, targeted and differentiated $14,620 for outof-state residents attending public approach to increase enrollment at all levels of universities. Compared with 2013, university the higher education pipeline – undergraduate as costs have declined for in-state and out-of-state well as postgraduate study. It needs to strengthen students, but the lowered costs affect the the quality of teaching and learning in higher universities’ ability to receive enough revenue to education institutions by increasing the operate with enough capital. qualifications of faculty, producing at least double the number of masters and doctoral graduates, and retaining the best talent within the universities. A new vision for the higher education sector needs to address two key elements: the first is to strengthen governance, leadership and management, and introduce management information systems to improve the effectiveness of higher education planning and expenditure; and, the second is to strengthen scholarship through interdisciplinary practice and collaboration for innovation. Tuition costs for The concept of internationalizing During the same period, international academia should be a strategic element to raise students contributed more than $30.5 billion to the level of talent as well as income. This can be the US economy. These are academic areas for done by promoting, marketing and aggressively which Puerto Rico institutions have strong recruiting international students to come study in foundations and there are affiliated research Puerto Rico. These students pay a higher tuition centers. Therefore, these should be areas of focus rate and cover their costs. Further, partnerships for attracting more students from foreign with universities in the US and other countries countries. (Zong & Batalova, 2016; Ruiz, 2014) should be forged to allow for joint academic The University of Puerto Rico should offerings. offer scholarships to assist the neediest students This is a strategy that institutions of and cultivate the best talent. However, higher education in the US and the United scholarships should be accompanied by a Kingdom are implementing. Universities are requirement for students to remain working in investing in a concerted effort to attract Puerto Rico for at least five years. international students as a strategy to increase This a common practice in many public revenues, as well as enriching the academic universities all over the world. For example, experiences and attract talent for the country. Paraguay offers scholarships for students with (Universities of UK, 2014) the caveat that they stay working in the country At the core of these strategies is the for a period of time after university studies are crafting of a growth strategy that is inclusive of completed. international student participation in higher education and a marketing effort that sends a 3) Universities as partners with choice consistent message that Puerto Rico welcomes K-12 Schools. international students, as well as the Higher education can be a catalyst for development of post-study work opportunities transforming the way in which preK-12 for international student graduates. In the United education is delivered in Puerto Rico in a variety States, efforts to attract international studies are of ways, including: working with the Department also part of the growth strategy for higher of Education in restructuring and decentralizing education institutions. the department, governance and structure of A review of participation patterns of schools. international students in US universities shows The recent call by Governor Ricardo that close to half (44 percent) of international Rossello to establish K-12 charter public schools students in 2014-2015 were in a STEM field, on the island is a promising initiative to particularly on five fields of study—math and decentralize bureaucracy and establish greater computer science (24 percent), engineering (16 opportunities for families to have a choice in a percent), agriculture (15 percent), intensive better-quality education system for their English (13 percent), and fine and applied arts children. (11 percent).

4) Education and Infrastructure. 5) University as incubators of This must be done in alignment with the innovation and startup capital Higher Education system to shape and link the Higher Education institutions can play a new school infrastructure to higher education paramount role in advancing innovation through standards with early learning and K-12 pathways new technologies, new processes, new products, to ensure students are prepared for higher and new ideas that can be catalysts for rebuilding learning and the workforce. The university must the local economy and for connecting Puerto utilize its intellectual and Human Capital to Rico to the global economy. redesign and uplift communities in distress due University faculty and talented students to crises like Maria. can leverage their strengths in knowledge Higher education and secondary creation to generate economic benefits. education have an obligation to ensure that Attracting transfers and two-year students is children have a clear path to college beginning in critical. Innovation is happening much fastest in the stages of early childhood development. With the outside world and universities are largely human, social, political, and physical capital, struggling to keep up. The higher education universities can garner influence and resources to sector can support the private sector through affect systems of education for children and knowledge transfer that is deployed through families in all of the years of schooling. worker training, capacity building for The university needs an educated pool of management, help in incubating startup applicants. It must ensure that students are businesses and development of industrial parks prepared for the college level experience through and small business incubators. intentional, targeted college access, and The University needs to welcome readiness programs, beginning as early as innovators and entrepreneurs into co-working possible. In order to secure the future of higher spaces where they can connect on ideas, build education in Puerto Rico, universities must business plans, and access startup capital to ensure that the pipeline of early learning to implement their projects. Universities can college is readily flowing. embrace models of university innovation centers, Higher education is also an important like Pennovation at the University of resource in transforming teachers and school Pennsylvania or Cornell Tech at Cornell leadership preparation. Teachers and principals University, where tracts of land and old factory are at the core of good schooling and hold the spaces have become tech centers of incubators keys for transferring teaching and learning. for new businesses and technology. Puerto Rico has an opportunity to adopting With open spaces indoors and outdoors, programs that place education students in creative minds unite to design solutions to the classrooms as part of the required teaching challenges of our times, including poverty and clinical experiences under the supervision of climate change. Firms and individuals interested talented faculty and outstanding teacher mentors. in investing in startup companies should be Teacher Residencies like the Boston Residencies incentivized to provide funds for these could serve as models for replication. innovations to test, implement, and scale. The conditions are conducive for a larger mechanisms to engage its best faculty in increase in startup businesses and opportunities purposeful research that leads to business that universities can support through physical development is fundamental. and financial means. The innovation centers Higher education should partner with offer employment opportunities as well for local government and the private sector in Puerto Rico retail, food, and services. to create business clusters, industrial parks, and There are a number of initiatives already build on the concept of “knowledge economies”. in place that should be sustained and expanded. Four areas of development are at the core of The Puerto Rico Science, Technology, and facilitating this transformative change in the role Research Trust is a leader in fostering startup of the university: 1) attracting and retaining a companies, entrepreneurial endeavors, and cadre of talented and prominent faculty; 2) groundbreaking scientific research throughout engaging university leadership that can think Puerto Rico and the Caribbean, with a vast “outside the box” to conceive a university as an network of partnerships and access to capital. anchor for building the future trajectory of the It has formalized partnerships with some country; 3) the physical infrastructure needed for universities but could expand its resources to research and development, such as labs, research undergraduate and graduate students for parks, and classrooms; and 4) flexibility to channeling a pipeline of talent directly from the facilitative an environment that frees up the university. Further expansion into the university university to commercialize research outcomes. ecosystem can open doors and new avenues for This approach needs to encompass student and faculty ingenuity and creativity that collaboration among all institutions of higher will drive the science and technology agenda on education and therefore, a country-wide the island. mechanism for collaboration and sharing needs The Puerto Rico Techno Economic to be in place. The Research Triangle Park in Corridor on the West Coast of the island partners North Carolina is one of the leading factors with the universities there to build opportunities driving North Carolina’s economy. It was for business and technology incubation. founded by three universities – NC State, Duke Capitalizing and investing in these resources is and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill paramount to building a culture of innovation on as an effort to promote education, research and the island to develop, test, and implement new industry collaboration. ideas to create new businesses, sources of wealth Today, this joint effort is the largest and to solve social problems in education, health, research park in the United States and serves as a and the environment. case study for how to tap on universities as a propellant of jobs and new industries that are 6) Universities as research enterprises aligned to the state’s economy. Closely affiliated Higher education is equipped with the is North Carolina’s Centennial Campus located talent and research prowess that is necessary to within the NC State Campus and offering a mix incubate new knowledge. Since innovation of services, including academic classrooms, labs begins with research, how universities secure the and classrooms along with space for corporate resources and develop the conditions and and government tenants, residential and food service facilities, a lake, a golf course and a students in Latin American Spanish countries middle public school. and Caribbean islands. In addition, public This innovative university-based effort transportation is also a hindrance for local has attracted a number of corporations, students to travel throughout the island, new including: RedHat, MeadWestvaco, Juniper opportunities for distance learning can be Networks and Pathfinder Pharmaceuticals. leveraged. Georgia also offers a good model with the Faculty from one campus could project formation of the Georgia Research Alliance their lectures to students at other campuses. This (GRA). The alliance was spearheaded by the allows greater access of expert knowledge and Governor and was launched as a strategy to information across a wider swath of the retain industry in the state and attract new population. Faculty and students can collaborate investments. on projects together throughout the island to The GRA was formed as a non-profit share resources and build coalitions for stronger corporation and its Board include the university advocacy programs to change public and presidents of the six major institutions of higher economic policy that will improve their social education along with industry leaders. A staple conditions. of this effort was the Eminent Scholars Program The Ana G. Mendez University Online which set the foundation for attracting renowned program is the first online distance learning entrepreneurial researchers to the state to lead program in Puerto Rico with Master Courses in research and development projects and attract Human Resources, Agribusiness, and Marketing students to the university. Sales in Management, amongst others. The The key factor in these examples is that InterAmerican University has a plethora of government intervened directly to leverage their online programs as well in Computer Science creation and the universities incorporated them and Business. While online programs are into their growth strategy. beneficial for students with limited time and resources to attend full time and in person 7) Universities as networks of programs, universities can boost their levels of technology and distance learning technological access, generate source of income Given the decline in human capital from to advance collaboration amongst students universities both prior to and after Hurricane throughout the world. Maria, universities should invest in technological There is plethora of good models for infrastructure that capitalizes and utilizes cloud launching this kind of effort. New York’s computing and networks that allow students and Excelsior College is a pioneer in distance faculty from different campuses, states, and learning catering to adult learners with a global sites to connect with each other digitally. combination of online courses and small learning Since Puerto Rico is isolated centers across the state. Western Governors geographically, distance learning becomes an University operates as a total online virtual opportunity for other Latin American Spanish university and attracts mid-age adults. countries and Caribbean islands to compete for The University system of Georgia offers a program called “Intellectual Capital Partnership”, which functions like a traditional development, and commercialization of new community college-based job training program products or processes. with a focus on more specialized needs and on The mission is for the government of for credit college level training. They work with Puerto Rico, along with the university and non- employers in crafting their offerings with the profit sector, to establish a center of excellence cost for learning shared between the employer focusing on the development of globally and the state. important technologies by providing seed Universities can foster a network funding and incentivizing industry investment. infrastructure that harnesses new technologies in Major companies have invested in universities cloud computing and digital learning that sparks throughout the United States to develop product new opportunities for students and faculty to development and research centers to design, test, work together virtually to conduct research, and implement new technologies. For example, design new products, and challenge public Boeing and Caltech have research agreements to policy. After Hurricane Maria, the University of partner on aviation technologies that are jointly Sagrado Corazon employed Dynamic Campus, a patented. Siemens contracts with the University Texasbased company, to rebuild its tech of Tennessee to develop new medical imaging infrastructure from cables on the ground to cloud scintillators and scanning tools. computing to store academic and financial Procter and Gamble built a simulation management systems so that students could center at the University of Cincinnati for return to classes immediately. (Schaffhausser, advancing product and process development 2017) (UIDP, 2013). These examples demonstrate new This action highlights new investment opportunities for businesses invested in research opportunities for cloud computing so and development to establish a foundational universities, and other institutions, can withstand research location within a university setting to large scale damages from future natural disasters, improve their market appeal to mass audiences. and offer cheaper, and more protected These programs require almost $1 million administrative and management systems. annually to fund the facilities, personnel, and equipment for the operations. 8) Universities as global centers of excellence. 9) Universities as workforce Colleges and universities are important development centers. assets that can help Puerto Rico actively The higher education sector must be able participate in the knowledge economy. One way to adapt and customize its educational range to the Island can build on these assets is to foster the needs of the country. Employers are partnerships between private industry and increasingly warning of widening gaps between higher-education institutions. skills that are in demand and those that are These partnerships tend to offer localized available, highlighting a need to foster more economic benefits by increasing economic technical talent if countries want to remain activity associated with the creation, competitive. There is a considerable skills mismatch partnership with the University of Puerto Rico, between university graduates and the needs of and the PR Department of Economic employers in most economies. Without adequate Development (DDEC by its Spanish acronym) modifications to education and training systems, managed to have 20 patents for the UPR with the gap between supply and demand is projected another 41 applications in process. to grow significantly. To address this, it will be Though encouraging, these results are not critical to re-align global talent pipelines with enough. Consider that MIT University has market demand. (WEF, 2017) Universities need currently licensed 49% of its 2,728 issued US to assess their teaching and learning focus and patents to third parties and 32% of its pending priorities to ensure that they can align the role of US patents. MIT ranks #2 in the 2017 Reuter knowledge creation through research and Report of the Top 100 world most innovative technology transfer with that of knowledge universities. The potential is there for the taking transfer through education and human resource but it must be an agile system. development. Workforce development is crucial Universities in the Island need to and in the spirit of developing a cohesive higher cultivate and attract new sources of revenue, education sector, the role of the junior colleges donors, and innovations to be able to generate need to be revisited as they should play an new income to become self-sufficient. They need important role in training and developing 2-year to be growing and diversifying their revenue. programs that lead to certificates and that prepare The future of universities depends of its ability to students to enter the workforce. replicate and sustain themselves throughout Academic program development needs to history. The role of the Boards of Governors be aligned to the needs of industry and business must focus on putting together an action plan for to ensure that training leads to jobs and that fundraising and controlling administrative companies can get the human capital that is spending. Trustees have a unique vantage point necessary to thrive and be competitive in the and responsibility to investigate cost and business sector. Training programs should be compare them against similar or peer consolidated into a single entity to ensure institutions. They need to increase financial alignment and usefulness. One example comes transparency, invest and allocate scarce from Georgia Tech and its Enterprise Innovation resources responsibly in a highly competitive Institute. education landscape.

10) Universities as generators of Moving forward. revenue and capital. Puerto Rico’s higher education system The best universities depend on more needs to make strategic choices about what and than just students for their revenue. They who they want to be and serve, what to provide, develop endowments, chairs, contracts, patents, who to partner with, and how much to change. and products. The outcome of these choices will lead to greater Over the past five years, the Puerto Rico recognition from community, donors, employers, Science, Technology, and Research Trust, in and students. ■

REFERENCES

Bonilla-Santiago, G. (2014). Miracle on Cooper Street, Lessons from an Inner City: Archway Publishing.

Ruiz, Neil G. (2014). The Geography of Foreign Students in U.S. Higher Education: Origins and Destinations. Washington, DC: The Brookings Institution

Schaffhauser11/16/17, D. (2017). After Hurricane Maria, Puerto Rico University Turns to the Cloud to Restore Student Services. Retrieved February 2018

Shaffer, David F. & Wright, David J. (2010). A New paradigm for Economic Development: How Higher Education Institutions Are Working to Revitalize Their Regional and State Economies. The Nelson Rockefeller Institute of Government, University of Albany.

Swyngedouw, E. (1997). Neither global nor local: “Globalization” and the politics of scale. In K. R. Cox (Ed.), Spaces of globalization: Reassessing the power of the local (pp. 137–166). New York, NY: Guilford Press.

The University Industry Demonstration Partnership. (2013). Case Studies in U-I Collaboration | Publications.

Universities of UK (2014). International students in higher education: the UK and its competition. http://www.universitiesuk.ac.uk/policy-and- analysis/reports/Documents/2014/international- students-in-highereducation.pdf

World Economic Forum (2017). Education, Gender, and Work

Zong, J. and Batalava, J. (2014). International Students in the United States. Migration Policy Institute (MPI).

A Partnership for the Empowerment of Future Leaders Generations in the Re-building of Communities and Neighborhoods By Dennis R. Román Roa, PhD

The Centro Para Puerto Rico of the Sila transforming the mindset, incredible advances M. Calderón Foundation, is a non-for-profit are achieved in reducing dependency, as an organization for education, dialogue, research attitude of self-management and empowerment and advocacy efforts located in San Juan, is developed in the participants. And Puerto Rico. As part of our own development community development, as a mechanism to we have always pursue to develop effective engage community residents in the solutions of and high impact collaborations around our their problems and as a tool for their own mission. economic growth. As for most of the non-for-profit Both, from a more philosophical point organizations in Puerto Rico, resources are of view, are better than just taking care of an limited and collaborating with others can help immediate need by providing a charitable aid, to extend the impact of our actions. After the which will in many cases just add to the adversities created by hurricanes Irma and continuation of dependency. However, when a María, our sector has sensed the need to major event such a natural disaster occurs, collaborate in the rebuilding of our most organizations have to certainly support communities and neighborhoods. Our those in need and provide relief, leaving our organization did not think twice to align our regular duties aside, at least temporarily. resources in that direction. At the Centro, our After hurricanes Irma and María, the mission has been to reduce poverty and Center for Puerto Rico was no exception. We inequality while advancing the role of women had to maneuver around our mission. As a in society. We also promote initiatives of result, the Center distributed food and water, economic, social and urban development that assisted with FEMA applications, supported foster individuals’ capacity building and the installation of blue tarps, distributed water transformation. The conditions after the filtration systems and solar lamps, provided hurricanes were certainly an opportunity to psychological counseling and even awarded come back to those roots. monetary grants to rebuild microbusinesses in When an organization like ours decide to communities around Puerto Rico, among many engage in fighting poverty and inequality, we other activities. must make choices as to which intervention One aspect that became evident during mechanism should be used to achieve the the emergency was the re-emergence of the greatest impact. Since our beginnings, concept of community and how communities community development and entrepreneurship and non-for-profit organizations around Puerto have been our two most notable interventional Rico got organized to support municipal themes. Entrepreneurship, because just by governments in the recovery, assuming roles

the government was not capable to do during of scholars’ engagement, academic the emergency. There were many stories of differentiation and experimental learning. communities organized to help restore the We have seen not only what the electricity in remote areas in the central region Community Leadership Center impact in of Puerto Rico and NGO’s acting as first Camden has been but how Rutgers has also responders to save lives and provide promoted the bridging of community humanitarian support beyond their original development projects with the creation and mission. All this, just a small sample of the sustainability of new academic programs. To power of the community and the collaboration have the opportunity to bring part of that to of many NGO’s who certainly want to be a Puerto Rico in the form of a collaboration with part in the new Puerto Rico. Now we are the CLC, Rutgers University and the Centro rebuilding and maneuvering around our Para Puerto Rico, was an opportunity we mission to stay relevant in a new scenario. could not miss . At the Centro, we have always strived to As a result, high quality interdisciplinary attack the poverty and inequality problem in a graduate and professional programs has been more systemic way, which call for the attention offered by Rutgers in Puerto Rico at the of different stakeholders and different Center. Young public service professionals dimensions. Fighting poverty and inequality is have benefited from the opportunity of getting a monumental task that can’t be done without top notch educational programs, without the involvement of other collaborators, leaving the Island and at affordable tuitions especially after Irma and María. These rates, covered in most cases by grants provided conditions and the many challenges Puerto by the Senate of Puerto Rico, other Puerto Rico is currently facing call for a new breed of Rico Governmental Agencies and many leaders and change agents. If within the spirit Private Institutions. of some collaborations, there is an opportunity Two programs were developed and to develop more change agents, organizations offered under the leadership of Dr. Gloria like ours should pursue it as well. Bonilla Santiago: A graduate Certificate For years, the Community Leadership Program in Community Development and the Center Director, Dr. Gloria Bonilla, has Master in Public Administration. Both maintained close collaboration ties with the programs address critical societal needs by Sila M. Calderón Foundation and the Centro training emerging leaders to become effective Para Puerto Rico. This relationship has gone in ethical agents for community development in line with the University Strategic Plan, which neighborhoods around the Island. These calls for academic scholarship that can address programs were customized to provide a solid issues of inclusion, social justice and theoretical context for community community development within the framework development, while also building the skills repertoire of emerging leaders looking to

expand their knowledge and practical efforts. New leaders working at the hearts of competencies, dealing in class with the the communities, while many more citizens problems Puerto Rico is facing today. engage in sustainable entrepreneurial projects The program has graduated 15 students capable of driving economic development from the Executive Master in Public from the bottom up. Administration Program and other 25 from the At the Sila M. Calderón Foundation and Certificate in Community Development. the Centro Para Puerto Rico we are very proud Another group will be graduating in the of what we have done. Not just at our own upcoming months. The approach of hybrid communities, but with the support of partners teaching using online options, video such as the Community Leadership Center and conferences, intensive seminars, exchanges Rutgers University. Working together we can with Rutgers faculty teaching alongside local build a new Puerto Rico regardless of the faculty experts in Puerto Rico, has given these challenges lying ahead. students an extraordinary educational experience with the adequate balance between global and local perspectives. One of the most important features of the program were the local projects developed by the students as part of the completion requirements which targeted areas such as: housing, youth development, environmental impact and advocacy, among many others. This is certainly a beginning, and there is no doubt in our minds that this has meant a lot, not just for the students, but for all of us at the Centro para Puerto Rico in our quest to fight poverty and inequality assisting people to find their way out of it, following principles of self- management and empowerment. We believe that by following this approach, progress is achievable and above everything, sustainable one person at a time. No hurricane, and no economic crisis will take what people have learned through capacity building and education. This type of collaboration change lives in Puerto Rico while preparing leaders to be part of our recover

Community Development and Social Equity in Cuba: Achievements and Perspectivesi Maria del Carmen Zabala Arguelles

The purpose of this work is to present methods, the plurality of players and social the experiences and perspectives of Cuba structures involved in them, and the regarding community development and the coexistence of tendencies that reveal different promotion of social equity at the levels of social participation, all within a local/community level. First, we present the scenario of increasing social complexity. trends that have characterized community But the crisis and economic reform that took development in Cuba throughout the last few place in the nineties also had damaging effects decades; then we touch on those related to on Cuban society, among them the decay of theoretical and methodological references that quality of life of the population, the increase of support these practices, and we end with some several different social problems, processes of experiences related to community socioeconomic restratification and the development: Comprehensive Neighborhood reemergence of social inequality, which are all Transformation Workshops, the Havana clearly reflected in the communities. Historian's Office and experiences by the At the start of this century, a broad Cuban Program of the Latin American Faculty array of social programs were launched with of Social Sciencesii. strategic aims at social development--in the fields of health, food, education, culture, Brief Notes on Community Development in employment and social security, and their goal Cuba was to deal directly and personally with Communities have had an important problems that had gotten worse throughout the role, both as a support system and a leader in most serious years of the economic crisis. In executing several different programs, this sense, new players emerged onto the campaigns, mobilizations, and social tasks in community scene: emerging teachers, art Cuba since the Revolution triumphed in 1959. instructors, social workers, municipal Starting with the economic crisis triggered in university campuses, among others, which the nineties, the importance of this scenario has articulated to a lessor or greater extent the been rescaled, as a result of the limitations to experiences with community development that main resources when solving problems and of existed previously. the increase in population and activities that The most recent moment, which is take place in that area; two important events referred to as the “process of updating the took place that are consistent with this reality: Cuban economic model,” has focused its the creation of Popular Councils (1992), local interest also on the local-community level. In government bodies that coordinate and the Guidelines for the Economic and Social integrate community actions and organizations, Policy of the Party and the Revolution, and the establishment of the Departmental sanctioned in 2011, the need to strengthen local Group for Cuban Community Work (1996), participatory management in the territories whose aim was to strengthen collaboration stands out as a way to solve different problems between community organizations and entities. in the country, and to ratify the principle of From then until now, community equity as an essential pillar of the Cuban social development in Cuba has been characterized by model; this implies that a focus on equity must its revitalization, diversity and wealth of be included in the agendas of local experiences according to its purposes and development. Although vast experience is gained have been adopted effectively by several from community development and current community projects and organizations. policies are now favoring decentralization Popular Education accepts dialogue and processes more, there are still tendencies that participation as indispensable for the limit community development, including the emergence of a new popular subject, highlights disconnect between social and institutional the learning dialogue and the value of popular programs developed simultaneously in knowledge, placing participation at the communities, poor coordination among players foundation of learning and the group as its due to the prevalence of a sectoral focus, the preferential site. Among its main persistence of a centralist and top-down gnoseological principles are the social culture, the limited systematization and construct of knowledge and the dialectic unity evaluation of community development between action-reflection-action. experiences; in addition to the lack of focus on Its pedagogical principles are collective, equity in local development agendas. dialogic and symmetrical learning, the value of At the same time, Cuba possesses many popular knowledge, participation as the strengths to boost community work: the basis foundation for learning (the process of sharing of the Cuban social project--among them, knowledge), respect and acceptance of “other equity and social justice; the social knowledge,” the group as an area for learning, participation of the people; the human capital education based on a critical analysis of created throughout several decades; the practice (problem-posing of reality) and existing social capital in communities made up education as an instrument for equality, social of social organizations, different institutions, justice and wellbeing. local governments, municipal universities, Among the political principles are among others; government support in the participation and dialogue, the socialization of activities and needs of the territories; the power, inclusion and justice, popular existing cultural identity and traditions in these prominence and a culture of emancipation.iii areas; and the solidarity that as an ethical and In Cuba, the Martin Luther King Jr. practical principle sustains daily life in the Center has developed basic courses from communities. popular educators, whose graduates make up Using these strengths and local the Network of Popular Educators, and prospects would allow for an increase of the accompanies experiences of community impact capability of the community in reducing development in different cities throughout the existing social concerns. country. Research-Action-Participation Theoretical-Methodological Models [Investigación – Acción – Participación] (IAP) There are many theoretical- shares the purpose of social transformation methodological models that support the with Popular Education and is characterized by practice of community development in Cuba. its endogenous, collective, and participative Among the most important are: Research- nature, and by the researcher's position as a Action-Participation, Popular Education, committed participant. Countless experiences Community Psychology, Sociocultural of social transformation in communities are Animation, Strategic Community Planning, achieved by this paradigm, and many of them Sustainable Development and Local have been advised by universities and Community Development; paradigms focused municipal university centers. on participation are those that undoubtedly Overall, the contributions obtained by have had the greatest impact in Cuba, which these theoretical-methodological models are social, holistic and comprehensive The workshops also manage local and transformation, participation -collective community development projects, perform prominence, commitment, empowerment,- community work, coordinating, articulating, democratic horizontality, collective building of and mediating efforts between local players knowledge, critical reflection of practice, and area social institutions, social player articulation (sectoral, territorial, communication and advise on local institutional), missions of social justice, government activities. inclusion, wellbeing, human and sustainable The City of Havana Historian's Officev development. is an institutional organization that manages the restoration, revitalization, and protection of Some Experiences of Community Development the Havana Historic City Center. It has a in Cuba methodological management body, Consistent with the above regarding information, control and coordination, which is revitalization, diversity and the wealth of the Master plan for Comprehensive community development in Cuba, this section Revitalization of the Old Havana, which will briefly discuss the experiences with develops well-defined policies, strategies, and Comprehensive Neighborhood Transformation plans. Workshops [Talleres de Transformación The City of Havana Historian's Office Integral de Barrios] (TTIB), the Havana develops a broad collection of programs to Historian’s Office [Oficina del Historiador de benefit residents of the Historic City Center la Ciudad de la Habana] and the Cuban and to preserve its cultural and historic Program of the Latin American Social Sciences heritage. Notable among these are the array of Faculty [Programa Cuba de la Facultad social projects aimed at meeting the pressing Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales] needs of the people, especially those of the (FLACSO). most vulnerable social groups, such as the The Comprehensive Neighborhood housing restoration and construction program; Transformation Workshopsiv are the “Classrooms in Museums” project to multidisciplinary teams who have among their improve environmental conditions in action points the improving of habitat elementary schools; socio-cultural programs conditions, child and adolescent urban for children and adolescents in school centers, education, the strengthening of community libraries and museums; teaching adolescents to identity and a sense of belonging, reclaiming become tradesmen so they can get involved in traditions, developing the local economy, restoring architectonic heritage; care for conserving and protecting the environment, pregnant women, the elderly, children with developing urban agriculture, and developing motor skills problems, in specialized social prevention with specific demographics, institutions, among others. among others. The work of the Historian's Office The TTIB prepare strategic community combines territorial planning, social plans, a methodology that includes an intervention, a self-management system that assessment, mission, strategic goals, an action allows for the funds obtained throughout the plan, oversight and evaluation. Based on a territory, mainly through tourism, to be participatory appraisal, residents identify the invested in its development, both in social problems that affect them and define their works, and restoring homes, and it also allows priorities, the community resources needed for the creation of jobs, which are a prioritized for a solution and the necessary strategies and the area residents. actions. It is easy to appreciate the complexity assumptions of this project are equality in of this scenario, not only with regard to its human opportunities, impartial treatment of current capabilities, resources and problems, people, emphasis on diversity and social but also because several different social players disadvantages, social justice regarding basic interact and multiple programs and actions are rights and real opportunities, all from a developed, combining territorial planning, multidimensional perspective involving not social intervention, self-management and only rights but also opening doors, distributing community participation. resources, wellbeing and accomplishments. Both experiences, the Comprehensive The community programs FLACSO Neighborhood Transformation Workshops and Cuba has joined and that are included in this the Historian's Office, have carried out specific project has detected visible gaps associated actions to serve disadvantaged groups or those with specific groups, i.e., social classes, in a situation of poverty. This validates the idea gender, age, or generational, racial, territorial; that communities in Cuban society are a and specific areas, i.e., economic (work/ privileged area who serve parts of the income/ consumption), housing, habitat, social population who live in unfavorable services and protections, cultural consumption socioeconomic conditions, taking into account and citizen participation. available human resources, the absence of That is why participative and social exclusion, existing social capital, and the contextualized methods and situated prevailing values of social justice and knowledge are used; learning activities solidarity in the society.vi designed as a continuous educational process The Cuban Program of Latin American are implemented for teachers,vii work done on Social Sciences Faculty [Programa Cuba de la social networks is given preference and it Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias assumes a focus on intersectionality when Sociales] (FLACSO), affiliated with the analyzing inequalities. This educational focus University of Havana, also collects experiences is also supported by information technologies, in community development. This experience highlighting in particular the preparation of has materialized in counseling and training of multimedia in Social Development and equity, the specialists at the Comprehensive including a bibliography and didactic material Neighborhood Transformation Workshops, on issues on equity. academic programs associated with the Another important part of the project is Master's Degree Program in Social the development of methodological tools for Development, courses and workshops in the community's social players, which community development to many different highlight the preparation and validation of a players, advising on community programs for methodological guide to overseeing and socially-disadvantaged children, and evaluating local and community development community projects for the social inclusion of projects with a focus on equity. The ultimate disabled people. goal is for community players to be able to In the last few years, several different diagnose existing situations of equity in their actions have been taken to strengthen social territories, i.e., existing problems, the most equity in communities, starting with a project, affected aspects of equity and the most the purpose of which is to encourage vulnerable groups, and to design actions and innovative management processes for local strategies to mitigate these concerns. development in order to strengthen social equity through training, backing, promoting and spreading experiences. The basic In Closing comprehensiveness and holistic nature of these Community development in Cuba has transformations, real participation of the people been continuously revitalized in the last few in these transformations and the creation of decades, and reflect a diversity of experiences agendas for local development that strengthen and theoretical-methodological models, a social equity in the community. ■ myriad of players and social structures involved and different types of management and participation. In the growing social diversity that exists today, the greatest challenges involve the necessary

iv These workshops arose in 1988 at the recommendation REFERENCES of the Capital Development Group and there are currently i This work summarizes the speech entitled “Community a total of 20, which are subordinate to the Municipal Development and Social Equity in Cuba, Achievements People’s Power Assemblies. Regarding the experience and Perspectives,” given by the “Cuban Perspectives on from some of these workshops -Atarés and La Guinera - Community Development Building Integrated several articles may be read from Roberto Dávalos’ Approaches to Education, Local Development and Social compilation “Desarrollo local y descentralización en el Equity” panel, presented at the conference “Future contexto urbano” [Local Development and Directions for a New Cuba: Building Sustainable Decentralization in an Urban Context]. Partnerships,” held from November 6-10, 2017 at Rutgers v The Historian’s Office of the City was founded in 1938 University--Camden. with the purpose of rescuing, protecting and restoring the ii The content presented summarizes and updates some of city's historic monuments and sites. In the 1981, the the issues contained in two articles written by the author: government provided funds to bolster its work and in “Las comunidades y el trabajo comunitario en Cuba” 1993 it received legal backing (Legal Decree 143) to [Communities and Community Work in Cuba] en: promote self-funded sustainable development. The Estudios del Desarrollo Social [Social Development Historic City Center of Havana was declared a World Studies]: Cuba y América Latina [Cuba and Latin Heritage in 1982. America]. FLACSO Semesteral Electronic Magazine, vi To expand on this argument, see: Alternativas de Cuba, Vol. 1, No. 2, 2006 y “Participación y prevención estrategias comunitarias para enfrentar la pobreza social: una perspectiva desde las comunidades cubanas”, [Alternate Community Strategies to Confront Poverty], [Participation and Social Prevention: A Cuban Maria del Carmen Zabala, in: Revista Caminos, Martin Community Perspective]en: Cuadernos África-América Luther King Jr. Memorial Center, 2000. Latina. Revista de Análisis Sur / Norte para una vii Notable among the issues included in the training Cooperación Solidaria. Madrid: Atrapasueños editorial, process are social development and equity, gender SODEPAZ, 46 1er Semestre 2009. equality, gaps in equality based on skin color, disability iii For further reading into these principles, see: Qué es la or social inclusion, inequalities and age groups, Educación Popular? [What is Popular Education], Marta inequalities in education, culture and information. Alejandro, María Isabel Romero y José Ramón Vidal (Comp.), Editorial Caminos, Martin Luther King Jr. Center, La Habana, 2008 Cooperatives and Local Development in Cuba: Current Challenges. Reynaldo Jimenez Guethon

There are no studies in Cuba that suggest and to provide advantages in order to modernize cooperatives in agriculture existed prior to 1959. farming and as a way to collectively exploit the There may have been a few beginnings to a land (Rodriguez, 1983). cooperative association, mainly for trading On May 17, 1959 the First Agrarian products, but it has not been adequately studied Reform Law was signed, which delivered land (Matias, 2010). Despite it being known that prior titles to people who worked it and eliminated to the success of the Cuban Revolution, there latifundia that had remained in the hands of the were cooperatives in the transportation sector, national oligarchy and US imperialism, by albeit with very particular characteristics, they limiting ownership of tracts of land to 402 are not considered cooperatives by Cuban hectares. This law also facilitated the principle cooperativist history. that the land was for whomever worked it, The Cuban cooperative movement was eliminating the exploitation that prevailed in the comprised of three types of cooperatives country. engaged in agricultural production up until the In October 1960 Cane Cooperatives were end of 2012: Cooperativas de Créditos y created on old latifundium lands used to cultivate Servicios [The Credits and Services sugarcane. Through them the State had property Cooperatives] (CCS), which arose in the 60s, the rights over the land and the means of production, Cooperativas de Producción Agropecuaria and the members of the cooperatives lawfully [Farming Production Cooperatives] (CPA), held economic and legal possession of the land. created in 1976, and the Unidades Básicas de Members of these Cane Cooperatives Producción Cooperativa [Basic Production Units were agricultural workers and not small business Cooperative] (UBPC), established in 1993. owners. According to the Cuban economist This cooperative movement began right Blanca Rosa Pampin, there were 621 cane after the triumph of the revolution in 1959. Its cooperatives in 1960. Their average size was origins are based on the democratization of land 1409 hectares, with a total of 876,142 hectares ownership determined by successive laws of dedicated to growing sugarcane (Pampin, 1996). agrarian reform, since cooperativism can only These first Cane Cooperatives only lasted a short exist as an association of free landowners or period of time (1960-1962). Regarding its usufructuaries; therefore, it was impossible in organization and operation, severe organizational Cuba prior to 1959, given the high concentration mistakes and management methods were pointed of land ownership and the prevalence of out at that time. latifundia, since 73% of arable land was Farming Societies arose in 1962, which concentrated on 9% of the estates (Jimenez, were established based on farmers volunteering 1996). to combine their lands, equipment, and animals The Cuban Revolution acknowledged to collectively use the land. These Farming agricultural cooperativism since the first few Societies disappeared in the decade of the 70s of years after its victory as a form of collaboration the twentieth century. According to Carlos Rafael Rodriguez, at and the cooperative itself used for that time, the conditions necessary for an farming production. energetic development of cooperation between To plan and sell the government- small and medium-sized farmers still did not administered production [producciones exist (Rodriguez, 1983). directivas] of its members and the In the 60s, small farmers began to organize cooperative. themselves into Farmer Bases to coordinate the To sell other productions and services distribution of inputs for agricultural production, authorized in its common purpose. material resources, to receive centralized loans, To acquire, lease, and collectively use etc., and this is how the Credit and Service farming and transportation equipment Cooperatives were created (CCS) (Barrios, and to build the necessary facilities to 1982). improve efficiency in farming According to the definition set forth in production and trade authorized in its Article 5, Chapter II of Law No. 95 on Farming common purpose. [Gaceta Oficial de la Production and Credit and Service Cooperatives República de Cuba (Official Gazette of of 2002, a CCS is a voluntary association of the Republic of Cuba)]. Article 9, 2002, small farmers who either own or hold in usufruct p. 1407) their respective lands and other means of production, along with the production they In 1963, the Second Agrarian Reform Law was obtain. It is a type of agrarian cooperation enacted, which reduced landholdings to 67 whereby the technical, financial, and material hectares. Larger estates were nationalized, assistance provided by the State to increase increasing state participation in cane agriculture. production for small farmers and facilitate trade The diversification and production also is arranged and facilitated. It has its own legal increased, which gave rise to a transformation in capacity and is liable for its actions with its own cane cooperatives on state-owned farms in assets. [Gaceta Oficial de la República de Cuba charge of supplying the raw material, sugarcane, (Official Gazette of the Republic of Cuba). to the sugar mills. Article 5, 2002, p. 1406) When celebrating the fifteenth anniversary of the enactment of the First The foregoing Law provides the following Agrarian Reform Law in 1974, there was objectives for the CCS in Article 9: evidence of a need to find new and better ways To plan, hire, purchase, sell, and use of farming production. It had to be done slowly, the resources and services necessary for progressively, and based on willingness. its members and the cooperative in an These analyses and approaches organized and rational way, based on established the basis for the “Agrarian farming production. Hypothesis” and relationships with farmers, To manage, apply for, and collaborate which were analyzed, discussed, and approved in the control, use, and recovery of later on during the first Communist Party necessary bank loans for its members Congress in Cuba 1975. Continuing in the search for new ways of (Official Gazette of the Republic of farming production, it was decided in 1976 to Cuba)] Article 8, 2002, p. 1407) create Cooperativas de Producción Agropecuaria At the beginning of the 90s, as a [Agricultural Production Cooperatives] (CPA). consequence of the fall of the European Article 4, Chapter II of Law No. 95 on socialist model and the resurgence of the Cooperativas de Producción Agropecuarias y de American blockade of Cuba, there was an Créditos y Servicios [Agricultural Production immense decline in agricultural and Credits and Services Cooperatives] of 2002 production. defines a CPA as follows: The Agricultural Production Cooperative Most inputs, spare parts, gas, etc., came from is an economic entity that represents an advanced Eastern European countries, mainly Russia. 85% and efficient way of socialist production with its of Cuba’s trade was done with these countries. own legal personality and assets, established Cuba lost most of its main suppliers when the with lands and other goods contributed by small European socialist model collapsed, and the farmers, which are comprised of other availability of production inputs was sharply individuals in order to reach sustainable farming affected. The current Cuban agricultural production. [Gaceta Oficial de la República de production model, which is based on the Cuba (Official Gazette of the Republic of principles of the “green revolution” consisting of Cuba)]. Article 4, 2002, p. 1406) extensive monoculture with an abundant use of machinery and inputs (fertilizers and chemical Article 8 of the foregoing law establishes the pesticides), experienced a true crisis. following purposes of CPAs: An example of this was how all activities To develop sustainable farming related to sugar production were affected, which production with economic efficiency is an industry of significant interest for the based on the interests of the national Cuban economy, due to the following factors: a economy, the community and the lack of fertilizers, a shortage of fuel, a deficit in cooperative itself, equipment and replacement parts for irrigation To rationally use farming grounds, either systems, fewer plantings, the need to cut down owned or held in usufruct by the even the last cane of sugar, the lack of cooperative and the other farming agricultural implements and machinery, the property and production resources it decline of assistance to agricultural producers, possesses, the lack of replacement parts, among others. To gradually increase the quantity and The year 1993 is considered one of the most quality of government-administered difficult periods within the development of the production and foster its rapid sale Cuban economy and the wellbeing and health of To develop other farming and forest the Cuban population. The economic crisis was productions and provide farming services especially hard on the agrarian industry. One of authorized by their common purpose. the strategies used to face this situation was the [Gaceta Oficial de la República de Cuba establishment of Unidades Básicas de Producción Cooperativa [Basic Cooperative Production Units] (UBPC), which represented an and other aspects related to supporting important transformation to Cuban agriculture man. and is considered by many experts on the issue 3. Rigorously linking workers’ income to as the third Agrarian Reform Law. attained production. This transformation of property and 4. Broadly developing administrative production relationships in the Cuban autonomy. The proposed production agricultural sector was realized when the State units must administer their own Council enacted Decree Law No. 142, which resources and become self-sufficient in allowed for the conversion of most state-owned productive order farms for the production of sugarcane and other crops into UBPCs (Jimenez, 2006). The creation of these new cooperatives was In the UBPC General Regulations overseen characterized by: by the Ministerio del Azúcar [Ministry of Sugar] They will hold the usufruct on the land (MINAZ), Article 1, Chapter 1 of Resolution No. for an indefinite period of time 525 of 2003 tells us what a UBPC is and what its They will be owners of the production objectives are: it is an economic and social They will sell their production to the organization comprised of laborers with Government through the Company or administrative autonomy. It is part of the as they decide production system of a Complejo Agroindustrial They will pay the technical-material azucarero [Sugar Agro-Industrial Complex] insurance (CAI) and constituting one of the main links They will operate bank accounts comprising the productive foundation of the They will buy the fundamental means national economy whose main objective is a of production through loans sustained increase in cane production and sugar They will collectively elect their content, the rational use of available resources, management, which shall periodically and the improvement in living and working provide an accounting to its members, conditions of its members. (UBPC General as is done in Agricultural Production Regulations MINAZ, 2003). Cooperatives,

They will comply with all their According to the resolutions adopted on respective tax obligations as a September 10, 1993 by the Political Bureau, contribution to the country’s general UBPCs are sustained by four basic principles: expenses (UBPC General Regulations 1. Uniting man with the area as a way of MINAZ, 2003). stimulating his interest in work and his

particular sense of individual and From their inception, UBPCs have been collective responsibility. divided into two large groups: those that are 2. The self-sufficiency of the collective dedicated to growing sugarcane; and those that group of laborers and their families are concentrated in other crops and activities with a collaborative effort, and to related to livestock. Both groups were overseen progressively improve living conditions respectively by the Ministerio de la Agricultura was characterized by material support and [Ministry of Agriculture] (MINAG) and the monitoring by state institutions, which Ministerio de la Industria Azucarera [Ministry of underlines the existing concern toward human the Sugar Industry] (MINAZ), which was beings who work in these production units. transformed in 2011, assigning part of its Cooperativas no Agropecuarias [Non-Farming common purpose to the MINAG and then Cooperatives] (CNoA) changed its name to AZCUBA, which continued In Cuba, the economic and social model to oversee the country’s sugar production. sustained by the Economic and Social Policy According to the Oficina Nacional de Guidelines of the Party and the Revolution Estadísticas e Información [National Office of approved in April 2011 is currently in the Statistics and Information] (ONEI) cited by Diaz process of being modernized. (2005), this process radically changed land With the purpose of continuing to distribution in Cuba: if in 1989, 82% of the total modernize the Cuban socioeconomic model and surface area and 73% of the agricultural surface in compliance with the Guidelines approved at area belonged to 385 state-owned companies, in the Sixth Cuban Communist Party Congress in 2000, different types of farming cooperatives April 2011 and specifically the Economic and occupied 43% of the total surface area and Social Policy Guidelines of the Party and the 61.3% of the agricultural surface area. Of Revolution from the 25th to the 29th in those,the UBPCs occupy 28.7% of their total November 2012, it was decided that cooperatives surface area and 40.6% of the agricultural in non-farming activities be gradually surface (Diaz, 1998). Therefore, the land was established, and that provisions of an transferred over to new social players, among experimental nature would regulate this process. those old agricultural laborers and other people At the beginning, the experience provided for the that were not associated with the agrarian sector. creation of around 200 associations of this type The figures mentioned above eloquently throughout the country, which would focus on show the extraordinary importance of the the transportation, gastronomic, and fishing cooperative sector in Cuban farming production, industries, along with personal and domestic not only in reference to food production for services, the recovery of raw materials, the internal consumption but also with regard to manufacture of materials, and construction crops earmarked for agro-exportation. services. In this regard, the researcher Nova states The foregoing modernization pays that the creation of the three types of special attention to the cooperative movement, cooperatives, CCSs, CPAs, and UBPCs, both within the farming industry and in other illustrate an important expression of the sectors of the Cuban economy. country’s agricultural policy, confirming the The legal body regulating the cooperative movement as a fundamental basis development of nonfarming cooperatives is upon which the corporate agricultural economic comprised of Decree Laws issued by the State system is erected (Nova 2004). Council No. 305 at 306 of November 15th and In Cuba, the process of creating the first 17th, 2012 respectively; Decree No. 309 of the cooperatives up until those introduced in 1993 Council of Ministers, on November 28, 2012; Resolution No. 427/2012 from the Ministry of According to the ONEI’s legal and Finance and Prices and Resolution No. 570/2012 administrative records, at the end of June 2015, from the Ministry of the Economy and Planning. the country had 5490 Cooperatives, of which 351 Certain characteristics that differentiate were CNoAs, 1727 UBPCs, 898 CPAs and 2514 the different types of existing cooperatives to the CCSs representing 94% of the so-called classic present in the country can be observed: or agricultural cooperatives which are divided The Credit and Services Cooperatives into 76% in the Ministry of Agriculture, 18% in (CCS): include the union of farmers who the Sugar Group, and 6% the remaining Bodies maintain ownership over their land and other and Agencies. work resources. In the last five years there has been an The Agricultural Production increase in the new types of economic Cooperatives (CPA): include a union of land management, the CNoAs, and a decline in the contributors, farmers, other willing individuals, UPBCs and CPAs. If we compared the figures in as well as their machinery, animals, and 2011, there were 2165 UBPCs and in the first six facilities. These people who hand over their months of 2015 there were 1727, with the property and other resources become owners of a difference of 438 UBPCs; something similar collective property. occurred with the CPAs, with 104 CPAs fewer. Basic Cooperative Production Units (UBPC): are The same thing doesn’t happen with the made up of state workers who unite and become CCSs, which declined and grew again in 2015. agricultural cooperativists, who receive land and In 2017, the Cuban Government decided not to other resources in gratuitous usufruct for an approve any more CNoAs and began the process indefinite period of time. of rectifying and reviewing the operations of The Non-Farming Cooperatives (CNoA) those that were already created and waited until are characterized by collective ownership. the perfect moment to leave open the possibility Members of CNoAs maintain ownership of the again of new CNoAs emerging in different property they contribute, others work with the sectors of the Cuban economy. resources and property leased by the State The foregoing behavior shows the mark without a right of conveyance, and others the self-administered cooperative sector has had manage both properties, in accordance with the and will continue to have in Cuba. We must decisions made by their partners. remember that these types of ownership have One may disagree that the latest type of their roots in private property, because they are economic management, the CNoAs, is more all owners of the end result obtained through encompassing and comprehensive, leaving more their work, one member, one vote, and equality leeway to its members to make decisions, and of rights and obligations, and owners of their considering it a more democratic model of own work. cooperatives, that their growth within the Cuban society has been slow and, in many cases, has Furthermore, the author believes that the not taken into consideration the principles and following aspects in the establishment and values of cooperatives for their creation and operation process of the new cooperatives must operation. be taken into account. The establishment of cooperatives must stem organizational and production alternative in the from the will and desire of the people. modernization of the national economic model. Having outreach programs, spots or radio or The development and potential of Cuban television programs to promote learning from cooperativism is about to become a driving force the good examples of successful cooperatives in the economy of both the country and the in the country. territories and will embody the guidelines of the Having sufficient types of legal counsel for policy outlined in the Sixth Party Congress. The those who aspire to become part of a social responsibilities acquired by cooperatives, cooperative. in their new types of administration, provide an Having programs of systematic training answer to the needs of the people in their before and after the establishment of a surroundings. cooperative for those who are interested in The creation of the new cooperatives forming a cooperative or those cooperativists (CNoAs) under Decree Law 305 represents a who are already members; there is a general step forward in developing the Cuban society, lack of knowledge about the issue. which may contribute to introducing efficiency To continue stimulating the establishment of and effectiveness in the country’s economic cooperatives throughout the country, keeping activities and processes. Important challenges in mind the need to train those who wish to must be overcome so that these new types of be a member of a cooperative, and to perfect cooperatives throughout the different approved and speed up the procedures established for sectors are able to move forward without any handling new proposals for cooperative hiccups and take into account the mistakes made establishment. in agricultural cooperatives, so they are not Facilitating the creation, promotion and repeated. development of wholesale markets wherever There are many difficulties and obstacles necessary on a national level, as an that must be overcome in order for this emerging indispensable means to acquire raw materials cooperativism, in different sectors of the Cuban and inputs for the cooperatives. economy, to be able to progress and show the all-around positive results which are necessary in In a few years, being able to have a cooperatives law, which groups together and these times of transformation and change in Cuban society. represents all types of existing cooperatives and those that will be created in the future, Cooperatives in Cuba contribute to the strengthening of local development by being or, an institute or ministry that addresses the issues on cooperativism. bound to the territory where they are located. This way, they favor endogenous development

As prospects in the process of establishing of that territorial area. Also, one of its missions cooperatives in different sectors of the Cuban is to contribute to the sustainable development of economy, cooperatives will continue to become a its communities, which is reflected in the sixth cooperative principle of the Alianza Cooperativa solid source of employment. They are destined to occupy a highly significant place as an Internacional [International Cooperative Alliance] (ACI): “Cooperatives serve their members more effectively and strengthen the other channels in order to improve their own life cooperative movement, working together conditions (Gallicchio, Winchester, 2004). through local, national, regional and international Di Pietro poses that “local” is a concept structures” (ACI, 1995). that is relative to a broader space. A local level Cooperatives have the power to produce cannot be analyzed without making reference to wellbeing and are able to increase the standard of a more encompassing space in which it is living of its members and other people who live inserted (municipality, district, province, region, in nearby territories, through their alternative nation). Currently, the local/global comparison production and services. Cooperatives are is played with, revealing the paradoxes and significant stimulating agents of local relationships between both terms (Di Pietro, development. 1999). Some Reflections on Local Development Therefore, Guzon (2006: 72) believes Cuban cooperatives are closely linked to local that development is “the process that guides local and community development in their territory. players through actions that transform the Getting the majority of the people to participate territory in a desired direction and is continuous in the decision-making process, from the in nature, even when partial goals are outlined elementary to upper levels , is contributing to an like a spiral stairway.” increased feeling of belonging in local areas. The author has adopted the definition According to Limia, “increasing local established by Sorhegui and Leon on local development work would imply an important development (2007:6): “A reactionary process of change in mentality and management styles and the economy and driving force of local society, methods” (Limia, 2006:14) that by using endogenous resources found in a Regarding the concept of local specific area or physical space, is capable of development, there are many definitions and stimulating and promoting its economic growth, assessments today. According to Arocena, creating jobs, revenue, wealth, and above all, quoted by Guzon (2006), local development is improving the quality of life and the social defined as “specific paths of development that wellbeing of the community.” are shaped by historical and geographic elements True local development is achieved by and mentalities, but are not completely incentivizing the work of community predetermined. Instead, they transform and organizations, training the people who live in evolve from the practices of the players these territories, maximizing the use of human themselves, combined with favorable and material potential, i.e., taking into account circumstances and situations” (Guzon, 2006: 72). their strengths and capabilities. Aside from In addition, Gallicchio and Winchester optimum utilization of external resources, it is believe that local development is an endogenous necessary to attain active participation of all growth and a procurement of resources from people implicated in the process. outside sources. Therefore, local players are Limia (2006) believes that promoting challenged to use these resources they find in local development contributes, consequently, to a their territories and those they receive through new form of participation from below, from the foundations, but that would require exercising the citizen’s new situation, a new sensibility in toward cooperation and negotiation among these their responsibility to the local community and same actors. surrounding areas, because the people who In order to attain a satisfactory result, would be making decisions would increasingly based on the above, cooperation must be be the main beneficiaries and the ones affected established between the local level and other by their successes and failures. actors at different levels (regional, national and Participation must be an essential international). element of development. The right of the entire For Enriquez, local development has the population to decide on something that will following connotations: it constitutes a process influence their lives implies a distribution of of dialogue among agents—sectors and forces power in the society and the transformation of that interact within a specific territory, which the concept of development. contributes to boosting the common It is obvious that to be able to increase development project with real citizen participation in the decision-making process participation. This implies generating economic from below, the social players must be educated, growth, equality, social and cultural change, committed and directly involved in the local ecological sustainability, gender perspective, and development process in their territory. spatial and territorial quality and balance. This Participation may be understood as a voluntary contributes to improving the quality of life for process assumed by a group of people, each and every family and citizen living in the consciously, with the purpose of achieving territory, and thus, will assist in the country’s certain goals of collective interest and development. In so doing, the challenges from developing ideas and joint action among globalization and the transformations caused by participants. Determination of participation is the international economy can be faced the response to a decision and a personal satisfactorily (Enriquez, 2003). commitment. The importance local development has as The fundamental aspects to promote local a necessary tool in the close relationship between development are closely linked to improving the local agents and regional, national, and territory’s material conditions, as well as training international agents is proved. the actors involved in every step related to local According to Garofoli, quoted by Boisier development. It is obvious that the more (1999: 13-14): “Endogenous development prepared community members are, the more effectively means the ability to transform the participation there will be in the decision-making socioeconomic system; the ability to react to process and all activities performed. outside challenges; the promotion of social For Gallicchio (2004: 4), local learning; and the ability to introduce specific development needs to address certain key types of social regulation on a local level that aspects: a multidimensional and comprehensive facilitate the development of these approach—one that is defined by the ability to characteristics. In other words, endogenous coordinate the local with the global and by a development is the ability to innovate on a local process that requires development actors geared level.” Boisier specifies that “endogenous Stimulate innovation and the search for development is produced by a strong solutions to the territory’s problems; coordination process of local actors and several Fostering the entire endogenous different types of intangible capital, in the developmental process in each territory; preferred framework of a collective political Continue with the decentralization process in project for the development of the territory in decision-making by those involved in local question” (Boisier, 1999: 15). development of each territory, in order to The close relationship that exists between facilitate greater autonomy for local endogenous and local development is governments. undeniable, considering that local development will always be endogenous. The author believes that people need to internalize the fact that local development is a Popular Councils are closely linked to the way to take advantage of local sources, to local development of Cuban territories at a empower endogenous development and make municipal, provincial and national level. They proper use of outside resources. are located more specifically in cities, towns, Above all, the challenges faced today by neighborhoods, settlements and rural areas. They cooperative – local development relationships are established by the delegates elected in the must be overcome if we wish to attain a synergy districts. These Popular Councils work on among all players of any town involved in the creating production and service activities to development process. This would allow us to cover the economic, cultural, education and reach sustainable development and incentivize social needs of the people. They foster endogenous development in every territory. participation of local actors in solving their There is no doubt that local development is a problems and coordinate actions among the strategy that stimulates economic recovery, entities within their territory (Cuban favors participation of people in the decision- Constitution. Article 104. 2003). Popular making process and drives the satisfactory use of Councils become a valuable instrument in how endogenous resources. ■ local development is carried out throughout the ______country’s territories. REFERENCES

Alianza Cooperativa Internacional (1995) ‘Declaración de la Alianza Cooperativa Internacional sobre la Identidad Among the greatest challenges facing the local Cooperativa’. [International Cooperative Alliance (1995) development – cooperatives relationship today “Statement of the International Cooperative Alliance on the Cooperative Identity”] ICA, XXXI Congreso, Manchester, at are the following: http://www.cooperativaobrera.com.ar/institucionales/declaraci on.jsp Continue strengthening local governments Barrios, M. (1982). La ANAP dos años de trabajo. La Habana [The ANAP two years of work. Havana: Propaganda del through training in the topics necessary to PCC. [PCC Propaganda] Boisier S. (1999) Desarrollo local: [“Local Development] ¿De obtain material and financial resources to qué estamos hablando?. [What are we talking about?”] Document commissioned by the Chamber of Commerce in develop the territory, through different Manizales, Colombia at: http://www.fts.uner.edu.ar/catedras03/adm_publica/lecturas/2 channels; 7_Desarrollo_local.De_que_estamos_habla ndo_BOISIER.pdf Cuban Constitution (2003). Article 104. Improve people’s quality of life; Di Pietro L. (1999) El desarrollo local. [Local Development.] The status of this issue. [El desarrollo local. Estado de la cuestión]. Buenos Aires: FLACSO Díaz, B. (1998). El Enfoque Participativo en Ciencias Sociales: Regulations MINAZ.] (2003). Reglamento General de las una aplicación de los 90. [The Participatory Approach to UBPC MINAZ. [UBPC General Regulations MINAZ.] Social Sciences: an Application of the 90s.] En Educación Havana. Popular y Educación. [In Popular Education and Education.] Rodríguez, C. R. (1983). Letras con Filo, Cuatro años de Havana: Caminos. Reforma Agraria. [Edgy Letters, Four Years of Agrarian Enriquez A. 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[Official Gazette for the Republic of Cuba.] Article 8. (2002:1407). Gaceta Oficial de la República de Cuba. [Official Gazette for the Republic of Cuba.] . Havana: MINJUS. Gaceta Oficial de la República de Cuba. [Official Gazette for the Republic of Cuba.] Article 9. (2002:1407). Gaceta Oficial de la República de Cuba. [Official Gazette for the Republic of Cuba.] Article 9. Havana: MINJUS. Gaceta Oficial de la República de Cuba. [Official Gazette for the Republic of Cuba.] No.72, 29 November. (2002). Ley 95 del Consejo de Estado [Law 95 of the State Council.] Havana: MINJUS. Gallicchio E. (2004) “El desarrollo economic local en América Latina. ['Local Economic Development in Latin America.] ¿Estrategia económica o e construcción de capital social?. [Economic Strategy or a Construction of Social Capital?”] Programa de Desarrollo Local CLAEH, Uruguay [CLAEH Local Development Program, Uruguay] Gallicchio E., L. 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The training and protection of children State policy (Code of Children and Youth, 1978). and adolescents in Cuba is a priority task and Thus, in 1978, the Code on Children and Youth part of State policy since the revolutionary was approved in Cuba as a way to implement the triumph in 1959. The University of Havana Convention on the Rights of the Child in (UH), an outstanding entity of cuban higher domestic legislation. This Code regulates the education, promotes aligned research with participation of children and young people in the development priorities and the needs of the construction of the new society, and establishes country, based on the dynamic community- the obligations of the individuals, agencies, and universitysociety interaction. In this sense, the institutions that intervene in their education. theme of childhood and adolescence is a (Code of Children and Youth, 1978) transversal axis in all the substantive processes In the decade of the 90's of last century of the university, say training, research and took place in Cuba a deep economic crisis extension work. known as Special Period. Despite the difficult The Latin American Faculty of Social situation in the country, it was one of the first to Sciences (FLACSO) Cuba Program is one of the ratify the Convention on the Rights of the Child UH centers, which has a greater number of (CRC) in 1991. Although the Cuban government research related to children and adolescents, had demonstrated decades of strong political will developed in the communities, with a to guarantee the development and well-being of participatory and interinstitutional approach. their infants, especially in educational coverage This paper intends to systematize the actions and attention to maternal and child health; the developed by the UH in the field of childhood signing of the CRC makes the child a subject of and adolescence, and especially the role of law, deserving special treatment other than the FLACSO-Cuba, through concrete experiences other age groups (United Nations, 1989). At with children in communities of different social present, Cuba is a signatory of international contexts. conventions and instruments that serve as a The revolutionary triumph that took place framework for commitments and goals for in Cuba in 1959 was characterized by broad comprehensive protection of children and popular participation and notable structural, adolescents. educational, health, political and economic These include those emanating from the changes (Bell, 2004). The declaration of a Millennium Declaration and the Plan of Action government of socialist character, inclusive, with for a World Fit for Children, the objectives of the all and for the good of all, modified the functions United Nations General Assembly Special of most institutions, for the welfare of the Session on HIV / AIDS, the World Declaration people. Since the beginning of the process, the on Education for All and the Millennium training and protection of the new generations Development Goals (MDGs); with a has been a priority task, and is an integral part of commitment to monitor progress towards the achievement of its goals and objectives. (MICS, Teaching 2014) The almost tricentennial University of The continuous training of competent Havana, founded in the year 1728, most of professionals, both at the undergraduate and Cuban higher education, is and has been a postgraduate level, is one of the main objectives cultural and identity reference for our country of the UH. and the world. It has played a decisive role in the In the undergraduate the theme of the scientific-technical development of the nation; childhood and the adolescence, it forms part of with relevant results, both in the field of Social the curriculum of the social sciences careers of Sciences, Humanities and Economics, as well as Psychology, Sociology, Law and Social in the Natural and Exact Sciences, which have Communication; in disciplines such as Human given their researchers and professors a high Development, Health, Family and Education. national and international prestige. Aspects related to children and adolescents are Closely linked to the revolutionary inserted in the curriculum of several subjects, but process, and even long before it materialized, the only in the career of Psychology specific subjects University of Havana has taken up the challenges are given dedicated to these, such as: School of the development of education, science and Development, Early Childhood and Preschool culture; to guarantee the generation of scientific Development, Adolescent Development and knowledge and the integral and continuous Youth, and others such as Child and Adolescent training of highly qualified professionals. In this Assessment and Diagnosis and Child sense, the relevance of their research, aligned Psychotherapy. with the development priorities and the needs of On the other hand, within the elective the country, promotes the dynamic community- subjects offered by Sociology, there is one university-society interaction (Intranet UH, dedicated to the Sociology of children and in the 2017). career of Law there is an optional subject In correspondence with the above, and dedicated to the rights of the child. The work of the importance that children and adolescents diplomas in option to the title of licenciado (a) merit for the State, the scientific community and where children and adolescents are object of Cuban society in general, the theme of childhood investigation, are more frequent in the races and adolescence has been approached from previously exposed, especially in Psychology different areas of knowledge in the UH, in and Sociology. Between 2011 and 2014, in the Special from the Social Sciences. Faculty of Psychology of the University of University-childhood-adolescence Havana, about 209 diplomas were defended, 42 Childhood and adolescence have been of them referring to children and adolescents. studied in a large part of the faculties and The main research topics, in order of research centers of the university, and transversal priority, were: learning strategies; axis in all the substantive processes of the Psychotherapeutic experiences (children with institution (teaching, research and university emotional, behavioral, Autistic Spectrum, extension). Synthesis of the work currently potentially talented children, with surgical carried out by the UH in the field of childhood treatment of ambiguous genitalia) and and adolescence in each of these processes. psychological characterization and social relations (children with obesity, children entering In the Faculty of Sociology, between first grade, school children victims of child 2006 and 2015, four Master's theses were abuse). defended, linked to research in children and In the Career of Sociology, belonging to adolescents, related to: culture and childhood; the Faculty of Philosophy and History between Food care in infants with nutritional disorders; 2011 and 2014, 7 papers were defended related Poverty and child violence and protective factors to the subject. The main research topics were: in childhood. He also defended a thesis of option Family (family educational function, and to the scientific degree of Doctor in Sociological paternal - filial relationships); Child care Sciencesii. (perception of children about their parents' Investigation divorce, food care, child adoption and The research activity at the University of abandonment) and health (Health risks in Havana is directed by the Vice-Rectorate of adolescent mothers, perception of motherhood in Research and Postgraduate Studies, and is children) developed from the lines of research that are At the postgraduate level, the subject is drawn up, in accordance with the country's dealt with fundamentally, in thesis work in priorities and the Ministry of Science, option to the scientific degree of doctor or to the Technology and Environment (CITMA), the master's degree, especially the latter. In the governing body of this activity. The research is Faculty of Psychology, between 2006 and 2015, usually organized through projects under the approximately 271 theses were defended, of CITMA Manual of Proceduresiii, with high which 28 related to research in children and relevance and pertinence, and in accordance with adolescents: 5 theses of Educational Psychology; the Guidelines of the economic and social policy 21 thesis of Clinical Psychology and 2 theses of of the Partido and the Revolutioniv, which in Social and Community Psychology. recent years the country has been designed as a In addition to a thesis in option to the development strategy. At present, the UH has scientific degree of Doctor in Pedagogical more than 100 projects registered in the Sciences titled "Psychopedagogical Alternative Information Management System of the for the education of the emotional intelligence in university (SGI-UH)v. Of these, 13 are related to children with learning difficulties" of Msc. Zoe children and adolescents, 11 in the research line Silvia Bello, discussed in 2009. The main topics of Social Sciences and Humanities and 2 in covered in the master's theses were: Strategies of Natural Sciences and Exact. learning and emotional capacities; From the Social Sciences and Psychotherapeutic experiences of child labor Humanities, the investigations approach the (autistic children and children with cerebral subject in the areas of demography, education, palsy); Difficulties in learning; Psychological psychology and communication. In the Faculties intervention for healthy sexuality (in adolescents of Philosophy and History, Psychology and with precocious sexual intercourse and in Communication, several projects are developed adolescents with mental retardation), among with the aim of stimulating the conception of others. health as a value in children, based on the thought of the Cuban national hero José Martí; providing psychopedagogical care to children, communities and the population in general adolescents and young people with special (Intranet UH, 2017). educational needs; develop emotional skills in Extension work is developed through elementary and middle school students; to community projects and actions in order to solve contribute to the appropriation of a gender social problems; of course delivery; the approach in children through work with artistic promotion work of the University Honorary manifestations and social communication, to Chairs and the cultural and sports university study empathy in neurodevelopment and to facilities; the promotion of the History of Cuba contribute to the psychosocial development of and the University of Havana; of the children and adolescents, especially those living development of integral programs for the in conditions of vulnerability Social. promotion of health; As well as the Research centers such as the Center for dissemination of the life of the university Demographic Studies (CEDEM), the Institute of community in society (Intranet UH, 2017). Materials Science and Technology (IMRE) and The work centers, schools, socio-cultural the Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences projects and the community in general, are (FLACSO-Cuba) also provide important results beneficiaries of the university's knowledge, that deepen and reveal new knowledge about this while it is fed in its exchange and collaboration group Population. Aspects of great importance with the territories. and pertinence, such as teenage pregnancy and The extension work is part of the work the role played by the family in the interruption objectives of each area of the UH, according to or development of the family, are investigated in the particularities and potentialities of each one CEDEM. On the other hand, FLACSO is of these. One of the main outputs is the involved in the preparation of the first Atlas of community actions and projects, which, given Children and Adolescents in Cuba, together with their wide range of actions, have different the National Bureau of Statistics and Information objectives, methodologies, target groups, (ONEI) and the collaboration of the United territorial contexts, intervention spaces, etc. Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) in Cuba. Community-university interaction is an From the Natural and Exact Sciences, the educational, dynamic and creative process. The Faculties of Chemistry and Biology coordinate activities are carried out both in the communities projects on environmental education from and on the university campus, with the aim of Chemistry in the early ages and the prevention bringing children and adolescents closer to the and attention of eating disorders with emphasis university context and working on vocational on obesity. training, stimulating, from an early age, interest College extension in the University. An example of this is the The University Extension is one of the initiative developed by the Faculty of Law as core processes of higher education in Cuba and part of the Ismaelillo Project, where it is possible is focused on socio-humanistic training and the to meet children from nearby schools in areas of professional preparation of students and teachers; the faculty with the aim of instilling values for but also to the improvement and development of the children and increasing their knowledge about culture and Rights, in a didactic and playful way. The participation of students and In a transversal way, the subject is teachers has increased; as well as the community approached by the different areas of research that interventions they have carried out. This the institution possesses, in aspects related to community project has extended its scope of education, health, family, social and community action at national level, reaching other work, formation of values, social disadvantages, universities. fostering intergenerational relations, territorial Another experience is the one developed differences, and more recently in the feeding of by students and professors of the Faculty of children in school institutions and in the family. Communication, as part of the interdisciplinary Generally, the practice of these actions is edu-communicative project Escaramujo, in carried out through extension activities, through Schools of Integral Formation (EFI)vi. The projects and actions in the communities, that actions are aimed at contributing to the allow to reach greater knowledge about the educational and transformative process in contexts of life of children; Identify problems children in primary, secondary and special and conflicts and their possible solutions; To schools, with greater emphasis on those in which carry out educational work in the family, they study adolescents with misconduct or who institutional and community environment, among have committed acts that the law classifies as others. In these experiences, it is committed to crimes. multidisciplinary and interinstitutional work, Some experiences of community work with with a participatory approach, involving different children from FLACSO-Cuba. institutions and community actors. In a novel The Latin American Faculty of Social way, they have been incorporated in this process Sciences (FLACSO), Cuba program is one of the of building knowledge, techniques and tools of 15 research centers in the University of Havana. social cartography and Geographic Information Founded in 1984, she is a promoter of research Systems (GIS), which are widely used and postgraduate teaching in the area of Social worldwide, with excellent results, and Development in Latin America and Cuba, with a unfortunately are few employed by the Social multidisciplinary collaboration approach, which Sciences in Cuba. The following are three has allowed her to obtain recognition and experiences of community actions with children prestige at national and international level. in different social contexts, developed by FLACSO is one of the centers of the UH, FLACSO-Cuba teachers. The first deals with the which has investigated more in childhood and social inclusion of disadvantaged children from adolescence. For several years, faculty members the proposal of an educational program, the have addressed the theme in research projects of second is the promotion of intergenerational local and national relevance, master's and relationships between children and older adults; doctoral theses, workshops in communities and And the third is the identification of institutions, scientific debates and specialized environmental problems in communities, where conferences, which complement and make GIS techniques and social cartography are used. possible the study and the dissemination of the The situation of social disadvantage advances in these subjects. diminishes the possibilities of participation and social inclusion of the children who are in it. The educational actions, with the collaboration of education elements and good behavioral habits; community institutions and the school, are an and raise their self-esteem, favoring a alternative for the attention of the children in this relationship on an equal footing with their peers. situation. Based on this program, an experience with In 2006, the thesis was defended in children between 9 and 12 years old was carried option to the scientific degree of Doctor in out during two consecutive school years (2002- Educational Sciences: "Childhood and social 2003 and 2003-2004). Two mixed groups (girls disadvantage in Cuba: Proposal of preventive and boys) were formed of 15 participants in each educational program for its social inclusion"; of of them. Dra. Sofía Porro Mendozavii. The objective was The main activity was the development to contribute to the improvement of community of workshops aimed at addressing various preventive care of children in situations of social thematic axes: formal education, interpersonal disadvantage from the proposal of an educational relationships, future projections, social program to achieve greater social inclusion. participation, gender relations, and preservation The child population with which they of the environment. The work was carried out worked had adverse socioeconomic and family intersectorally, with the participation of the conditions for their adequate development from educational group of the institution, the the individual and social point of view, with a Commission for Prevention and Social Care, greater tendency to present problems in the activists of the Federation of Cuban Womenix, behavior, in the school results and in their social the community historian and workers of the participation, mainly in the school. This caused video room where she took Experience. The infants situations of rejection or discrimination activity had a weekly frequency with duration of on the part of their peers. two to three hours. As a starting point, a social study was The workshops were conceived from the carried out at the community level; An analysis perspective of Research-Action-Participation of the socioeconomic, family and school (IAP) and the theoretical-methodological situation of the selected children in social conception of Popular Education, which are tools disadvantage, and then preventive educational that stimulate and favor participation. workshops with a gender approach, which served (CMMLK,1999). The results of the activities of as a basis for elaborating a proposal for an the educational program were described as educational program, according to the positive. It was possible to verify the acquisition particularities of the community where it was of new knowledge in general and about its carried out the studyviii. community, in particular; as well as greater The proposed educational program aimed social integration. The personal appearance of to achieve greater acceptance of children in the children improved, despite their limited social disadvantage by their peers, the material possibilities and lack of family care, and pedagogical group and in general by the most of them assimilated the importance and community; promote ethical and moral values, necessity of proper appearance and hygiene. rectifying possible negative influences coming According to the opinion of the School from their families; develop in children formal Board and teachers, there was a marked improvement in behavior and discipline, with The results of the program were highly valued by positive changes in the opinions of classmates the School Board of Directors, teachers and about the selected group. It was observed greater members of the People's Councilx. participation in classes and activities programmed, mainly in the extracurricular ones. Fostering intergenerational relationships The assimilation of elements of formal Between 2010-2012, the subproject "The education and of gender relations incorporated increase of intergenerational cohesion"xi was into daily life, resulted in positive advances in developed, coordinated by Dra. Luisa Iñiguez communication and interpersonal relationships Rojas and other professors currently working at between the children studied, and with the rest of FLACSO-Cubaxii. . The objective was to the classrooms. After completing the workshops, implement and validate good practices to foster there was a greater self-esteem in the children, as relationships between children and older adults, a result of: being selected to participate in the through the creation of meeting spaces for the workshops, being the bearers of new knowledge development of activities of reciprocal interest. in relation to the rest of the students, the The experiences were developed in motivation of the teachers to share this districts differentiated by their physical and knowledge with the Group, stimulating social environmentsxiii. The first one expressions of praise for the advances in their characterized by a high population density and behavior and participation, and the group's vision housing, accelerated deterioration of its and the teachers towards them. construction fund, its hygienic-sanitary The insertion in educational activities conditions and problems of coexistence. In the collateral to the educational process, constitutes a second neighborhood, the good technical fundamental route for the preventive attention condition of the constructions, sanitary and directed to the sector of the infancy that lives in sanitary networks and roads, predominated, with conditions of social disadvantage. The predominance of houses and high density of experience showed how the educational public spaces. We worked with semi-inpatient processes are able to develop in the participants seniors in health institutions, and fourth grade habits and values that contribute to the favorable children in primary education (9-10 years of transformation of individual and group age). The meetings were held at the Casas de behaviors. The educational preventive program Abuelosxiv, taking into account the physical- developed contributed to greater participation, motor and psychological limitations inherent to improved communication and interpersonal the age in some older adults and in order to relationships of socially disadvantaged children achieve a greater rapprochement, understanding in both school and community settings. and familiarization of the children with the This study and the proposal of the environment of the elderly in those Institutions. educational preventive program with children As recommended by the directors of these with social disadvantage is only a sample of the centers, they lasted approximately one hour. work that can be developed with this group of The investigation was initiated by an children, who need institutional support, interest diagnosis that was made to the children specialists, family and community in general. and older adults of the selected institutions. To do this, two instruments were developed, one to At the beginning of the activity both apply to children and the other to children and elderly gave explicit evidence of institutionalized elders, thus being able to cooperation and help in the face of limitations, explore the willingness of both groups to meet. showing affection between both groups, where From the results of the diagnoses, a sequence of they reaffirmed norms of civic behavior and work sessions was organized, with specific values such as courtesy, respect, sensitivity and designs, transformation and evaluation, support. The exchange of the older adults with according to interests identified in each age the infants provoked a feeling of youth and group. In these sessions it was included dynamism that was manifested through songs, transversely that the children simulate limitations dances and spontaneous initiatives that enriched of the old age, as: to fasten the knees with ropes the encounters. The diagnosis of encounter to hinder the mobility, to put spectacles, to paint interests between older adults and children was the hair of white and others. an essential step in the characterization of the The methodological triangulation was specific contexts where these groups operate. applied to obtain objective and subjective Their relevance was verified, and acceptance was information of the social reality in question. The confirmed by both age groups. The successes of use of techniques, both quantitative and the diagnosis and the evidences of the feasibility qualitative, guaranteed an integrative view of the of the application of these practices corroborate phenomenon studied, complementing their importance in the personal, social and quantifiable data and field observations with the affective development of the elderly and children own assessment of both children and the elderly. who participated in them. The results showed that almost all the Environmental education in primary school older adults expressed interest in the possibility children of a visit by the children, and considered that in In May-June 2016, the 1st Week of those meetings the elderly would benefit most. Sustainability took place at the University of What they would most like to teach children Havana, whose paradigm was environmental were "citizens' values" related to rules of education, in order to contribute to the conduct, followed by "distraction" activities, construction and design of educational, social games, songs and dances; And "skills", crafts, and cultural spaces that enable the exchange And crafts, among others. the plurality of knowledge.One of the activities For their part, the children expressed an carried out by FLACSO-Cubaxv was the interest in visiting the elderly, with a variety of encounter with 5th grade children from two answers about what they would like to learn, primary schools in the country's capital16. such as: norms of civility or citizenship, their life The objective was to raise awareness histories, songs, stories, games, etc. In some among children about environmental issues, cases, the interest pointed to the limitations of focused on protecting their immediate old age, with phrases like "learning to walk environment and encouraging their active without seeing", "to walk with a cane", "to learn participation in environmental care. We used to suffer". methodological references of environmental education, as it helps to raise awareness about the need to care for the environment and its venture to take concrete actions for the good of problems. In addition, it allows participants to the community. express knowledge, attitudes, motivations and On the other hand, the exercise helped desires to work individually and collectively in children to become more familiar with maps and the search for solutions to current problems in new technologies, begin to develop spatial their community and in the prevention of others thinking from an early age and learn more about that may arise. their territories from a perspective different from Once the presentation of the team, the that used in the Traditional education. In the case origin, the motive of the activity and the of teachers, the experience was also of great objectives, began to explore and deepen the interest, since the tools used are didactic, novel knowledge of the children on the concept of the and effective ways that could be introduced in environment, which made them very the teachinglearning process. participative. Then, some environmental Subsequently, with the use of GIS, the problems, especially those in Cuba, were information collected from the individual maps released and asked to identify problems in their of the students was made up, and a synthesis environment (neighborhood, school and houses). map of the environmental problems identified by Another of the moments of the activity the children in both schools was elaborated was the use of participatory cartography to (Figures 1a and b). The problem most frequently identify environmental problems in the vicinity identified by children in both schools was the of the school, an area that for many of the presence of garbage dumps in the community, participating children coincided with their place indicated by almost all participants, followed by of residence. To do this, each child was given a the existence of sewage in one neighborhood and printed image of Google Earth with the location broken streets in the other. Other problems of the school and the names of the surrounding identified were salideros, loud music, noise, streets, and was asked to locate in the same the pollution, landslides, felling and burning trees, environmental problems that they considered, bad smell, among others. based on their experiences. In the bottom right of the sheet a blank sector was enabled so that, after explanation, the children made their own legend. The exercise allowed to know and locate the environmental problems that the children perceived in the surroundings of their school, that is where practically passes the greater part of their time. By taking into account their criteria and making them participate in matters that may affect positively or negatively in their daily spaces, they feel they are active subjects of the community, they increase their social responsibility in function of the care and protection of the environment and even can and university extension), with greater emphasis from the Social and Humanistic Sciences. Nevertheless, despite the importance and priority given by the Cuban State and society to its children and adolescents, the research carried out by the UH on this social group in recent years is relatively few, either in the thesis topic of Diplomas, master's degrees, doctorates and research projects. The theme is developed mainly through extension work in community actions directed at children and adolescents. These activities enrich Figure 1 a and b: Synthesis maps of environmental and give new knowledge to teachers and problems, made from the replacement of maps made by 5th grade children. researchers, who in turn provide the community with their knowledge and experiences, encouraging feedback from both parties in the In order to identify the actions to protect exchange and collaboration with the territories. the environment (neighborhood, school, and The Latin American Faculty of Social home), the students collected the actions Sciences - Cuba Program, is one of the proposed by children to protect and care for the institutions of the UH, with greater research environment. Some of the proposed initiatives experience in childhood and adolescence, were to clean the classrooms On Saturdays or supported by research projects, master's theses, Sundays, to campaign to collect raw materials, to doctorates and a large number of actions in make competitions to learn more about the communities since Different approaches and environment, to reuse the bag of cloth and to methodological references. The activities carried diminish the use of nylon ones, to contact with out have benefited the personal, social, organizations of masses like the Committee of psychological, educational development of Defense of the Revolution (CDR)xvi to put children and adolescents, as well as the increase Posters about environmental care, turn off of new knowledge about these social groups and unnecessary lights, and throw garbage in baskets. their life contexts. Finally, the contest "For the sustainability of my The use of new technologies and neighborhood" was convened, for all the students participatory mapping in community actions with of the school and the workers. The same was to children contributes in a didactic, novel and answer the question: How can I take care of the effective way to develop spatial thinking from an environment of my locality? using for this, early age, and to increase the knowledge of their different modalities like: drawing, composition, communities from a perspective different from poem, model, collage or other initiative. that used in traditional education. ■ Final Considerations Childhood and adolescence is a subject studied in all substantive processes of the University of Havana (teaching, research

vi Schools of the Ministry of the Interior (MinInt), where Cuban infants REFERENCES and adolescents are involved in events that the law classifies as criminal General Assembly of the United Nations, Convention on the Rights of or that manifest misbehaving social behavior. vii the Child. Resolution 44/25, New York, United States, 1989. Full Professor of the Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences Bell, J. (2004): Cuba: A Socialist Perspective in Capitalist Globalization. (FLACSO-Cuba) viii Editorial Social Sciences, Havana, Cuba The experience was developed with children from the "Manolito Aguiar" primary school in the community of Playa de Baracoa, Playa Collective of authors (2013): The promotion of intergenerational municipality, province of Havana, Cuba. ix relations. Experiences in neighborhoods of Playa and Centro Organization of masses that develops policies and programs aimed at Habana. Memories of the International Congress of achieving the full exercise of the equality of women in all spheres and Researchers on Youth, Center for Studies on Youth and the levels of society. x Communist Youth Union of Cuba. ISBN: 978-959-210-896-7 Link between the Municipal Assemblies and the base delegates, and aim Palace of the Conventions, Havana, Cuba Intranet, University to bring the basic services to the population. xi of Havana, at http://intranet.uh.cu/ As part of the project "Cohesion as value" belonging to the Territorial Program of Social Sciences "The socialization processes for the Ministry of Public Health and UNICEF, Multiple Indicator Cluster development of values in the city of Havana" of the provincial delegation Survey (MICS) 2014, Havana, Cuba, 2015 Republic of of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment xii Cuba, Code of Children andYouth, Havana, Cuba 1978. The project was developed when these teachers were part of the Center http://www.parlamentocubano.cu for Health and Human Well-being (CESBH) of the University of Havana. Rojas, J. (2016): Participatory Mapping and Geographic Information Years later, CESBH merged with FLACSO and currently they belong to Systems. Some experiences from the Cuban social sciences. the faculty of FLACSO-Cuba (Dr. Luisa Iñiguez, Ms Danay Díaz, Lic. Electronic Journal of Social Development Studies: Cuba and Verónica Polo and Lic. Janet Rojas). xiii Latin America. Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences The first experience was in the neighborhood of Cayo Hueso, (FLACSOCuba) ISSN: 2308-0132. Havana, Cuba. municipality Centro Habana and the second in Alturas de Almendares municipality Playa, both in the province of Havana, Cuba xiv i Professor of the Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences Social institution that provides daytime comprehensive care to the (FLACSO) Cuba Program. University of Havana. mail: elderly who are not protected by any subsidiary or relatives who can [email protected] attend them during the day, having as functional characteristics that make ii The year of realization is unknown because the thesis did not have cover it difficult to perform activities of daily living instrumented and That of presentation. maintain the basic functional capacities to carry out the activities of the iii Projects Associated to Programs (PAP), Non-Program Associated daily life. xv Projects (PNAP), Business Projects (PE) and Institutional Projects (IP). The participating teachers were: Janet Rojas, Lic. Verónica Polo, Lic. 16 iv A document presented at the Sixth Congress of the Communist Party of Giselle Rodríguez and Lic. Yasminka Bombus Raúl Gómez Cuba, which defines the economic system that will prevail in Cuba, based Elementary School, in the municipality of Diez de Octubre, and Latin on the socialist ownership of the whole people over the fundamental America Primary School in the municipality of Boyeros. xvi means of production. Mass organization that aims to mobilize the entire people in the tasks v SGI-UH (Research Information Management System of the University of defending the Revolution and the achievements of socialism, by of Havana), developed by the Computerization Department and the Vice- working directly with the people and families of the community. Rectory of Research and Postgraduate. The social situation of Cuban children and adolescent Sofía Magdalena Porro Mendoza

This paper describes some of the “Cuba has adopted a holistic approach indicators of the social development of Cuban to early childhood development (ECD), children and adolescents, which give an providing children under six and their families integral picture of the current situation of these with a system of integrated services that aims population groups. Very relevant has been the to promote the best start in life for all children political will to design and develop policies, and the maximum development of each child’s projects and social programs for the benefit of potential. These services have been scaled children and adolescents, as well as the across the country, and today have universal articulation of entities in order to improve their reach with an equity focus, meaning that they quality of life. are accessible to all children, with specific Children and adolescents in situations attention to ensuring access for the most of social disadvantage have been addressed vulnerable. from social prevention in schools and Early childhood development has been communities by teachers and community a priority in Cuba for the past 50 years, with agents. There are several challenges for the ECD services, programmes and institutions put Cuban State and Government to maintain, on in place and strengthened over the years to the one hand, and improve, the quality of life achieve a common objective: the maximum of Cuban children and adolescents with equity possible integral development for each child, and social justice, as it has been during the last always applying an inter-sectoral approach and six decades. Childhood, adolescence, quality of guaranteeing universal access with an equity life, development, social equity During these focus (UNICEF/Cuba2015/Piedras). almost six decades, the Cuban State and There have been numerous programs Government have prioritized adequate and projects aimed at increasing the quality of attention to children, adolescents and youth, to life of children in Cuba. More and more people ensure their development and well-being, are being favored and the achievements are especially in relation to educational coverage evidence of the work done. The well-being of and attention to maternal and child health. children is an inherent purpose of the Cuban At present Cuba has 11.2 million social project. Respect and attention to their inhabitants, of whom 2.3 million correspond to rights constitute a strategy that, in a conscious the population with ages under 18; Which and planned way, allows the projection of constitutes 21% of the total. (UNICEF/Cuba programs in favor of children. 2015/Castillo) “There are more than 855,000 children Compliance with the Rights of Children in under six years of age in Cuba, of whom 99.5 Cuba. per cent attend an early childhood education The State protects the rights of children programme or institution”. (CEPDE-ONEI, through its Magna Carta "The Constitution of Diciembre de 2013). the Republic "of 1976, as amended in 1992. Attached to the National Assembly of the Genetic screening for all children in all People's Power, Permanent Committee on communities: at the family doctor-and nurse Children, Youth and Equality Rights of office. Women ". Well Child Care for all children aged 0 to 19 In As a result of the socioeconomic all communities: at the family doctor-and- changes that occurred in the country in the nurse office. 1990s and based on the contributions of legal (UNICEF/Cuba2015/Piedras) and social studies and research, the body of “Educate Your Child” Programme. It is laws that favor children are being modified and a result of Cuba’s commitment to providing all adapted. children an opportunity to access early The rights of girls and boys are childhood education, so that they enter first protected through the design, implementation grade after having participated in stimulating and evaluation of social policies, programs and activities that prepare them for school. And projects in the areas of health, education, social also, it is built on three essential elements that security and others. For example: reflect the broader Cuban approach to Early Childhood Development (ECD): family, Maternal and Child Care Program community, and an inter-sectoral approach. Maternal Health Care (UNICEF/Cuba2015/Piedras) Prevention of preconception risks for all Formal Education Program for Sexual women in all communities: at the family Behavior. This program allows to develop doctor-and-nurse office activities with adolescents and young people Prenatal care for all pregnant women in all related to the subject in the schools, as in the communities: at the family doctor and- communities. The most frequent topics are: nurse office, in polyclinics and hospitals sexually transmitted infections, the use of for 3pecialized controls contraceptives and pregnancy in adolescence. - Maternity homes for pregnant women with Comprehensive care for the family and the risks that do not require hospitalization. adolescent. In the municipalities there is a 138 maternity homes in the country. house for the guidance of families and Child Health Care adolescents. These institutions are attended to Institutionalized birth for all children in by families or their members who need to be hospitals. oriented, trained and educated to face some Care for new-born with low birth weight, family problem, mainly with children and in hospitals. adolescents. Immunization for all children in all The "For a world right" program, led by communities, in polyclinics. the Ministry of Justice and composed of various institutions and organizations, has Prevention and control of diarrheal diseases and acute respiratory infections promoted the promotion of a culture of rights, to strengthen the meaningful participation of for all children In all communities, at the family doctor-and-nurse office. children in matters that Compete Various institutions, political and mass Unintentional injury prevention for all organizations and citizens in general children in all communities: at the family represented by the local government in their doctor-and-nurse office. different instances in Cuba, are in charge of the development of these programs and the joint segment of the population. In view of the effort for a better and happier situation of objectives of this study, reference will be made Cuban children. to the last two mentioned indicators. The support of various United Nations As it is known, education has been a agencies - including the United Nations prioritized indicator in the Cuban social Children's Fund (UNICEF), the World Health system. The Cuban State and Government, Organization (WHO), the United Nations with the participation of political and mass Educational, Scientific and Cultural organizations, are responsible for the Organization), - also provides better care for structuring and operation of a national children in the country. This is materialized education system oriented to the development through its cooperation programs with the and training of the new generations in an Government, which incorporate specific topics educational process that is integral, systematic, such as education, food, health, nutrition and participatory And in constant development, hygiene, and general themes such as children which is based on a set of principles and women. established by the Cuban Ministry of Compliance the rights of children is not Education, which form an intimately related only at the national level, but also at the system and among which we can point out the international level. In this sense, Cuba raises its following (MINED, 2001): voice in favor of children when it defends the rights of Cuban and other children - especially The principle of the mass character and equity those of the third world - in multiple of education. international forums. For example; Cuban children have the possibility of Cuba subscribes to the International quality education without distinction of age, Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1989 race, sex, religion, place of residence. The and has ratified it on several occasions; educational process also includes those with Cuba responds to the agreements of the physical or mental limitations, as well as those World Summit for Children with a National with behavioral disorders. This possibility Program of Action that supports the programs includes all levels of the educational process that are developed in the nation and whose for children, young people and adults. evaluation and systematic monitoring shows the country's compliance with the proposed The principle of study and work. commitments, goals and objectives for the In the Cuban educational system, the benefit of children; combination of study with work-a fundamental Cuba proclaims the defense of the variant of the principle of linking theory with rights of Cuban children and the world through practice, school with life and teaching with their participation in international events production-has deep roots in José Martí's related to the subject (Alvarez and Rodríguez, conceptions of education, who summarized the 2000). Respect for the rights of Cuban children most progressive Cuban pedagogical ideology. can be seen in the behavior of important Marti, like his predecessors, not only defends indicators for their development such as health, scientific education, but proclaims the need for social security, education, preventive care for Latin America for a scientific education that is children in social disadvantage and others based on the economic problems of countries, related directly or indirectly to This important whose wealth is mainly agricultural. Marti's pedagogical thinking demands This is particularly evident in the the elimination of the divorce that exists in increasingly broader design of educational education between theory and practice, study strategies, their control and decision-making, and work, intellectual work and the manual and which reaches all levels of society, starting to that effect, advocates the fusion of these with the family, and local bodies of People's activities in school education. From the Power, To the National Assembly. The triumph of the Cuban Revolution, all these principle of coeducation and the school open to ideas of José Martí on education become diversity. This principle guarantees to boys and effective. girls, men and women access to all educational Cuban education has two fundamental centers at all levels of education of the objectives: The formative and the economic. National Education System. The first seeks to develop a consciousness of producer of social goods; To create the The gender approach in Cuban education. conditions for eliminating the prejudices Since 1959, in Cuba, the access of girls arising from the division between intellectual and women to educational processes is a and manual labor; Eliminate intellectualism in fundamental right. It has been shown in a teaching and foster interest in the surrounding number of studies that the mother's schooling world. level is a variable directly associated with the The second aims to integrate into the learning levels of the sons and daughters, so it production and social work the capacity of is considered of great importance to pay hundreds of thousands of schoolchildren who, special attention to the education of the by adequately measuring the time of regular woman. study and participation in production and The gender approach is included in cultural, aesthetic, sports and recreational curriculum programs and gradually in activities, contribute in a way Specific to their textbooks, although they are still insufficient own food subsistence, and to the production of due to the need for inputs for new editions, and material goods for society. teachers have little training on this issue. To The principle of democratic this end, the Ministry of Education (MINED) participation of the whole society in the tasks and the Federation of Cuban Women work of the education of the people. This principle together to promote actions such as research exposes the democratic and popular character and promotion in schools of the gender of Cuban education, which covers all areas of approach, from the design of a non-sexist the country, both urban and rural, and also education that reaches the mode of education. shows the participation of the people in its Life of the school and the system of activities development. and relationships that gradually contribute to The Cuban educational process has had socializing and conforming the subjectivity of the support of all social and nongovernmental students. organizations and institutions, all of which In primary and secondary education, have had a great impact on the levels and the leadership roles of student organizations quality achieved in the Cuban educational predominate in girls and boys, which system. contributes to the development of important communicative, participation and management skills for future performance in their personal and social lives. The country's social media 1990s demanded new goals, among them the have dedicated space to the dissemination of effort to prevent the backwardness of the educational programs on gender relations achievements until that moment. New aimed mainly at the family as a complement to alternative strategies were developed in this its educational function. The principle of area, which helped to maintain the indicators differentiated attention and school integration. that show the education of the current Cuban Cuban education works on the basis of children. an in-depth diagnosis of children and their It is recognized that children are the families and their environment, and how it center of all educational work; the education interacts with them, by differentiating attention given to Cuban children and adolescents is from schoolchildren, according to their needs aimed at preserving and improving their rights and possibilities, taking into account the Aid of survival, development, protection and and stimulation that each requires, always participation. In order to comply with the promoting its maximum development and previous approach, strategies, programs and never exclusion or segregation in educational laws that benefit this sector are needed. In this care. case, it is important to make the following In the school, which is the most references on the education of Cuban children important center of the community, there is the and adolescents. action of different educational agencies, which Children are guaranteed by increasingly seek to mitigate the social effects beyond the educated teachers (ideologically, ethically and end of education and promote the most culturally). The education of children favorable educational conditions for the full constitutes the sector (after social security) that development of each individual, In their consumes most in the execution of the state context and realities. budget. In this sector, it has always been the Increasingly in the Cuban school, intention of a comprehensive education that treatment is promoted for children with special attends to diversity with equity in access and educational needs; In the particular case of opportunities, aspects that are evident with art those with disabilities, work is done so that schools, sports schools, and vocational schools. they are educated in the natural context of The benefit of Cuban education favors the 14 primary school and that they are only in provinces of the country and the special specialized educational institutions for the municipality, particularly rural and mountain period of time required for their integration to schools, contributes significantly to the seal of another common center. equity in the situation of the education of Cuban children. The principle of gratuity. The implementation of national Teaching in Cuba is free at all levels. programs has had the participation and The State maintains a broad system of integration of all agencies and organizations. scholarships for all students and provides These include those directed to food, nutrition, multiple study priorities to workers in order to schools for health, prevention of accidents, achieve universal education (MINED, 2001). education for a healthy and happy sexuality, From the revolutionary triumph, education was etc. one of the main purposes of the Cuban government and the state, the crisis of the Existence of doctors and nurses of the This responsibility is evident in the community incorporated into educational work of the pedagogical group in each school. programs (Álvarez and Rodríguez, 2000). Therefore, the school constitutes in the All these guarantees offered by the community an "agent of change in a positive educational system in Cuba, particularly in the sense and the proper interaction of all factors school system, establishes "that education is a depends on the strength of the principles that function of that paradigm that is essentially underpin the work of the revolution and the raised in what we have called" the new man ", achieved achievements" (Luna et al, 1996 in: which as a dialectic category must be A man in Núñez, 2003: 233) constant process of perfection, in constant The school has the role of change, in constant process of adaptation to the transformation agent in the community, and its kinetic and technical demands of the time that social responsibility includes the attention to it touches him to live, but man who must have the family of the students, and in this way like axiological invariant the honesty, the contribute aspects of education that favor the solidarity and the necessity of the work like fulfillment of their educational function. This Sense of life, where the consciousness of the is one of the reasons why there must be a producer prevails over consumer consciousness cohesive work of the school and the family. "(Borroto, 1998: 9). The school's attention to families is usually It is important to consider as education made collectively: in parent meetings, family not only the school system, but all factors that education schools, home visits and are a function of education in school individually, when it is considered that the institutions and other socialization scenarios. In attention should be directed specifically to a this process must be involved and interrelated family by particular situations of Some groups and institutions responsible for the students. education of boys and girls as; Families, It is considered that the community pedagogical groups and community social constitutes an important space for educational agents. work, here the mass organizations and the For example; The development of sport organs of the People's Power work, which in and culture in Cuban children and adolescents coordination with families and educational has taken place in addition to schools, other centers, have supported educational actions sports, cultural and recreational institutions in directed to different segments of the the communities where teachers and specialists population. "The theoretical methodological from both spheres teach. value of the triadic school - family - community conception in the Cuban School institutions have a great Educational System is that the educator feels, responsibility to educate and educate children, conceives the relationship between the adolescents and young people in accordance processes that take place in his school and the with the material and human conditions that community family environment as elements of the Cuban educational system makes available self - direction in his work "(Núñez et al, 2003: to these functions, in order to provide the 279). necessary elements for Individual and social This form of work gives the possibility development. of achieving greater achievements in education and individual and social behavior consistent with the ethical and moral values of Cuban actions, as Cuban law regulates the care of society. these children, not only through the judicial Children and adolescents in situations of social and criminal courts of their mothers, guardian disadvantage parents, but with an emphasis on their socio- As it is known, Cuban children benefit psychological orientation and work with the equally from the actions taken in favor of their family. development, however, a part of it, due to This creates different care systems such as the socioeconomic, family and other Centers of Orientation and Diagnosis; Centers circumstances, require special attention and of Evaluation, Analysis and Guidance of social protection. It refers to children in Minors, among others. These centers have situations of social disadvantage. teams of professionals and specialists from The educational institutions in the communities different disciplines, who study their problems, as part of their social order, carry out and look for alternative solutions to them. preventive educational activities through All children with behavioral disorders different programs. In most cases, it is the are linked to the teaching process of the teachers who for the first time identify the National Education System, when they leave children at risk, through the use of diagnoses the specialized centers, they are offered care and characterizations. aimed at their social reintegration and the follow-up of their reeducation. Within the educational sector's strategy Having as one of its objectives to prevent and for preventive educational work in the correct the behavioral disorders and other risk communities has been an important situations of these groups, since 1987 and contribution to the coordination and integration through legislative regulation, the of the actions of the Council of Attention to Commissions of Prevention and Social Minors and the educational programs "Educate Attention were created as coordinating Your Child" and "For Life." mechanism of the Government for the Its common objective is to preserve and prevention and social attention in Cuba. defend the rights of children, adolescents and young people, and within that, the priority of The impact of the economic crisis those in a situation of social disadvantage, with The impact of the economic crisis and behavioral disorders or dissociated from the the policies applied to its confrontation have system. generally affected the social situation of the Schools have been gaining a central role in this country, although its effect has been work as coordinating centers of educational differentiated in some areas of services and in actions, starting from the conception of certain sectors of the population. As for the strengthening their role as the most important former, there are spheres where, with some cultural centers of the community. affectations, the achievements are maintained, The group of children in situations of such as education, health and social security social disadvantage also includes those who (Díaz, E.1994). In other areas, such as food and require this attention for presenting behavior housing, the greatest difficulties are disorders, this activity is shared by the Ministry concentrated. In relation to the second, there of Education and the Ministry of Interior, carry are sectors of society that have felt more out prevention, evaluation and re-education strongly the effects of the crisis and which present lower living conditions than the family backgrounds were not adequately cared population of the country due to the persistence for, and tended to be rejected by teachers and of the dissatisfaction of some basic needs. classmates. They rarely received the required However, changes in the 1990s caused pedagogical attention and were seldom changes in the structure of opportunities related selected for activities, thus reducing their to some risk conditions for families, causing a chances of participation and social integration. heterogeneity in the living conditions of the The work of the school's educational team was population. As a consequence of this situation, weak. Teachers were unaware of the living research was carried out with the objective of conditions of these children. evaluating the impact in the population This research had a second part carried segments that, due to their characteristics, out in 10 provinces, which consisted of an presented greater vulnerability to the change experience of priority and preventive attention processes. Among them are the research on the of these students from the first degree. family; Young; Children and adolescents; The Three lines of action were tried: in-school beneficiaries of social assistance, among other pedagogy, teacher work with the family and social groups. community action on the family. One of the population segments that has This experience showed that been most affected by this situation has been preferential attention by the teacher and the children, especially children who come from a pedagogical group from the instructive and population sector that has been studied by educational points of view, as well as the some authors since the 1980s and whose individual work of the teacher with the family indicators Socioeconomic and socio- through the periodic visit to the home, can demographic, as well as other cultural and significantly improve the school performance lifestyle aspects, differ from the average values of These students, the home-school bond and of the population. the care of these children by their families. From this situation a Preventive Program of Children who grow up in families with priority attention was structured to the children these characteristics tend to have disorders in who present adverse socioeconomic and their behaviors and difficulties in learning. familiar conditions from the entrance to the Relevant studies have focused on the problems school. Its main objectives are to prevent of childhood, which have served to support school failure and increase the social more recent research. The National integration of these children and their families. Commission on Prevention and Social Care It is also aimed at increasing the effectiveness (CNPAS), from its inception, addressed the and preventive political role of the school and study and the deepening about the minors that its influence on the community. are in Schools of Behavior Disorders and Based on this study, the Ministry of Reeducation Centers. Education (MINED) is currently developing The research presented above played an the Preventive Program with the aim of important role in subsequent studies on the providing them with preferential educational, subject of childhood with unfavorable social school and community services to these conditions. In this study, it was also found that children and their families. when children were admitted to primary In this case, the relationship between school, children from poor socioeconomic and childhood, socio-economic conditions unfavorable to their development and education is an important aspect for social research for transformation purposes. Conclusions Participation in the educational and At present, Cuba has a very favorable instructional process is considered the situation regarding the attention to Cuban fundamental way to prevent situations of children, adolescents and youth. Since 1959, disadvantage, which are affecting this segment this country has been an example in the of the population. attention and protection of these population groups, which has been a priority of the Cuban All this, as a whole, contributes to the Government and State; This has allowed the improvement of their quality of life. results of the evaluation of indicators related to In another hand it is very important to the quality of life of children to be similar to refer that in Cuba there are about 400 children those of developed countries. without family protection living in institutions This dedication and protection has (homes for children without family protection). allowed a comprehensive development of These are governed by the Ministry of Cuban children and adolescents. The design Education, mainly through the addresses of and implementation of various social policies, Pre-school and Special Education. The State projects and programs have had very good contributes human, material and financial results in the individual and social resources so that the life in them is developed development of this population group. as close as possible to the conditions of a However, the effects of the economic family home, with a reduced number of crisis that began in the 1990s caused changes children (no more than 20) (UNICEF/Cuba in access to opportunities, which caused 2015/Castillo). heterogeneity and inequalities in the living The growing but still limited access to conditions of the population, which are related information and communication technologies to some risk conditions for families. opens a range of perceptions, interests and One of the population segments that aspirations in the universe of Cuban children was most affected by this situation was Cuban and adolescents (UNICEF/Cuba2015/Piedras). children and adolescents, especially children, In the country, important investments have girls and adolescents who come from a been made so that each school has computers population sector that has been studied by some to be able to develop in all children and authors since the 1980s, And whose socio- adolescent’s computer and communication economic and socio-demographic indicators, as skills. well as other cultural and lifestyle aspects, There are several challenges for the differ from the average values of the Cuban State and Government to maintain, in population: families in situations of social some cases, and improve in others, the care of disadvantage. Cuban children and adolescents. For this, These and other difficulties have been social policies, programs at local and addressed through educational institutions, community levels are designed, according to health care and social care at community level, the needs of these population segments, which fundamentally. There are still aspects that can have been a priority in the country for nearly be improved in relation to childhood and six decades. adolescence, but taking into account the political will and the new projection of Cuba, in later years it will be possible to have a better quality of life for Cuban girls, boys and adolescents. ■

REFERENCES Alvarez, Mayda; Rodríguez Inalvis, et al (2000) “Situación de la Niñez, la Adolescencia, la Mujer y la Familia en Cuba”. La Habana.

Borroto, Lino (1998) La estrategia educacional de la Revolución cubana, ponencia presentada en el Congreso Internacional de la Asociación de Educación Comparada, Toronto, Canadá. 1999. En Enfoques Contemporáneos sobre Educación en América Latina. FLACSO, 2001.

CEPDE-ONEI, Diciembre de 2013.

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Anuario Estadístico de Salud 2014 Indicadores de Educación en Cuba Indicadores de Salud Materno-Infantil Indicadores de Nutrición Materna El Desarrollo en la Primera Infancia en Cuba. Disponible en: https://www.unicef.org/cuba/cu_resources_LairePrimeraInf ancialibro.PDF Role of Universities in the Creation of an Environmental Culture for Sustainable Development: Experiences of the University of Havana, Cuba. Dr. Cristina Diaz Lopez

Within the framework of the Cultural and The complexity of the environmental problem Educational Development Program that has includes taking natural and social phenomenon engrossed the Cuban government for many into consideration and within these, the years, the subjects of the environment and cognitive, economic, political and ideological sustainable development have been two high phenomenon (1). priority issues as related to the institutional The Cuban Ministry of Higher Education process of implementing a resulting was created in 1976. Some of the Higher environmental policy by including the handling Education institutions comprising it have a long of environmental problems to the country’s prior academic history, such as the University of developmental process and facing global Havana, established in 1728, Universidad de challenges imposed by climate change. Oriente in 1947 and the Universidad Central de As a part of this process, Article 27 was las Villas in 1952. The remainder were added to the Cuban Constitution in 1992, which established subsequently states, “The State protects the environment and Regarding the University of Havana, the the country’s natural resources. It acknowledges number of students in the different a close association between economic and undergraduate programs has fluctuated in the last sustainable social development in order to make few years between 17,000 and 20,000. They human life more rational and ensure survival, the receive curricular instruction and education on wellbeing, and safety of current and future the environment, which has been getting generations…” progressively better since the Rio Earth Summit In 1994, the Ministry of Science, in 1992. Technology, and Environment was established, Furthermore, they receive environmental and in 1997, the “National Environmental training and education through extracurricular Strategy” and the “National Environmental and informal channels through university Educational Strategy” were approved. The latter extension activities and some others promoted by is a programmatic document which states the the Federación Estudiantil Universitaria need for Cuban Higher Education to play a [University Student Federation] (FEU). protagonist role in developing an environmental Regarding postgraduate activities, the culture among our people as a premise to attain inclusion of an environmental dimension into all the goals and objectives of sustainable Master’s Degree programs and majors in Cuban development. Higher Education has been streamlined; and The complex nature of the environmental transversally including this dimension into problem requires comprehensive reflection research for doctoral dissertations is a priority. where phenomena analyzed by completely University extension work, whose separate fields of knowledge converge. explicit objectives include reaffirming environmental values in students, has included with a solid environmental culture that makes it participation in hundreds of community projects possible to understand environmental problems in its latest courses. A large part of these projects in a more general and holistic way. was done jointly with provincial and national At the same time, the strategy must allow, organizations and institutions. They recognize organically and comprehensively, for the the positive impact the universities have on community, the governments, administrations community work. They work successfully on and the business sector to interact in order to increasing the efficiency when executing each transfer this culture to all sectors of society and project. get closer to a reality of sustainable Overall, the Ministry of Higher Education development. (2) This way, we would have a has won a considerable percentage of the total comprehensive system in order to carry out this awards granted by the Cuban Academy of training process. Sciences in the last few years, and the percentage of those related to Projects that work on aspects DEVELOPMENT more commonly related to natural and human In the case of the Universidad de La Habana environmental dimensions have slowly been [University of Havana], expressing the political increasing. will of creating an environmental philosophy and Starting in 2000, this Ministry established culture in students, professors, and workers with an award for “Applied result that has most a focus on a comprehensive system that contributed to the protection and improvement of transcends the framework of university activity the environment.” However, despite the and also contributes to the sustainability of social achievements mentioned, there are still a series and economic development was the creation and of problems that are common to almost all restructuring of the Centro de Estudios de Medio institutions of the Ministry of Higher Education. Ambiente [Environmental Research Center] Some of the main problems are the following: (CEMA). 1. Limits to the creation of an environmental The CEMA’s mission was to “Be a place for culture with a comprehensive focus on reflection, exchange, collaboration, and students, professors, and workers in general. interdisciplinary debate on environmental issues 2. Insufficient mastery of environment-related that encourage the development of an topics by senior staff. environmental culture in and outside the 3. Limited influence in environmental university, playing a protagonist role in management training of people in coordinating and promoting actions in the fields communities located in areas of influence of of environmental education and scientific higher education institutions. research.” Its main characteristics were its 4. Unsuitable conditions of the physical interdisciplinary nature, voluntary participation, environment at many higher education inter-center collaboration, compromise, and institutions. flexibility. The challenge then for Cuban higher It was made up of a small group of education is how to design an educational individuals (6) who perform administrative and strategy that allows professionals to be trained organizational duties and a panel of directors comprised of representatives of schools and Communication among different fields of research centers of the university itself knowledge (3) (composed of chemists, physicists, biologists, This is essential in order to face the geographers, social communicators, environmental problem as a complex one. psychologists, philosophers, jurists, mathematicians, among others). The BASES for preparing the strategy were the Its structure was designed to be organic, following: matrical, flexible, and with very little 1. Emphasize the ethical component of hierarchical structure; it would be organized by environmental problems and their solution. projects, whose main management component 2. Undergraduate studies: was the coordination of activities and The main role of the student as the object and cooperation among its members. subject of all actions carried out. Its essential duties included the coordination Using the existing curriculum of each degree and promotion of actions in undergraduate and program without creating a new one. Only postgraduate teaching and scientific research that introducing certain classes in those cases fostered the development of this environmental where it was deemed appropriate. Addressing culture with a holistic approach. It therefore the environmental problem through the associated with other institutions in and outside “environmentalization” of the classes the country that were associated with contained in the teaching curriculum. environmental issues in order to both increase its Designing activities that contribute and are possibilities and identify the problems it would consistent with the students’ environmental address. education and that address all action areas, The results the center obtained while it was i.e., classroom activities, research work, in existence allowed for the creation of an university extension, within their specialty. Environmental Network at the University of Design multidisciplinary activities that Havana that has continued working on these allow them to improve goals to the present and have expanded and the understanding of these problems and diversified its scope in an outside of the that supports the need of a multi and university. interdisciplinary cooperation in order to The premise, then, for preparing the solve them. University of Havana’s Environmental Strategy 3. Postgraduate studies: was initially to create the CEMA, because the The main role of the subject matter will be development of a new way of thinking in order addressed with a comprehensive approach. to face the environmental problem in a more Emphasis on the interdisciplinary nature as a comprehensive way required new nontraditional focal point for consolidating knowledge ways of organization that would allow for: given in undergraduate teaching and to Organic cooperation among team members effectively move closer to real solutions to Suppressing barriers between different the problems detected. scientific spheres To illustrate the materialization of this strategy, Communication and Environment, etc., some examples of specific actions taken, and the which will be offered to students in different results obtained, are outlined below. specialties. The creation of a National Security class, GENERAL ACTIONS: UNDERGRADUATE which will cover the subject of Risk Including an environmental dimension to Management educational strategies of each school, in order The creation of a Bioethical Committee at the to have an institutional and political university as a center for reflection and instrument available to ensure development debate, where issues of Bioethics and of this environmental culture in each area. Environment have been and continue being a Preparing an environmental strategy for each significant point of analysis. Students and school, research center and other main areas professors along with professionals from of the university in order to guarantee other institutions participate in these debates. consistency and complementarity in investigative and educational actions that are POSTGRADUATE designed for students and professors, as well Introduction of a Master’s Degree in as to guarantee that the work done by the Comprehensive Management of Coastal university extension has an explicit Areas with a marked interdisciplinary and environmental component. comprehensive character to deal with The existence of a university extension research related to environmental and other program appropriate for the most current types of problems associated with these notions of this activity, considering it an all- areas. This has been an important experience encompassing function as it is present in for professors and postgraduate students. each one of the structural links of the The design and introduction of a Master’s University. Degree in Environment and Development, Using the Value Education Project carried which will have the same approach as that in out by the Center for Studies for the the previous case. Improvement of Higher Education in order to Introduction of a Master’s Degree in reinforce the creation of attitudes and values Population, Environment and Local in students and professors that contribute to Development. focusing on the environmental problem from Design and introduction of the Master’s an ethical point of view. Degree in Caribbean Studies (discusses Educational strategies have been prepared and climate change and population and applied as part of its research, which are geared environment in the Caribbean). toward boosting the development of values Implementation of a series of community students on different curricular levels: class (4, participation projects in different schools and 5); academic year (6), and major (7). research centers made up of students and The creation of optional or elective courses, professors with different specialties and that such as Environmental Sociology, largely respond to research areas that sustain Environmental Law, Cuban Biodiversity, interdisciplinary master’s degrees that have Organization of the Water, Drought, and been designed. Desertification Workshop. Design and implementation of a training Organization of the Environment and Social program in environment for government Sciences Workshop. officials and directors and the Havana City Creation of Environmental Professorships on government, which allows them to operate Municipal University Campuses better and be more successful in Strengthening alliances with national environmental governance for sustainable agencies, especially the Environmental development. This program has included a Agency Master’s degree and a diploma in Public Increasing participation in international Administration, diploma in Government projects dealing with the adjustment and Management and courses and seminars on mitigation of climate change. different topics as well as a workshop for refining the province’s environmental SOME SPECIFIC ACTIONS CARRIED OUT strategy. BY THE SCHOOL OF CHEMISTRY AT THE Preparing material for “Municipal UNIVERSITY OF HAVANA THAT Management and Environmental Strategies: ILLUSTRATE DIFFERENT FACETS OF THE Participation in the Environmental Training STRATEGY Network of the Ministry of Science, 1. Introduction of the Environmental Chemistry Technology, and Environment, where the course during the last year of the major in university is responsible for formal training order to further examine the role of of the officials from this ministry as well as chemicals in the protection and prevention of from the municipal and provincial problems related to environmental government in Havana City. contamination that may be associated with professional performance. SOME EXAMPLES OF OTHER ACTIONS: 2. Gradual introduction in laboratory work of Classes for workers in administrative areas at how to treat the generated waste. Studying the University of Havana and the City’s alternatives for substituting the most toxic or Community Services dangerous reagents, which includes a The “We Believe in Hope” project. It preliminary economic analysis. All the work involved eight schools at the basin of Havana is conducted by the students themselves. Bay. 3. Establishment of an Environmental The design of educational games for children Chemistry Section within the Student and adolescents that were implemented in Scientific Symposium held every year where some primary and secondary schools within round tables have been included with a the community. highly critical analysis of how the major has Activities for promoting environmental created or not created an environmental education in student residences targeting culture in the profession. students and workers. The experience of the Environmental Chemistry course has provided very encouraging results in the preparation of students, who have been able commitment to society, is in favor of training to prepare, present and debate works, with more qualified personnel who are capable of and more rigor, about how to face the challenges producing new knowledge that is necessary to of climate change in the Caribbean, mainly on foster a true environmental social movement. ■ small islands such as Cuba or to evaluate the environmental impact of research conducted in REFERENCES its graduate or diploma work to name only two (1) Delgado, C. (2002 ). ¨Hacia un nuevo saber. “Toward a New Knowledge”]. Cuba. Inédito [Unpublished] examples. The quality of the work submitted has (2) Diaz, C., Mieres, A., Henriques R.D., Rodriguez, M., Rial, R., Gonzalez V. (2002) ¨Papel de la Universidad en la creación de una allowed some to be selected for presentation at cultura ambiental para el Desarrollo Sostenible¨ [“The Role of the international events such as the International Pre- University in Creating an Environmental Culture for Sustainable Development”]. Congreso Internacional del Medio Ambiente y Congress Workshop of the Caribbean Studies Desarrollo Sustentable [International Environment and Sustainable Developement Congress] 2002, Viña del Mar, Chile. Chair. (8) (3) Henriques, R.D. (2002). ¨Nuevo diseño de un Centro de Estudios Universitario¨ [“A New Design for University Reserach Centers”]. Memorias 3ª Convencion Internacional de Educación Superior [Proceedings of the 3rd International Higher Learning Convention], CONCLUSIONS: La Habana, Cuba. (4) Zumbado, H. (1999). “Formación y desarrollo de intereses The role of universities in the challenge profesionales y de la responsabilidad del estudiante universitario a través de la asignatura Análisis de los Alimentos II [“Formation and of sustainable development is to contribute to Development of Professional Interests and the Responsibility of the University Student through the class Analysis of Food II]. Tesis de shaping men with a culture and social attitude in Maestría [Master’s Dissertation]. CEPES. Universidad de La which their focus on environmental problems Habana. (5) Iglesias, M. (2001) “Estrategia educativa para el desarrollo del does not translate into actions that are interés profesional a través de la asignatura Etica Médica” [“Educational Strategies for Developing a Professional Interest determined by professional, labor, or through the Medical Ethics class”] Tesis de Maestría [Master’s Dissertation]. CEPES. Universidad de La Habana. circumstantial pressure, but where the (6) González, V. y Ameneiros, J. (1999) “La orientación profesional como estrategia para el desarrollo del interés profesional y la environment and respect for the environment responsabilidad del estudiante en su formación profesional” [“Professional Guidance as a Strategy for Developing Professional have been established as a value, as a behavior Interest and the Responsiblity of the Student in their Own Professional Education”]. Informe de Investigación [Research pattern, as a personality trait. Report]. CEPES. Universidad de La Habana. (7) González, V. (2000) “La Orientación Profesional en la Educación Only then will we be able to face the Superior” [“Professional Guidance in Higher Education.”] problems related to development and respond to Monograph. CEPES. Universidad de La Habana. (8) Díaz C., Sánchez G., Valdés T., Rodríguez D., Hernández Y., the Objectives of Sustainable Development and (2012). “Experiencias recientes de la formación ambiental en la carrera de Lic. en Química de la Universidad de La Habana” Development Program through 2030. How this [“Recent Experiences in Environmental Education in the Chemistry Undergraduate Program at the University of Havana.”]. Taller Pre culture is attained will be determined by the evento “La Universidad y los retos ambientales: cambio climático y desastres naturales en el Gran Caribe” [Pre-event Workshop “The economic, social, and political context within University and environmental challenges: climate change and natural disasters in the Greater Caribbean”]. VI Conferencia which each university handles the issue. This Internacional “Cuba y el Caribe: 40 años de relaciones” [Sixth International Conference “Cuba and the Caribeann: 40 year essay has addressed some of the actions taken on relations”] La Habana, 5-7 diciembre 201. by the University of Havana, Cuba, which, in its

Nonnegative matrix factorizations: Ideas and applications Marta Lourdes Baguer Díaz-Romañach

This article is not intended to conduct an without other requirements than the linear exhaustive study of the state of the art on the independence of the columns. For ill Non-Negative Matrix Factorizations (NMF) nor conditioned, rank deficient or simply rectangular to present all the possible extensions of its matrices, it is important to demand the general model or ways of solution, it is only orthogonality of the basis. This is closely related intended to motivate the reader to pay attention to the control of the propagation of the error. In to a versatile tool for scientific computing that those cases, a �� factorization or some variant, can be adapted to solve a wide range of problems as the ���� (rank revealing ��) can be and that is still in development. computed.iii When one talk about the NMF, some The Singular Value Decomposition notes of Gene Golub take us back to the 70's i. (���) is not simply a matrix factorization. The These factorizations shall be understood, for ��� helps us to understand the main properties many reasons, as a "philosophy" to address the of the matrix and finds application in solution of different problems with nonnegative innumerable areas. Only the fact of being able to data, taking into account the relationship handle in floating point arithmetic the concept of between the parts and the whole as seen by Lee the numerical rank of a matrix is an important and Seung,ii more than a factorization in the achievement. When obtaining a decomposition mathematical sense like, for example, the ��, the of the matrix in singular values, orthonormal �� or the ��� . This article will show some basis are obtained both for the subspace aspects that are important to begin to get into the generated by the columns and for the subspace study of NMF. generated by the rows of the matrix � ∈ ℝ���iv. When the Linear Numerical Algebra is A classic formulation is when we express explained, it begins by presenting the �� � = �Σ��, where the orthogonal matrices � ∈ factorization. This factorization looks for two ℝ��� and � ∈ ℝ��� contain the corresponding regular matrices, �, lower triangular, and �, basis and Σ ∈ ℝ���, is a diagonal matrix and upper triangular, so that the system of linear contains the singular values ��, with �1 ≥ �2 ≥ ⋯ equations �� = �, becomes easier to solve. In ≥ �� > 0, and � is the rank of the matrix. An this factorization the columns of the matrix � can important issue is that, it is not necessary to store be expressed as a linear combination of the the complete � and � matrices but only the � columns of �. columns of the matrices � and �. That is, if we consider � = [�1, �2, … , The matrix � can then be decomposed

��], � = [�1, �2,… , ��] and � = [�1, �2,… , ��], into � = ��Σ���� = �� = , a weighted then, each column of the matrix �, can be written sum of matrices of rank 1, �����. It can be shown as �� = �1��1 + �2��2 + ⋯ + �����. In this way we that one of the main properties of the ��� is that have obtained a basis � of the subspace by making use of this expansion, we obtain the generated by the columns of the matrix � best approximation of the rank � of � in Euclidean norm, that means that, have been working on this topic for more than 20

, minimizes the ‖� − ��‖2 over years, it still constitutes a very active area of all possible approximations �� of range �, � ≤ �. work and variants that adapt better to each v application continue to appear in the scientific viHowever, in our era of large volumes of literature. data, numerical methods that allow dealing with these large data sets are widely used. In many 1. The general model for the Nonnegative Matrix applications the data is non-negative or positive. Factorizations and some considerations about its It is desired to have a processing tool that allows solution an interpretation of the results according to the problem. For example, if we have a grayscale 1.1 The general model for the Nonnegative image, the coefficients of the associated matrix Matrix Factorizations (NMF) have values ranging from 0 (black) to 255 (white). When computing the ���, negative Given a non-negative matrix � ∈ ℝ���+ (��� ≥ 0, coefficients can appear in matrices � and �. In or equivalently � ≥ 0) and a reduced internal this case it is impossible to show those matrices rank or dimension �, � ≤ min(�, �), it is required as images. to find two nonnegative matrices � = [�1,�2,… , ℝ �� ] ∈ ���+ , and There are other factorizations that are so that their product approximates the matrix � successfully used in Scientific Computing such as good as possible, �. �. � = �� + � = ��� + � as Principal Component Analysis (���)vii and where the matrix � ∈ ℝ���+ represents the viii Independent Component Analysis (���) to approximation error. xi mention just some of them. In these factorizations, the components of greater The factors � and � can have different variance (���) stand out, which allows the interpretations in different problems. For researcher to obtain the main axes with which example, in image segmentation, � is the matrix the data can be represented. of the basis and � is the matrix of the weights. In These methods also reduce the dimension the standard model of NMF the non-negativity of of the problem but their factors could be positive the matrices � and � is assumed as constraints. or negative and according to that they do not However, one could simply write �� ≈ ���� for have an interpretation from the point of view of which the sense of basis and weights is relative. the data if these only have non-negative or positive values. This was the main motivation to The general model can be expressed as a consider the problem of obtaining factorizations special form of a bilinear model, similar in a with positive matrices in the mid-1990s when certain sense to the case of the ���, in which Paatero and Tapper published a model for , and where processing environmental dataix. the operator ∘ denotes the external product of However, when Lee and Seung publish two vectors. As in the case of the ���, an their works x and is when ��� really start to have great popularity. Despite many researchers approximation of the non-negative matrix � can be obtained as the sum of matrices of rank 1, currently working and the models that are being

�����. If the decomposition is exact (� = 0), then studied. it is named Non-negative Rank Factorization (NRF)xii. The rank � or internal dimension is also The second question is related to the called a nonnegative rank and is denoted by dimension or rank of the matrix �, � ≤ min(�, �), xiii ����+(�) . The rank � satisfies ����(�) ≤ or also known as internal dimension. Of course,

����+(�) ≤ ���{�, �}. this choice has a lot to do with the a priori knowledge of the problem to be treated. NMF In general, the rank � usually satisfies are considered methods of dimensionality . reduction so that this choice is crucial both for the appropriate modeling of the problem and for obtaining the solutions. The rank should be set to address the solution of the problem. Several approaches to determine the rank of the matrix appear in the literature. Several authors prefer Figure 1: Classic model of NMF the use the ���xv. Another approaches suggest

to obtain the graph of the singular values and In Figure 1 taken fromxiv, page 9, the structure of select the range after observing when the graph the factorization can be observed. has an elbow. This fact is related to the theory of It is not difficult to notice that an NMF does not discrete ill-posed problems and the regularization have to be an NRF. Non-negative matrices of solutions that is very well studied inxvi. The cannot always be found such that factorize the � Images Team of the University of Havana is matrix in an exactly way or that the matrix � = 0. studying a criterion proposed in xviito compare This is due, among others, to the approximation the solutions with the use of the ���. Other errors (rounding) that are generated and authors have agreed that a suitable variant is the propagated in the calculations in a finite use of heuristics based on populations as inxviii. precision arithmetic.

To start the factorization process three The third question is related to the fundamental questions must be answered. The initialization of the matrices depending on the first is related to the NMF model that will be model to be used. It has been shown that the used, this depends on the characteristics of the algorithms that are used to find the matrices are problem being solved or the type of the data. sensitive to the initialization. The convergence NMF have been adapted to many applications. and the speed of convergence of the algorithms Choosing the model involves selecting may be affected by the initialization and with the cost function to be minimized and the this, of course, the quality of the solutions. To additional constraints to be imposed to the answer this question we could also cite many matrices, as we will see later. In this work we works. The most intuitive ideas are random present some of the applications in which the initializations. These in general do not take into Images Group of the University of Havana is account the characteristics of the problem. Other works propose to use population-based heuristics xix or strategies based on the ��� of the known , which also refers to the Euclidean xx data matrix . distancexxi. This measure is the most simply and A very general scheme of a solution frequently used. The Frobenius norm, strategy would be: Model selection and cost function. , can be equivalently Determination of the internal rank or dimension. written as Initialization of the matrices according to 1. Choose a solution method. , with �� Estimation of the approximation error. the columns of �.

1.2 Algorithmic ideas for the solution of NMF Factors � and � are sought in other matrix spaces, in particular in and in . For this The general classical problem to be solved as it reason, the determination of the rank has a appears in 1.1 is: special influence on the solution, since it determines the search space. It is important to Known � ∈ ℝ���+ the data and a rank �, � ≤ emphasize that the function to be minimized ℝ min(�, �), find � = [�1,�2, … , �� ] ∈ ���+ , and � (objective or cost function) is convex with

= �� = respect to the elements of matrix � or with

� ��� � + � where � ∈ ℝ���+ represents the respect to the elements of matrix � but not with approximation error [�1,�2,… , �� ] ∈ ℝ+ ,� = �� respect to both at the same time. + � = �� Another widely used measure is the generalized This is a nonlinear optimization problem with Kullback-Leibler divergence (I-divergence): unknowns � and � and nonnegative constraints (inequality constraints). It is not always possible From to find the matrices that exactly factor � nor to � ��(�) ≥ � − 1 follows that the I- Divergence know the error matrix �. In general, the problem takes non-negative values and it vanish if and of finding two matrices � and � is raised. That only if � = minimizes a measure of �. "distance" (according to the function of cost that As a side effect, very often, the matrices � and � is used) between the data matrix and the product are sparse. An interesting idea could be explicitly ��. control the sparsity of the matrices. Inxxii some The approximate problem of NMF, � ≈ ��, sparseness criteria are presented that can be corresponds to minimizing some measure of imposed as constraints in the model. distance, divergence or measure of dissimilarity. Three main strategies are used to obtain the This could be formulated as, find � and �, such matrices in the NMF. that they satisfy , where ‖ ‖� Alternating Least Squares (ALS). represents the Frobenius norm, ����, ���� and � ≥ Descent methods. 0, � ≥ 0 or as it is usually denoted ��(�‖��) = Updating rules. As is usual in Mathematics, when dealing Assign all the negative coefficients of � the with a non-linear problem, the possibility of value 0 or a chosen small positive value ε. 4. linearizing is analyzed. A very natural idea Estimate � of the matrix equation ����� = emerges that gives rise to the Alternating Least ���solving the problem Squaresxxiii. The idea is to initialize one of the with fixed matrices, and this would be related to the third matrix �. question of 1.1, and optimize with respect to the 5. Assign to all the negative coefficients of � the other. value 0 or a chosen small positive value ε. The problem is solved considering the This procedure can be rewritten as follows: � ← other matrix as the variable and in the next step max{�, (���)−1��} = [�†�] the calculated solution is taken as initialization + for the matrix and optimized with respect to the � ← max{�, ���(���)−1��} = [��†]+ first matrix. This is an alternating procedure and the advantage is that each step is solving a linear where �† is the Moore-Penrose pseudoinverse Least Squares problem with inequality xxviiof �, � is a small constant (often 10−6) to constraints (non negativity) with convex force the coefficients to be positive. objective function for which there are methods In the Alternating Least Squares, such as, for example, Lawson and Hansonxxiv. however, the convergence to a global minimum

is not guaranteed, not even to a stationary point,

only to a point at which the objective function The general idea of the ALS is the following xxv: stops decreasing. This procedure can be Initialize the matrix �, �(0) randomly or using improved as can be seen in Chapter 4 of xxviii It is any other strategy. interesting to notice that the NMF can be For � = 1,2, ..., until satisfying a stopping considered as an extension of the Non-negative criterion Least Squares (NLS), which is a particular case Solve of the Least Squares with inequality constraints (1) (���) as described below: ( ) ( +1) Solve min‖� − �� � ‖; � � (2) �≥0 Given a matrix � ∈ ℝ��� and a data set � ∈ ℝ�, As it is observed, the solution of a non-linear find a non-negative vector � ∈ ℝ� that minimizes optimization problem has been replaced by the the cost function , that is, , solution in each step of two linear problems with constraints. , subject to � ≥ 0. Another way to describe this algorithm appears inxxvi and is as follows: Inxxix, the problem of Non-negative Least Initialize A randomly or with any other strategy. Squares is formulated as a particular case of Estimate � of the matrix equation ���� = ��� Least Squares with inequality constraints (LSI). and solve the problem If the matrix � has full rank then we are in the presence of a strictly convex problem and the with fixed matrix �. solution is unique for any vector � and can be The initialization of the matrices in the obtained in polynomial time. NMF have a direct influence in the solution and Another kind of methods can be used to that is why the solutions depend strongly on that. solve NMF, the descent algorithms. These Bad initializations produce slow convergence. algorithms choose a descent direction to move As already explained the objective function of looking for a next solution that successively the ALS is not convex in both variables although improves the values of the objective function. it is strictly convex in one variable, for example The methods of the projected gradient are in � or � and the algorithm can stop in a local descent methods. This algorithms update the minimum. approximation to the solution �� building the The problem of initialization can be even ��+1 as follows: more complex if there is a particular structure of ��+1 = �� + ��(�̅ �̅ ̅ − ��), where �̅ �̅ ̅ = �[�� − ����] the factorization, for example, in the symNMF or here �[ ] denotes the projection in the set of the triNMF or if the matrix is large. solutions, �� ∈ (0,1] is a step size, �� is a positive In xxxii it is proposed to follow the scalar and �� is the direction of descent. Using following procedure: the ideas several methods can be constructed Build a search algorithm in which the taking the appropriate descent directions and the best initialization is found in a space of � pairs rules to obtain the step size. For more of matrices. Frequently the beginning of this information on this type of methods seexxx. procedure can be with randomly generated The Updating rules can be obtained matrices or take them as the output of a simple considering an objective function and trying to ALS algorithm. The � parameter usually solve the problemxxxi. constitutes the necessary iterations in which 10 For example, if the objective function is to 20 are considered enough. minimize the Euclidean norm between � and ��, Run a specific NMF algorithm for each i.e. pair of matrices with a fixed number of iterations 2 2 min‖� − ��‖ = min∑ ��� − (��| ��) (10 to 20 are also considered enough). As a �� result, we obtain � pairs , from estimates of initial matrices. and the rules that derive from that are: Select the pair �����,�����, that is, those with the lowest evaluation of the objective function as initialization for the factorization. xxxiii In an implementation of this procedure is presented, the Algorithm 1.2. To read about the use of genetic algorithms used to perform the initialization in NMF, see xxxiv xxxv and . 1.3 Stopping criteria Different stopping criteria can be considered for 1.2 Initialization of the NMF the algorithms used to calculate the NMF. Some of them are listed: The stop function finds the zero or a value below Depending on the application, information of a threshold ε prefixed, for example: similarity or dissimilarity can be represented. Inxxxvii different graphs are studied with . information of similarity between pixels (ε- In the iterations it is observed that there is no neighborhood, knn, knnmutuo and complete). improvement in the minimization of the cost The introduction of superpixels function, for example, constructed under certain considerations is also studied so that they represent the best possible . local information and the dimension of the There is only a small change in the update of problem is reduced. The fundamental idea of factors and . segmentation is to achieve a new representation The maximum number of iterations is exceeded. of the image so that it can be interpreted better. About another stopping criteria can be read in We will consider that in our images we Appendix 5.A ofxxxvi. do not have overlapping objects so that the 2. Three selected applications of the NMF segmentation can be seen as obtaining a partition in disjoint subsets whose union constitutes the NMF have been used as a solution model complete image. Seen that way we take the in different areas, for example, signal and image definition fromxxxviii: processing, as clustering methods, in text mining Definition 1: Let be an image on a 2-D, and many others. In this section some of the domain. Segmentation is defined as the applications in which the Images Group of the process of finding University of Havana is currently working are a visual meaning to partitioning the domain presented. : an object of the image 2.1 Image segmetation: Mamographies . and Colposcopies The segmentation of images viewed from The term segmentation covers a wide the perspective of the clustering algorithms can range of processes through which the division of be considered as a semi-supervised technique. the image into different disjoint regions is This task of image processing has been obtained based on a certain homogeneity of addressed in the literature with various strategies these. and is one of the first steps in the processing of images after the improvement of contrast, Segmentation has been treated using elimination of noise or some other necessary threshold-based methods, graph-based methods preprocessing depending on the appearance of (hierarchical segmentation), methods based on the images to be treated. the recognition of edges or shapes, methods of In this paper 2D images are considered growth of regions, those based on grouping and the adjacency matrix associated with the algorithms and mathematical morphology. The similarity graph, where the information of the success of many of them lies in the a priori pixels and their neighbors can been represented. information of the image, the definition of the thresholds, the seeds or centroids or the type of structuring element to be used. For a review on these strategies seexxxix and the literature cited there.

(a) (b) (c) In the development of tools for the Figure 2: In (a) the original image of efficient imagenological diagnosis of breast INbreast with the marked lesion is shown, in (b) cancer (mammography images) or cervix cancer the segmentation obtained without superpixels (colposcopy), the segmentation of this type of and in (c) with superpixels xlii. images acquires special utility, as injuries can be Inxliii the equivalence relation between the marked and related information can be obtained NMF, the spectral grouping and K-means is extracting the corresponding features. These studied. Once the applications with the spectral tools must be able to process a large number of segmentation are carried out, the study will be images in real time, so that the dimension of the extended now to the use of the NMF in its problem to be treated must be taken into account classical model and to the model that includes seriously. sparsity and orthogonality constraints. The spectral segmentation based on the Different ways are considered to initialize analysis of the eigenvalues of the Normalized the matrices and to define the internal rank or Laplacian, for example, among other equivalent dimension of the matrices, among them the strategies, in general obtains very good results criterion proposed by the group in xlivto obtain a but they are expensive processes from the good sparse approximation of large and dense computational point of view. Because of this, matrices. The definition of the internal rank is approaches aimed at reducing the dimension of directly related to the number of groups or the problem have been widely treated in the clusters, so it is very important to use an literature. appropriate strategy. Figure 2 ofxl shows a result of the studies The study is also perfomed for conducted in the segmentation of Colposcopy images. The fundamental challenge mammographies based on the information of the in these images is the preprocessing in which spectrum of the Normalized Laplacian problems such as the elimination of brightness, Normalized of the adjacency matrix associated to uneven lighting and the different appearances the graph that contains the information of the that these images present must be solved. image. In these works the superpixels are introduced following several strategies as a way 2.2 Removing the specularity reflection of reducing the dimension of the problem and the in Colposcopies results are compared using several types of Colposcopy images (Colposcopies) are similarity graphs (ε-neighborhood, knn, taken with a Colposcope that that has a lens with knnmutuo). The experiments of these works were a light. Colposcopies of cervix have an annoying carried out with the images from the INbreast effect of brightness in some areas (the wettest) Databasexli. that affects the proper processing of the image.

The values of the pixels of brightness or specularity reflection correspond to peaks of intensities of white in the histogram that are unreal and also do not allow the adequate inspection of the image by the doctor. In the preprocessing of these images one Figura 4: Results after carrying out the of the first steps is precisely the removing of the restoration specularity reflections. To eliminate this effect it is necessary to detect the brightness pixels. Three The results were validated qualitatively algorithms were studied to obtain the masks using the experience of the doctors. In the (algorithms that mark the pixels). The following previous figure the result of one of the studied figure shows a colposcopy image with the algorithms is observed. brightness pixels marked. The experimentation was carried out on a set of 104 images with different appearance combining the masks and the restoration algorithms, to read about the experimentation, seexlvi. From the experimentation, 86.5% of restorations were evaluated with values greater than 2 on a scale of 2 to 5, of which 66.3% were Figura 3: Mask obtained using a threshold 0.85 ∗ evaluated with values greater than 3. xlv ������ (see ) Once detected and marked the pixels are In order to improve the results, the NMF removed from the image and algorithms are used will be applied. For that the absent data matrix that that performs a restoration approximately in containing the image information is considered those areas. Three procedures were also studied like inxlvii. to obtain the restored image. Inxlviii a similar study is presented. In this case only gray scale images are considered. The next figure shows the missing data in the matrix.

At the University of Havana, the Faculties of Mathematics and Computer Science and the Faculty of Arts and Letters work together in a project for the study of the Public Spanish of Cuba. To do this, a corpus with representative texts is created and studied. The corpus has been Figura 5: On the left the matrix associated with called CORESPUC and has 4 large groups of the image and on the right the image with texts. The detection of main topics is one of the missing pixels and the corresponding absent data studies that are in develop right now. This xlix matrix (taken from ). application is the one most frequently reported in To compute the NMF Garza de la Luna explain the literature. l in how a modification of the ALS method can be Although the NMF became well known used to deal with the missing data. In section 1.2, with the works of Lee and Seungli, especially by the vector formulation of ALS is presented as a its application to the Database of face images, Least Squared Problem with inequality the applications in Text Mininglii. In the same restrictions (LSI). The idea is to eliminate from work, Lee and Seung reported an application to the sum the elements that depend on values of the semantic analysis of documents with the the data that are not known. For them, values ��� same multiplicative rules presented as an (weights) are introduced such that algorithm for the images and applied it to a Database of 30,991 articles of the Grolier Encyclopedia. In this application, the count of occurrences of each of the words (15,276) that . appeared in the vocabulary to form the matrix

Y30,991x15,276 was performed. The weighted version of the cost function is The experiment in development has as its first objective to obtain semantically related documents. For this, several sets of texts formed obtained by letters to the Juventud Rebelde newspaper among others. subject to � ≥ 0, the algorithm with the modified As a second objective, the Biber liii cost function is known as weighted ALS. Methodology is applied to study the registry Once the matrices � and � are calculated, even if variation in this set of texts. A register is the matrix � has missing data, the coefficients of characterized by a set of linguistic features. Once � and � are all known and if the product is the linguists define the features to be taken into computed an approximation of the data matrix � account, the aforementioned methodology is is obtained. applied. In the literature, a factorial analysis of 1.2 Study of the Cuban public Spanish the covariance matrix is applied. In this research NMF have been widely used in Text Mining. In an NMF of this matrix is looked for and its this example will be presented the main ideas of effectiveness on the proposal of the literature is another application of the NMF. studied. ■

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Anchor Institution-Community Engagement in Newark: Striving Together Nancy Cantor, Chancellor, Rutgers University-Newarki

I would like to start, today, by thinking segregation” (by race and class) that plagues our broadly about the relevance of universities to a nation’s public schools;vi and the Century new generation (or re-generation) of urban social Foundation’s report on preventing community movements organized around community colleges from becoming separate and unequal.vii development, empowerment, and social justice. Together these reports remind us that: As historian Thomas Sugrue recently reminded educational attainment and economic mobility go an audience at Rutgers University-Newark, while hand-in-hand; in turn, we are leaving way too real progress came from the social movements much talent on the side-lines of opportunity; and that followed the urban rebellions of 1967 in it will take a collaborative village across Newark, Detroit, and many similar cities, much traditional divides to effect social change. of it has since eroded.ii Indeed, and despite the fraught contemporary social-political landscape within which we find ourselves, a collaborative anchor institutions movement, such as the one that Ira Harkavy and David Maurrasse (with many of us as co- conspirators) have grown,viii can really make a difference. It is our opportunity and our responsibility to join forces in cross-sector collaborations, building on long-standing legacies of strength and cultural diversity in our cities, to make long-term, sustainable change in Now, as in 1967, we face again the need arenas from education to economic development to build structures for the long term to move the to arts & culture and the environment, and public needle, replacing an architecture of segregation health and safety. and inequality with an architecture of inclusion and equitable prosperity.iii The need for such a movement is clear in report after report on the disparities and fractures in our economy and educational systems. Consider, as examples: Anthony Carnevale’s data showing less than 1% of the 11.5 million new jobs added in the post- 2008 economic recovery going to those with only a high school degree;iv Paul Jargowsky’s sober documentation of the architecture of segregation in urban America,v along with Gary Orfield’s analysis of the concomitant “double

The Architecture of Inclusion in Anchor expressive media, as well as the “business” of Institution-Community Engagement artistic production. Organizations of every scale At the heart of the anchor institution- collaborate in this space, from student-run community partnerships model is the recognition magazines like our Scarlet Magazine to the of the fundamental interdependence between the Newark Print Shop, resident in Express Newark, anchor institution and its home community. One to arts education collaborations with the Newark of the signatures of this approach is that there is Public Schools and the major cultural anchors a seamless two-way street between the university (like the Newark Museum and NJPAC) in the and the community, with a sharing of power and city. resources and space to establish a mutual flow back and forth of people and ideas and investments, and an openness to collaboration and change in both directions. This kind of work takes sustained commitment to nurture the infrastructure of collaboration itself – to build an architecture of inclusion and a practice of full participation. It is at the heart of many of the “creative place-making” efforts around the country, perhaps most developed in the While, there is, of course, no guarantee remarkable work of artist, urban planner, that differences in power, position, scale, innovator, Theaster Gates in the South Side of resources, and backgrounds will be easy to Chicago.ix bridge, we can at least set the stage for an ecosystem of civic democracy to grow, and that In Newark, following this model, faculty will be a victory of sorts in and of itself. In fact, from our Arts, Culture and Media Department Express Newark has only been open for a couple partner with multiple small and large local arts of months and already we are seeing the space organizations in a university-community arts come alive, including a jam-packed community collaboratory, a “third space,” for teaching, arts launch of the fifth issue of the digital multimedia production, community dialogue and activism. collaborative, the Newest Americans, with video Express Newark inhabits 50,000 square feet in an stories of the inter-generational immigrant iconic, once-abandoned, building downtown that community in Newark’s Ironbound. Newark is a has been recently restored for mixed-use city with a very long – 350 year – history of residential and retail by a team of developers and creativity, resilience, and most of all expressive investors, enlivening its rebirth with all the confrontation with injustice, so we can expect fervent, contested, honest arts-making possible.x this space to continually serve as a platform for In it, the next generation of artists, difficult dialogues, community celebration and humanists, and creative entrepreneurs at Rutgers- empowerment Newark are on equal footing with Newark public school students, local Newark artists, residents, and innovators, taking classes, learning new

foundation partners, dedicated to raising post- secondary attainment in Newark. Rutgers-Newark’s Joseph C. Cornwall Center for Metropolitan Studies serves as the backbone organization for NCLC, convening study groups to identify obstacles and interventions, and assessing progress in city- wide, high school graduation, college access, retention, and completion. It organizes CBO and educational anchor partners to staff “college Broader Collective Impact Consortia knowledge” centers, college fairs, and Moving up in scale, our anchor workshops throughout the district (working with institution work sometimes unfolds within the families and students on FAFSA completion, context of city wide collective impact initiatives SAT prep, college applications). NCLC and the that span multiple sectors and organizational Newark Public Schools work closely, including partners coming together to reach a target goal of sharing a staff liaison, providing monthly social change. In Newark, for example, there are professional development sessions for high collective impact consortia of government, school counsellors throughout the district, and business, non-profit, educational and medical articulating educational pathways for Newark anchors, working on both educational attainment students across the high school -2-4 year divides. (25% post-secondary degrees for residents by NCLC also works closely with the City of 2025)xi and economic mobility (2020 new jobs Newark, serving since 2015 over a thousand for city residents by 2020).xii Within that students in the City’s Summer Youth context, the university’s anchor role may be two- Employment Program with college readiness fold, serving, for example, as a backbone workshops and carrying over those workshops organization (gathering together partners, during the school year. It also works with local creating data platforms and convening corporate partners in a College Freshman dialogues), and at the same time enacting with Institute to provide incoming college freshman community partners particular programs or from Newark with internships and a social interventions to affect the long-term goal of the capital network for career development advice. collective. Let me illustrate this approach to anchor institution work and the integration of research, policy, and practice with the ever-evolving work of the Newark City of Learning Collaborative (NCLC). NCLC is a broad-ranging collaboration of the Newark Public Schools, the Opportunity Youth Network, five higher education institutions, the City of Newark, numerous CBOs, and major corporate and

A central focus of NCLC’s programming to develop a global perspective on justice and is to create a post-secondary ecosystem in the citizenship. This program, which will grow to city that reaches into the high schools and paves 200 participants by year four, aims to prepare the way for Newark students to enter and each YLSP Fellow in mapping a path to college succeed in college. Each of the higher education and/or career. Saturday Academies include life partners in the Collaborative has a tradition of planning, exercises on self-awareness, seminars engagement in pre-college programming and the on leadership, the city’s history, and advocacy. intent is to build on and scale up those Just as the Netter Center at the University opportunities. of Pennsylvania is constantly innovating in its For example, NCLC recently launched university-assisted community schools anchor two signature pre-college to college pathway institution work in Philadelphia, the programs. Each program is a multi-year pathway programmatic interventions that NCLC creates for high school students recruited from across draw on the research and policy work of the the city, providing academic programming, Cornwall Center staff, especially as they keep up opportunities for civic and cultural engagement with trends in “improvement science”xiii that in the city, and social-emotional supports from inform university-schools-community trained mentors who will follow the students into engagement. Without the insights of the college. In the Pathways to Achievement and participants, community-based “participatory” Success Program (PAS), a 150 10th graders from research and practice is not truly participatory schools all across the city participate in Saturday and therefore is less likely to meet our long-term Academies at Express Newark (learning expectations. As such, all of the evaluation work everything from 3D printing to theater arts, in these projects needs to involve as much portraiture, and public speaking) and also take formative as summative assessment and flexible part in goal mapping, SAT prep, and college improvement-oriented, mutually and guidance work. PAS will grow from an initial collaboratively designed recommendations for cohort of 150 to 600 by year four of the program. new programming. We will follow these 10th graders as they matriculate through high school, support them as they successfully transition into college, and continue supports to enable them to complete their degrees. Similarly, NCLC collaborates with its partner organization the Opportunity Youth Network in the Youth Leadership and Success Program (YLSP). YLSP blends a cohort of traditional (10th graders) and opportunity youth (ranging in age from 16-24) in support of As with all of our collaborations, the college and career planning and development, programming, interventions, and evaluations utilizing a social justice curriculum to support associated with NCLC, also occur in a broader the development of youth voice and framework of the university’s strategic anchor empowerment, enabling 50 young people a year

institution plan and its commitment to high- community capacity building so that the impact scholarship with policy and advocacy mutuality of anchor institution work on the implications for urban communities. For ground can best flourish. example, through our institutional Chancellor’s SEED grant program, we have supported several interdisciplinary initiatives with direct implications for urban education specifically and metropolitan community development more generally. These include research using GIS methodologies to map resources in cities (and their suburban rings), such as supermarkets, free pre-K, job training centers, transportation, social service agencies, crime hot spots, and cultural institutions – all part of a municipal opportunity Anchor Institution Investments: Changing index that forms the context for successful Ourselves to Effect Change schooling. And, as David Troutt, the faculty As our universities mobilize for anchor director of the Center on Law in Metropolitan institution engagement and evidence-based Equity (CLiME) notes, this tool then becomes a assessment and advocacy, we also need to platform for asking questions like: “do people improve our own institutional goals, practices, follow assets or assets follow people?”, as we and investments. At Rutgers-Newark, we have think about supporting strong, healthy, safe experienced this mandate for institutional neighborhoods that promote educational and assessment in each of the collective impact economic justice. Similarly, we know that domains in which we operate, from figuring out educating children in integrated (rather than new ways to support the engagement of local racially homogeneous) schools presages better artists in Express Newark, to adapting our individual and societal outcomes, but how do we procurement and hiring practices in support of a achieve integration without disrupting city-wide, jobs initiative and the live-work-buy communities in ways that backfire? Elise anchor coalition in Newark. Whereas some of Boddie, Paul Tractenberg, and other Rutgers- this institutional assessment involves changing Newark faculty are asking just such questions, operational practices, other aspects go perhaps ultimately informing both advocacy campaigns more deeply to the core of our scholarly and and collective impact work like that of the educational mission and commitments. This is Community Schools South Ward Initiative in certainly true as we think about the specific Newark. Moreover, Charles Payne, the incoming institutional role that Rutgers-Newark needs to director of the Cornwall Center, is embarking on play in achieving educational opportunity for a program of public information and community Newark residents and students from NJ’s under- dialogue across a range of topics from local resourced communities across the State, clearly control of schools to best practices for parent at the heart of NCLC and our public university engagement in schooling, with an eye toward mission more broadly. It is also true as we

consider how to best support the engagement of university-community collaboration is both a new generation of scholars who often have rewarding and very hard, and like everything broad interdisciplinary and community-engaged else in the academy we had better study it well, interests and personal commitments to diverse accumulating both best practice knowledge and social identities that can be reinforced by and the necessary modesty to make it most likely to contribute to this anchor work.xiv succeed out in the world beyond the ivory As one example of creating more tower.xvii inclusive environments for students and faculty alike, our new Honors Living Learning Community, dedicated to local citizenship in a global world,xv brings students who come to us both straight out of high school and as county- college transfers. They have taken many paths in life, as veterans, parents, formerly incarcerated, homeless, or from foster care, to name a few of their paths to college. They bring knowledge and insights perfectly suited to take the mantle in a new movement for social justice, locally and beyond. Moreover, as they interact with a very Moving Beyond the Ivory Tower broad group of publicly active scholars and Speaking of moving beyond the ivory citizens in an interdisciplinary, community- tower, the ultimate aim of good anchor engaged curriculum, they teach our faculty in institution-community collaboration is to turn and improve our anchor institution work. proliferate opportunity – social, cultural, Moreover, as we build on the strength, economic, civic, educational – throughout the talent, and experience of this next generation, we city, from downtown business districts to also need to put in place innovative pedagogy, university campuses to the neighborhoods in professional development for graduate students, which people live, children grow up, and and rewards for publicly engaged scholarship to generations take shape. When this happens well, nurture a diverse “new professoriate” for the there will be fewer isolated clusters or hotspots work of our anchor institutions. For us, this has of opportunity, be they geographic (downtown meant creating a P3 Collaboratory on campus to business and cultural hubs versus isolated and study and support: collaborations across degraded neighborhoods), racial (an architecture disciplines and in community, engagement with of segregation), or economic (rampant national groups studying everything from inequality), disparities that divide populations gateway courses to new evaluation rubrics for and hold individuals back. We need the impact publicly-engaged scholarship, fostering of anchor institution engagement to be broadly conversations about the life and work of the (geographically, socially, and economically) “new professoriate,” including those publicly- shared such that what Raj Chetty and his active graduate studentsxvi looking ahead to colleagues called the “birth lottery” will no innovative career paths. There is little doubt that

longer rule the fate of children growing up in our organized an African-American Brain Health cities and towns.xviii Initiative as a collaboration between Rutgers- At the core of spreading opportunity is Newark neuroscientists, retired Black nurses, and and must be the fulsome engagement of local faith-based organizations. The collaborative citizens, of all generations, in the anchor effort here both promotes healthy neighborhoods institution-community engagement partnerships. and simultaneously serves as a recruiting tool for Not only will this provide a better avenue to the next generation of STEM students in sustained social change, but it is a capacity Newark, who in turn, serve as ambassadors building strategy for society as well. As Ira spreading an inter-generational message about Harkavy, Myra Burnett, and I noted in a White educational attainment to future children in their Paper commissioned by the National Science community. In other words, there is much of Foundation, the positive recursive cycle of value in an architecture of inclusion – inter- inclusive community-engaged science not only generational, inter-institutional, and inter- produces better science but better more diverse cultural, and that it seems to me is what good scientists and ultimately a better, healthier university-community anchor institution work society.xix We have seen this positive recursive should aspire to accomplish, in a new urban cycle in action in Newark, where, for example, movement for social justice.■ our university-community partnerships office

REFERENCES x See: Express Newark, RU-N’s Arts Incubator, Now Open in i Panel presentation, Integrating Research, Policy, and Practice: Historic Former Hahne’s Department Store, is Bringing New Reimagining the University-City Connection, Rutgers University- Synergy to Newark’s Arts District, Camden, Camden, NJ, March 28, 2017. Appreciation is extended http://www.newark.rutgers.edu. to Peter Englot for his collaboration and insights on this work. xi See: http://www.nclc2025.org/. ii Thomas Sugrue, City Moves: Black Urban History Since 1967, xii See, for example, the call for economic and racial justice from Marion Thompson Wright Lecture, Rutgers University-Newark, Mayor Ras J. Baraka and Ryan P. Haygood, Cities Have the February 18, 2017. See also, Nancy Cantor, Remarks at 37th Power to Finally Bridge MLK’s ‘Two Americas,’ The Nation, Annual Marion Thompson Wright Lecture Series, Rutgers January 16, 2017. University-Newark, February18, 2017. xiii See Using Improvement Science to Accelerate Learning and iii Editorial, “The Architecture of Segregation,” The New York Address Problems of Practice, Carnegie Foundation for the Times, September 6, 2015, SR8; Sturm, S., Eatman, T., Advancement of Teaching, Saltmarsh, J., & Bush, A. (2011). Full participation: Building the http://www.carnegiefoundation.org/our-ideas/. architecture for diversity and public engagement (2006), xiv See Stephanie A. Fryberg and Ernesto Javier Martinez (Eds.), Harvard Journal of Law and Gender, 30, 248–334. The Truly Diverse Faculty: New Dialogues in American Higher iv Anthony Carnevale, America’s Divided Recovery: College Education, New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan, 2014. Haves and Have-Nots, Georgetown University Center on xv See Meredith Kolodner, A University that Prioritizes the Education and the Workforce report, 2016. Students who are Often Ignored, The Atlantic, May 19, 2016; v Paul Jargowsky, Architecture of Segregation: Civil Unrest, the http://www.newark.rutgers.edu/tags/hllc/. Concentration of Poverty, and Public Policy, The Century xvi See http://imaginingamerica.org/. Foundation, Report: Race and Inequality, August 7, 2015. xvii Nancy Cantor and Peter Englot, Civic Renewal of Higher vi Gary Orfield, Jongyeon Ee, Erica Frankenberg, and Genevieve Education through Renewed Commitment to the Public Good, In Siegel-Hawley, Brown at 62: School Segregation by Race, Jill N. Reich (Ed.), Civic Engagement, Civic Development, and Poverty and State, Research Brief of UCLA Civil Rights Project, Higher Education, Bringing Theory to Practice, Washington, May 16, 2016. DC., 2014, pp. 3-11. vii See The Century Foundation Task Force on Preventing xviii Raj Chetty, Nathaniel Hendren, Patrick Kline, Emmanuel Community Colleges from Becoming Separate and Unequal, Saez, and Nicholas Turner, Is the United States Still a Land of Bridging the Higher Education Divide: Strengthening Opportunity? Recent Trends in Intergenerational Mobility, NBER Community Colleges and Restoring the American Dream. Working Paper 19844, January 2014. Washington, DC: The Century Foundation, 2013. xix Harkavy, I., Cantor, N. and Burnett, M. 2014. Realizing viii See, http://www.margainc.com/aitf/. STEM Equity and Diversity through Higher Education- ix Natalie Moore, How Theaster Gates is Revitalizing Chicago’s Community Engagement, White Paper supported by National South Side, One Vacant Building at a Time, Smithsonian Science Foundation under Grant No. 121996, University of Magazine, December 2015. Pennsylvania.

University-Community Partnerships in Pursuit of Social Justice: An Anchor Institutions Approach to Advancing Teaching and Research and Improving the Quality of Life Ira Harkavy and Rita A. Hodges

The extreme poverty, persistent community-based participatory research, deprivation, and pernicious racism afflicting volunteer projects, and community economic communities in the shadows of powerful, development initiatives are some of the means relatively wealthy urban universities raise that have been used to create mutually beneficial troubling moral issues, as well as questions about partnerships designed to make a positive higher education’s contribution to the public difference in the community and on campus. But good. It is essential that universities as key these efforts, although they are important, anchor institutions significantly and effectively generally fall far short of what is required. contribute to radically reducing the pervasive, An urban university’s interaction with its ongoing, seemingly intractable problems of our local community might usefully be placed within inner cities.1 the following four categories: Conditions in our city Philadelphia, 1. Gentrification and displacement of low- Pennsylvania are an example of a more general income residents, phenomenon of urban distress. With 2. Disregard and neglect, approximately 26 percent of its population living 3. Partially engaged (frequently indicated in poverty, Philadelphia has had the highest by involvement of the academic or the poverty rate among the nation’s 10 largest cities institutional/corporate component of the for the last decade. Over 12 percent of university, but not both), Philadelphians live in deep poverty (an income 4. Truly engaged (involving comprehensive, of $12,150 or less for a family of four in 2016). significant, serious, and sustained At the same time, Philadelphia (and many other involvement of all aspects of the cities) is home to a key resource that can help to university with the community, including change these conditions. It has one of the highest integration of academic and institutional concentrations of anchor institutions, with “eds resources). and meds” representing 12 of the 15 largest We argue for the development of truly private employers, and the Philadelphia engaged universities, in which a very high metropolitan area contains more than 100 priority is given not only to significantly colleges and universities.2 improving the quality of life in the local A burgeoning higher education community, but also to working with the democratic civic and community engagement community respectfully, collaboratively, and movement has developed in part as a response to democratically. In addition, helping to develop these pervasive problems. Service learning, and implement solutions to strategic,

community-identified local problems functions and serve not only students, but also all other as a curriculum, text, and performance test for a members of the community, providing an truly engaged university’s research, teaching, organizing framework for bringing university and learning activities. No urban university, as programs, including ABCS courses, to West far as we can tell, presently meets these criteria. Philadelphia schools. We have come to view Nonetheless, progress has occurred over the past ABCS and UACS as core to a 30 or so years with an increasing number of comprehensive anchor institution strategy in universities taking meaningful, if insufficient, which universities engage in sustained, mutually steps in the right direction. Because we know it beneficial partnerships with their communities. best, we will focus on the University of We will first provide further background Pennsylvania, which has been recognized as a on ABCS. Over the past few decades, an leader for its involvement with West increasing number of faculty members, from a Philadelphia, its local geographic community.3 wide range of Penn schools and departments, have revised existing courses, or have created TOWARDS AN INTEGRATED new ABCS courses, providing innovative DEMOCRATIC ANCHOR INSTITUTION- curricular opportunities for their students to COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS APPROACH: become active learners, creative real-world PENN AND THE NETTER CENTER problem solvers, and active producers (as The Netter Center for Community Partnerships opposed to passive consumers) of knowledge. In The Center for Community Partnerships 2016-2017, the Netter Center helped coordinate (renamed in 2007 as the Netter Center for 70 ABCS courses taught across 31 departments Community Partnerships) was established in and programs in 8 of Penn’s 12 schools, 1992 by then Penn President Sheldon Hackney engaging approximately 1700 Penn students as a university-wide center that would identify, (undergraduate, graduate, and professional). mobilize, and integrate Penn’s vast resources in The Agatston Urban Nutrition Initiative order to help transform West Philadelphia, is an example of an evolving Netter Center particularly by improving the public schools program that was catalyzed through ABCS. In while helping to transform teaching, research and 1991, Professor Francis Johnston, a renowned service at the University. expert on nutritional anthropology who had The Center’s work was building on recently concluded a lengthy tenure as chair of efforts begun in the early 1980s, particularly the the Anthropology Department decided to development of two core concepts: academically redesign a course, Anthropology 210, to address based community service and university-assisted the community-identified problem of poor community schools. Through Academically nutrition, with the initial work at Turner Middle Based Community Service (ABCS) courses, School. It became the prototype for service is rooted in and intrinsically tied to Academically Based Community Service research, teaching, and learning, and the goal of courses. A widening circle of Penn faculty and these courses is to contribute to structural students began working with Johnston over the community improvement. University-Assisted next few years in collaboration with local middle Community Schools educate, engage, empower, school teachers and students to understand the

nutritional practices in the community. The West Philadelphia. Netter Center site directors course also sought to address the problem collaborate closely with each school and its through a series of projects aimed at encouraging community to determine activities that best serve better nutrition. These included an educational their specific needs and interests. In addition to program, a school-based garden, an in-school coordinating the programs, UACS site directors market that provided healthy snacks, and a serve as liaisons between the University and the nutritional outreach program for the community. school, as well as between school day teachers Anthropology 210’s success not only influenced and the after school program. Staff from the the anthropology department (which went on to Center’s thematic-based programs such as the develop an academic track on Public Interest Agatston Urban Nutrition Initiative and Moelis Anthropology), but it also inspired other Penn Access Science (described below) are also departments and schools to become involved.4 regularly working in the schools. Furthermore, it led to the development of the Moelis Access Science is an example of a Agatston Urban Nutrition Initiative (AUNI). sustained, mutually beneficial partnership that Today, AUNI integrates research, teaching, Penn has developed through ABCS courses and learning, and service in an approach that brings University-Assisted Community School together a range of Penn’s social science, health, programming. Begun in 1999 with initial support and medical resources, as well as the resources from the National Science Foundation, Moelis of community partners at the Netter Center’s Access Science works to improve science, university-assisted community schools (UACS) technology, engineering, and math (STEM) sites in West Philadelphia, at more than a dozen education of both K-12 students and other Philadelphia schools, and at various West undergraduate and graduate students at Penn. Philadelphia community centers and locations, to Faculty and students from across campus provide improve health and nutrition and reduce obesity. content -based professional development for As noted above, another major teachers and direct classroom support for component of the Netter Center's work is implementing quality hands-on and small group mobilizing the substantial resources of the activities. Undergraduates in Moelis Access University to help traditional public schools Science–affiliated ABCS courses provide serve as innovative university-assisted content-based professional development for community schools (UACS) that educate, teachers and direct classroom support for engage, empower, and serve not only students, implementing high-quality, hands-on laboratory but also all members of the community in which exercises and small-group activities. the school is located. ABCS courses, internships, Approximately a dozen ABCS courses related to and work-study and volunteer opportunities the program are now offered each year in the bring hundreds of Penn students into the schools, Departments of Biology, Mathematics, where programming occurs during the school Environmental Science, Physics, Education, day, after school, evenings, and summers. Chemistry, Electrical and Systems Engineering, As of fall 2017, the Netter Center’s work and Computer and Information Science, among has grown to include children and families at others. “Community Physics Initiative,” taught nine university-assisted community schools in by Professor Larry Gladney, associate dean for

the Natural Sciences, is illustrative. Aligned with The Netter Center works in close the School District of Philadelphia’s curriculum partnership with the Office of Executive Vice for introductory high school physics, Gladney’s President on issues of community economic course links the practical and theoretical aspects development that help advance Penn's role as an of foundational physics. By developing and anchor institution. Penn’s Economic Inclusion teaching weekly laboratory exercises and Program engages local, minority, and women- classroom demonstrations at a nearby high owned businesses and residents in the school, Penn students learn science by teaching University’s economic activity. Penn launched it. its “Buy West Philadelphia” program in the Some of the specific resources and 1980s, for example, to direct its purchasing incentives provided for faculty, staff, and student dollars to local vendors, and the program has engagement include better teaching, learning, continued to grow since then. In fiscal year 2015, and research through hands-on real-world Penn spent $122 million with West problem solving in the local community. The Philadelphia–based businesses (approximately Netter Center provides course development 13.07% of total purchasing of goods and grants and undergraduate teaching assistants to services). Penn partners with city entities such as support faculty. Transportation and background the Minority Business Enterprise Center to help clearances are provided for students to assist in build capacity for small, local suppliers. For all their service placements. The ABCS Coordinator campus construction projects of five million and numerous staff coordinators maintain strong, dollars or more, Penn has also made it a ongoing, democratic relationships with school condition of general contractors to hire at least and community partners and help effectively 25% women or minority-owned subcontractors. connect faculty, staff, and students to these In fiscal year 2015, Penn and its Health System partnerships in a mutually beneficial way. hired 1572 local residents (47.5% of all new Not to minimize the accomplishments hires). In housing development, since 1998, described above, academic engagement alone is Penn’s Enhanced Mortgage Program has insufficient to make the needed changes. The provided over 1,000 grants to staff and faculty as involvement of the entire university is called for an incentive to choose West Philadelphia to live if genuine progress is to be made. By beginning in. Penn also created a Neighborhood to consciously integrate its academic and its Preservation and Development Fund in the mid- institutional efforts for community improvement, 90s to secure several hundred units of apartments Penn is mobilizing increased resources to better to below market price, to ensure equity among realize its mission as an engaged anchor housing, while also creating new market rate institution. We describe some of Penn’s housing. community economic development efforts Penn helped create a special services below. district – University City District (UCD) – in 1997 to clean the streets and help patrol Partnership with Office of Executive Vice alongside Penn’s own new police force and city President for Community Economic police. Today, UCD is a 26-member board Development representing “eds and meds,” local businesses

and non-profits, and residents, chaired by Penn’s Replication Project hosted a series of visitors and executive vice president Craig Carnaroli, with a conferences, as well as funded 23 adaptation much broader vision. Between 2000 and 2016, sites. With the naming gift to the Netter Center UCD trained approximately 600 local residents in 2007, the strategy for adaptation shifted from for jobs at Penn and other local anchor funding individual university-assisted institutions through its West Philadelphia Skills community school partnerships to creating Initiative, with over 90% of recent graduates regional training centers, based at higher connected to employment.5 educational institutions that have demonstrated These strategies – including ABCS, significant experience and commitment to the UACS, and community economic development work. In 2008, the Netter Center began activities that help advance Penn’s role as anchor supporting the development of multi-state institution – are shared with others across the regional training centers on the university- country and around the world. assisted community school model. University of Oklahoma-Tulsa was selected as the first FROM LOCAL TO REGIONAL, NATIONAL, regional training center in the southwest, AND GLOBAL followed by Indiana University-Purdue Since the Netter Center’s inception, one University Indianapolis (IUPUI), which of its objectives has been to cultivate regional, developed the Midwest Center for University- national, and international networks of Assisted Community Schools, and then individuals and institutions of higher education University of Connecticut, which created the committed to democratic civic engagement with New England University-Assisted Community their communities. In 1987, Penn and two other School Collaborative. UCLA was selected as the Philadelphia universities, Temple and La Salle, fourth regional training center in fall 2017. Their founded the Philadelphia Higher Education newly established UCLA Center for Community Network for Neighborhood Development Schooling will host an annual conference and (PHENND), a consortium of colleges and site visits, as well as develop web-based tools for universities in the greater Philadelphia area the field. dedicated to helping revitalize local communities A University-Assisted Community and schools and to fostering civic responsibility Schools Network was also formed in 2015 by the among the region’s institutions of higher Netter Center in collaboration with the Coalition education. At this writing, PHENND’s for Community Schools and Rutgers University– membership includes more than thirty colleges Camden, in response to the growing numbers of and universities.6 institutions of higher education engaged with Beginning in the early 1990s, a number community schools. Approximately 70 of institutions began to express interest in the institutions are now participating in the monthly model of university-community-school network calls to share resources, best practices, collaboration being developed by the Netter and advance the work.Comprehensive, Center and its school and community partners, democratic engagement of universities and other what was then known as the West Philadelphia anchor institutions is at the core of the Anchor Improvement Corps (WEPIC). The WEPIC Institutions Task Force (AITF). In 2009, the

Task Force on Anchor Institutions, an ad hoc forums, publications, and the sharing of best national panel chaired by Harkavy, advised the practices as part of its efforts to advance higher U.S. Department of Housing and Urban education’s contribution to building democratic Development (HUD) on how the agency could societies. The Netter Center houses the executive “strategically leverage anchor institutions, offices of the IC and Harkavy chairs the U.S. particularly institutions of higher education and steering committee. The IC/CoE and AITF have medical centers (‘eds and meds’), to improve also begun collaborating on building a European their local communities and help solve effort for anchor institution engagement. significant urban problems.” Soon after the task force submitted its report, Anchor Institutions as OBSTACLES TO DEVELOPING AND Partners in Building Successful Communities SUSTAINING DEMOCRATIC UNIVERSITY- and Local Economies, it became a permanent, COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS formal organization, the AITF, with the mission Although the work described at Penn and of forging democratic civic partnerships the growing national and global movement for involving anchor institutions. The AITF, which democratic university-community engagement has grown to include approximately 800 are indicators of genuine progress, Penn and individual members, is guided by the core values others still have a very long way to go to of collaboration and partnership, equity and comprehensively and effectively engage and social justice, democracy and democratic align their various components and substantial practice, and commitment to place and resources in democratic, sustained, mutually community.7 Marga Inc. administers AITF, with transformative partnerships with their local Harkavy continuing to serve as chair at the communities. Significant obstacles have request of task force members. Significantly, the impeded the development of truly engaged development of this group as a permanent universities. organization has helped bring the idea of anchor These impediments—including institutions increasingly into national academic commercialism and commodification, misplaced and policy discussions. nostalgia for traditional, elitist, “ivory tower” A significant and enduring global liberal arts education, and intellectual and organizational development has been the institutional fragmentation—have slowed Penn formation of the International Consortium for and other institutions’ development as truly Higher Education, Civic Responsibility, and democratic, engaged, civic universities. Democracy (IC) in 1999. Its purpose is to Education for profit, not virtue; students advance the contributions of institutions of as consumers, not producers of knowledge; higher education to democratic development on academics as individual superstars, not members campus, as well as in local communities and the of a community of scholars—all of these wider society. The IC works in collaboration developments reflect the commercialization of with the Council of Europe (COE) and its higher education, which contributes to an Steering Committee on Educational Policy and overemphasis on institutional competition for Practice. The IC/COE collaboration undertakes wealth and status and has a devastating impact cross-national research projects, joint global on the values and ambitions of college students.8

When institutions openly pursue neatly indicates another major reason why commercialization, their behavior legitimizes colleges and universities have not contributed as and reinforces the pursuit of economic self- they should. Quite simply, their unintegrated, interest by students and amplifies the widespread fragmented, internally conflictual structure and sense that they are in college exclusively to gain organization impede understanding and career-related skills and credentials. Student developing solutions to highly complex human idealism and civic engagement are strongly and societal problems. Colleges and universities diminished when students see their universities need to significantly decrease the fragmentation abandon academic values and scholarly pursuits of disciplines, overspecialization, and division to function as competitive, profit-making between and among the arts and sciences and the corporations. Commercialism and the professions, since these departmental and development of the entrepreneurial university disciplinary divisions have increased the foster an environment in which higher education isolation of higher education from society itself. is seen as a private benefit, not a public good.9 Compounding this problem is what might be Partly in response to galloping called the “disciplinary fallacy” afflicting commercialism, some make a case for a return to American universities—namely, the traditional liberal arts education—an essentialist misconception that faculty members are duty- approach with roots in Plato’s antidemocratic, bound to serve only the scholastic interests and elitist theory of education.10 What is needed preoccupations of their disciplines and have instead is, to quote Carol Geary Schneider, “a neither the responsibility nor the capacity to help new liberal art” involving “integrative learning— their universities keep their longstanding focused around big problems and new promise to prepare undergraduates for lives of connections between the academy and society.”11 moral and civic responsibility.14 The concept of a new liberal art resonates with These impediments have reinforced, in John Dewey’s rejection of abstract Benjamin Franklin’s wonderful phrase, an contemplation and his call for an engaged, “unaccountable prejudice in favor of ancient problem-solving approach to scholarship and Customs and Habitudes”, rather than helping to learning. In Reconstruction in Philosophy, he realize Franklin’s original vision when founding wrote: “The social philosopher, dwelling in the the University of Pennsylvania to educate region of his concepts, ‘solves’ problems by students with “an Inclination join’d with an showing the relationship of ideas, instead of Ability to serve Mankind, one’s Country, Friends helping men solve problems in the concrete by and Family [Original Emphasis].”15 supplying them hypotheses to be used and tested in projects of reform.”12 “Communities have problems, universities have departments,” stated a report REDUCING THE OBSTACLES published by the Organization for Economic So what is to be done to reduce the Cooperation and Development titled The negative effects of dysfunctional traditions, University and the Community (1982).13 Beyond commercialism and commodification, ivory being a criticism of universities, that statement

tower nostalgia, and intellectual and institutional wonderful opportunities for both the institution fragmentation? and the community.16 Simply put, engage locally. As colleges CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS and universities work collaboratively with In this article, we have tried to provide members of their local communities on universal the rationale for an anchor institution approach to problems (such as poverty, health inequities, advancing teaching and research and improving substandard housing, and inadequate, unequal the quality of life in our local communities. We education) that are manifested locally, they will have provided a brief overview of institutional be better able to advance learning, research, efforts to support the University of teaching, and service. Pennsylvania’s role as an anchor institution, The benefits of a local community focus dedicated to creating sustainable, democratic for college and university civic engagement partnerships with its neighbors in West programs are manifold. Ongoing, continuous Philadelphia. It certainly remains very much a interaction is facilitated through work in an work in progress. Increased faculty and student easily accessible location. Relationships of trust, involvement through academically based so essential for effective partnerships and community service and university-assisted effective learning, are also built through day-to- community schools; the development of day work on problems and issues of mutual numerous sustained, democratic partnerships in concern. In addition, the local community the community; and the growing investment of provides a convenient setting in which service institutional resources to support community learning courses, community-based research economic development make it clear that we courses, and related courses in different have come a long, long way. But we have miles disciplines can work together on a complex and miles to go. problem to produce substantive results. Work in As discussed above, we believe an a university’s local community, since it increased focus on local, democratic engagement facilitates interaction across schools and is an extraordinarily promising strategy for disciplines, can also create interdisciplinary realizing institutional mission and purpose and learning opportunities. Finally, the local improving the quality of life in some of our most community is a democratic real-world learning vulnerable communities. “Only connect!” The site in which community members and powerful, evocative epigraph to E. M. Forster’s academics can pragmatically determine whether Howard’s End captures the essence of our the work is making a real difference and whether argument17—namely, that the necessary both the neighborhood and the institution are transformation of research universities is most better as a result of common efforts. A focus on likely to occur in the crucible of significant, local engagement is an extraordinarily promising serious, sustained engagement with local schools strategy for realizing institutional mission and and their communities. purpose. As elegantly expressed by Paul To conclude by placing our argument in a Pribbenow, president of Augsburg College, the larger context, we turn to the work of the great “intersections of vocation and location” provide American philosopher and educator John Dewey, who famously wrote: “Democracy must begin at

home, and its home is the neighborly This article draws significantly from community.”18 Democracy, he emphasized, has Knowledge for Social Change: Bacon, Dewey to be built on face-to-face interactions in which and the Revolutionary Transformation of human beings work together cooperatively to Research Universities in the Twenty-First solve the ongoing problems of life. In effect, we Century (2017) by Lee Benson, Ira Harkavy, are updating Dewey and advocating the John Puckett, Matthew Hartley, Rita A. Hodges, following proposition: Francis E. Johnston and Joann Weeks, Democracy must begin at home, and its Philadelphia, PA: Temple University Press. It home is the truly engaged neighborly university also draws from “Engaging Urban Universities and its local community partners. ■ as Anchor Institutions for Health Equity,” by Ira Harkavy, in American Journal for Public Health,

Vol. 106 (12), December 201.

REFERENCES the profitmaking motive on university operations and goals. See Sheila 1 Ira Harkavy et al., “Anchor Institutions as Partners in Building Slaughter and Larry L. Leslie, Politics, Policies, and the Entrepreneurial Successful Communities and Local Economies,” in Retooling HUD for a University, Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1997; Catalytic Federal Government: A Report to Secretary Shaun Donovan, Burton R. Clark, Creating Entrepreneurial Universities: Organizational eds. Paul C. Brophy and Rachel D. Godsil, Philadelphia, PA: Penn Pathways of Transformation, Oxford: Pergamon Press, 1998. For a more Institute for Urban Research; 2009, pp.147–169, available at: recent discussion that highlights the lack of definitional agreement in http://www.margainc.com/initiatives/aitf, accessed July 20, 2016. Europe, where the concept has gained particular currency, see 2 The Pew Charitable Trusts, “Philadelphia 2017: The State of the City,” Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, A Guiding 2017, available at: Framework for Entrepreneurial Universities, final version, 18 December http://www.pewtrusts.org/~/media/assets/2017/04/pri_philadelphia_2017 2012, available at https://www.oecd.org/site/cfecpr/EC- _state_of_the_city.pdf, accessed April 9, 2017; Select Greater OECD%20Entrepreneurial%20Universities%20Framework.pdf, accessed Philadelphia Council, “At the Heart of Good Business: Greater August 22, 2016. 10 Philadelphia: The Place to Establish and Grow your Business,” 2016, For example, James Mulholland, "Academics: Forget about Public available at: http://www.selectgreaterphiladelphia.com/wp- Engagement, Stay in Your Ivory Towers," The Guardian, 10 December content/uploads/2016/06/SGP-Report-2016-lowres.pdf, accessed April 9, 2015, https://www.theguardian.com/higher-education- 2017. network/2015/dec/10/academics-forget-about-public-engagement-stay-in- 3 Ira Harkavy, Matthew Hartley, Rita Hodges, and Joann Weeks, “The your-ivory-towers. 11 History and Development of a Partnership Approach to Improve Schools, Carol Geary Schneider, “Making Excellence Inclusive: Liberal Communities and Universities,” in Developing Community Schools, Education and America’s Promise,” Liberal Education 91, no. 2, 2005, p. Community Learning Centers, Extended-Service Schools and Multi- 13; Andrew Delbanco, College: What It Was, Is, and Should Be, service Schools: International Exemplars for Practice, Policy and Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2012, pp. 175-176. 12 Research, eds. Hal A. Lawson and Dolf van Veen, Cham, Switzerland: John Dewey, Reconstruction in Philosophy, in The Middle Works of Springer International Publishing, 2016, pp. 303–321; Heather A. Davis, John Dewey, 1899–1924, vol. 12, ed. Jo Ann Boydston, Carbondale: “Penn Recognized for Commitment to Economic Inclusion,” Penn Southern Illinois University, 1978, pp. 189–190; digitally reproduced in Current, July 2, 2015, available at: https://penncurrent.upenn.edu/2015- Larry Hickman, ed., The Collected Works of John Dewey, 1882–1953: 07-02/latest-news/penn-recognized-commitment-economic-inclusion, The Electronic Edition, Charlottesville, VA: InteLex, 1996. 13 accessed August 28, 2016. Center for Educational Research and Innovation, The University and 4 Francis E. Johnston & Ira Harkavy, The Obesity Culture: Strategies for the Community: The Problems of Changing Relationships, Paris: Change: Public Health and University-Community Partnerships. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, 1982, p. 127. 14 Cambridgeshire, UK: Smith-Gordon, 2009; Lee Benson, Ira Harkavy & Stanley Fish is arguably the most outspoken proponent of the John Puckett, Dewey’s Dream: Universities and Democracies in an Age “disciplinary fallacy;” see his Save the World on Your Own Time, New of Education Reform, Philadelphia, PA: Temple University Press, 2007. York: Oxford University Press, 2008. 15 5 University City District, “West Philadelphia Skills Initiative: Results Meyer Reinhold, “Opponents of Classical Learning in America During and Impact,” available at: http://www.universitycity.org/impact, accessed the Revolutionary Period,” Proceedings of the American Philosophical October 17, 2016. Society, 112 (4), 1968, p. 224; Benjamin Franklin, Proposals Relating to 6 The Philadelphia Higher Education Network for Neighborhood the Education of Youth in Pennsilvania [sic], 1749, reprinted in Benjamin Development publishes weekly updates on its members’ outreach Franklin on Education, ed. John Hardin Best, New York, NY: Teachers activities on the website PHENND.org. College Press, 1962. 16 7 Ira Harkavy et al., “Anchor Institutions as Partners in Building Paul Pribbenow, “Lessons on Vocation and Location: The Saga of Successful Communities and Local Economies”; Marga Incorporated, Augsburg College as Urban Settlement,” World and Word 34, no. 2, “Anchor Institutions Task Force” Task Force Statement, New York: 2014, p. 158. 17 Marga, 2010, available at https://www.margainc.com/wp- E. M. Forster, Howard’s End, Toronto: William Briggs, 1911, front content/uploads/2017/05/anchor_task_force_statement.pdf, accessed matter. 18 January 6, 2018. John Dewey, The Public and Its Problems, in The Later Works of John 8 Derek Bok, Universities in the Marketplace: The Commercialization of Dewey, 1925–1953, vol. 2, ed. Jo Ann Boydston, Carbondale: Southern Higher Education, Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2003. Illinois University, 1981, p. 368; digitally reproduced in Larry Hickman, 9 Although definitions vary, the concept of the entrepreneurial university Collected Works of John Dewey. grew out of the commodification and commercialization that higher education encourages, and the increased impact of the marketplace and

Leveraging Opportunity: How a College and a University Can Engage in Community Development as a Social Justice Mission Gregory M. Anderson, Ph.D.

When attempting to answer the universal phenomenon. Indeed, I have witnessed ubiquitous question regarding how universities first-hand through my own research in South integrate research, policy and practice in building Africai that similar dynamics and tensions exist social justice and community development in very different locations, whether referring to initiatives, let me begin by stating that I do not urban forces that shape the lives in believe that most universities necessarily do this neighborhoods in Cape Town or North integration work well nor comprehensively. Philadelphia and the attendant tensions which Moreover, despite the innovative examples can strain university and community relations. provided here in the symposium, I would This somewhat sober introduction has been contend that generally speaking, universities do a provided to simply remind people that much better job of touting and celebrating this community development initiatives require kind of work than sustaining and scaling up vigilance, intense self-reflection and community development initiatives through our interrogation, and most importantly, a process of institutions. In making this claim, I do not want institutional codification to ensure continuity and to leave anyone with a false impression; in no hopefully promote replicable or scalable impact. way am I diminishing the importance of the Now that I have provided my sociological public good undergirding the overall mission of disclaimer, let me address the question of higher education. Nor am I asserting that there integration head on as this is the most difficult are not university examples of sustained aspect of transformative community community development initiatives. Rather, I am development work since it requires, in my merely highlighting the fact that interactions opinion, four components: between surrounding 1) University leadership seriously (as neighborhoods/communities and universities are opposed to mostly rhetorically) complicated by differences in relations of power, committed to enhancing a public good, resources, and conflicting expectations and social justice mission, and informing and interpretations regarding what constitute shaping local, state and national policy successful outcomes. by contributing in-kind resources as a So far, I do not believe anything stated starting point for collaboration. here is at all controversial and is typically 2) Progressive faculty open to viewing reflected in the language often associated with impact more broadly in relation to not university and community relations such as only their respective research agendas, “imminent domain” or “town and gown”. but also the utilization of their students Furthermore, the complex nature of relationships (internships, assistantships, etc.) and the between universities, neighborhoods and realignment of their academic programs. communities is in my view, a somewhat This also entails a willingness to apply their collective expertise to evaluate and highlight once again the vagaries of university improve existing practices and services and community relations, as the Choice and introduce new assessments, Neighborhood grant almost did not come to interventions and pilots. fruition. The reason for this “near miss” 3) Coordination of asset based partnerships revolved primarily around a concern that the between schools, universities, and non- University could potentially overcommit profit and philanthropic organizations, institutional resources to the community based on a collaborative recognition of development initiative. To address this concern, respective strengths and weaknesses and my colleagues in the College quickly assembled a willingness to share resources a matrix of in-kind resources and binding differentially depending on need and agreements between several service-related units priorities. on campus to ensure a sufficient number of 4) Community leaders, neighborhood student volunteers to support the educational associations, networks and government programming required by the HUD grant. We agencies open to constructive dialogue with also had to demonstrate to our President that the new and/or different service arrangements university would not be on the hook for and providers. providing unanticipated inputs that could When these four components of inadvertently generate expenses not accounted integration are aligned and in synch, universities for in the budget. Finally, the College had to and colleges are capable of doing impactful and convince the residents of Norris apartments that sustaining work in partnership with we would work in partnership with their neighborhoods and communities. A case in point coalition to consult with, and ultimately involving Temple University is the Choice empower, the community and its leaders to Neighborhood initiative in North Philadelphia. sustain programming after the HUD grant Temple, and in particular, the College of expired. Education, is the lead educational partner for the All of what we might call the above due $30 million Urban Housing Development (HUD) diligence work had to occur within three months grant awarded to the City of Philadelphia. This of the submission of the grant and while grant essentially involves the complete overhaul preparing with the Philadelphia Mayor’s staff to of a public housing complex called Norris make an accompanying presentation to the Apartments, which is adjacent to Temple selection committee. I would be remiss if I did University. In addition to the construction of a not also point out that we completed a significant new public and mixed-income housing complex, chunk of this foundational work while I was still the grant requires the provision of a number of transitioning from Colorado to Temple Pre-K, K-8, and after-school activities attached Universityii. I share this to highlight the to long-term goals and a host of educational serendipitous and fine line that separates a outcomes. successful community development initiative Before I describe in greater detail the from a concept that never sees the light of the different elements of the community day. development initiative, however, I need to Once the HUD grant was awarded, I vis a multitude of disciplines and fields operating started to fully grasp the opportunity for the in our academic programs, centers and institutes, college and university to serve as an anchor for it became clearer that our expertise and research instigating change in a geographically designated capacities spanned life-long learning area with historic ties to Temple. Due to the opportunities and encapsulated both rigorous and nature of the Choice Neighborhood initiative diverse methodologiesiv. With a growing body of many of the key stakeholders were already evidence and research pointing to involved in the work. These stakeholders intergenerational approaches as the most included the Philadelphia School District (SDP), effective way to revitalize neighborhoods and the Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHA) and communities and address poverty, we decided to several long-standing non-profit organizations “double down” if you will on the investments operating in the region. Furthermore, both already made via the $30 million HUD grant. college and university resources (particularly The primary intent was to build on and expand those involving students and to a lesser degree, the activities already promised in the choice faculty) were already committed to supporting neighborhood initiative by exploring the targeted (Pre-K to K8) educational and possibility of creating a multigenerational facility community programs and engaged in setting and on the outskirts of Temple University. evaluating milestones and long-term outcomes. The proposed facility (anticipated board approval Initially, the College of Education was primarily in May 2017 for construction) would house a 4- responsible for assessing the efficacy of the star, Keystone rated Early Childhood Center and educational activities with some oversight of the a host of integrational clinical and assessment respective non-profits, Pre-K centers and K-8 services featuring: dental, medical, as well as schools tasked collectively with the delivery of family counseling clinics, related services. However, early on in the workforce/professional development planning process, my colleagues and I saw what programming, educational testing, as well as might be called a leveraging moment to develop college and career-ready advising. The reality a comprehensive, community place-based, multi- was that the vast majority of proposed services generational strategy. This anchor strategy were already being provided in a piecemeal hinged on a desire to better align our historic fashion both within my college (though our access mission and social justice values with our academic programming and by a number of our academic programs and student internships (at centers, institutes and clinics) and among other both undergraduate and graduate levels)iii. academic units on campus. The challenge was to Equally important, we began to look for cohere and enhance these services in such a opportunities to link our faculty expertise by manner that the proposed facility could be incenting individual as well as more institutional embraced as a community, as opposed to (existing centers, institutes and federally funded university, asset. programming) research agendas to congeal To accomplish this goal, we needed to around collaboratively funded projects. Starting overcome several obstacles involving restricted with the recognition that our collective strength university funding streams (bond/debt capacity as a College of Education was its hybridity vis-a- issues) and limited operations (no billing or fee collection capacity as well as staffing and other commit to moving a portion of my College’s related resource constraints) at the college-level. operations, and in particular, the related centers, In an attempt to overcome the university funding institutes and clinics currently under the auspices stream challenge, I convinced Temple of the college, to the new facility. I was able to University’s Board of Trustees (BOT) to approve demonstrate this possibility financially because the purchase of a vacant lot near the edge of under our responsibility center management campus previously owned by the School District (RCM) budgeting system, my college was of Philadelphia in the hope of developing an already paying square footage rental charges to Early Learning and Community Engagement the university. In other words, I could substitute Center. In doing so, I pledged to the university paying rent to the university by covering a leadership that I would within a two-year period significant chunk of the rental charges in the new come up with a plan for their consideration that facility and paying the developer instead. In could support the building of a new facility turn, the university would recover valuable space without undermining the university’s bond given up by my college that was desired by other capacity or increasing its debt. academic units, who were willing to pay Temple This proposed plan features, on the one increased rental charges to expand their hand, a public-private partnership in which an footprint. outside developer would construct and own the Having created a business model that new facility where the Early Childhood and made a public-private partnership potentially Community Engagement Center would operate. viable, we then needed to mitigate the financial On the other hand, Temple University maintains risk to the college by seeking outside non-profit ownership over the property and essentially partners and other academic units on campus guarantees paying all rental charges and is willing to operate and pay rent within the new responsible for the master lease over a 30 to 50- proposed facility. Truth be told, there was no year period. Furthermore, the developer would way for several reasons, that the college could seek New Market Tax Credits to reduce the operate a facility like the one proposed without overall cost of the building and to keep the partners. In the first place, while we certainly square footage rental charges below market had the faculty expertise to design a cutting edge value. We are now in the final stages of Pre-K curriculum, as well as early childhood and negotiations with the developer and I hope to elementary education pre-service teachers to have BOT approval in May 2017. participate in the classrooms, we did not have the The second challenge concerned the permanent teaching staff. In addition, the limited operational capacity of the college. By college did not have the staffing infrastructure to proposing a public-private partnership, I had to sustain an early childhood center nor the billing make certain that the college could demonstrate capacity to draw down Head Start funds. As a to the university that the organizations and units consequence, we explored potential partnerships operating in the new facility could indeed afford with several non-profit early childhood providers to cover the rental charges over a designated to assist the college. With the support of a period of time as enshrined in a long-term master planning grant from the Fund for Quality, Public lease. This meant that I had to simultaneously Health Management Corp and William Penn Foundation, the college entered into a proposed respectfully. Without these services and agreement with the Montgomery Early Learning expertise, the proposed Center would not have Center (MELC). MELC has the vision, the garnered what might be called the “cross-over” experience in similarly challenged capacity, which is required to deepen the buy-in neighborhoods, and the organizational stability of the university. Such buy-in is important to required to strike up an effective partnership with sustain a community development initiative and the college. MELC also had the necessary capital to serve as an open invitation for other academic and billing capacity to commit in principle to units and university services to potentially join paying the rental charges required by the and collectively augment efforts to revitalize developer. We have struck similar potential North Philadelphia neighborhoods and agreements with other high quality non-profit communities. organizations. For example, we are seeking to Having taken considerable time and space to lay partner with the Jewish Educational and out how the college and Temple University Vocational Services (JEVS) to provide and extended its shared vision and mission for expand adult workforce development training in rebuilding the urban economy, I want to now partnership with the college’s Center for turn to the specific question of what incentives Technical Education and our Intergenerational and motivations can be shared for engaging Center. We are also working with SPIN Inc., to faculty and staff. I should point out that on the partner with our family counseling, testing and staff side, the motivations were frankly much applied behavioral analysis clinics and our easier to identify and harness. Simply stated, the Institute on Disabilities. composition of the staff at Temple University, Again, it is important to note that not like many public, urban universities and only do these long-standing non-profit colleges, is far more diverse (age, race, ethnicity, organizations extend the potential impact and socio-economic status) than the faculty. As a quality of the multi-generational services offered result, efforts to create meaningful opportunities to the community, but they also provide a crucial to support communities are more often than not, source of rental fees to be paid to the developer met with great enthusiasm by our staff in part or Temple University (depending ultimately if because many of them can relate to the lived the public-private option is approved to build the experiences of the surrounding neighborhoods. new facility). Moreover, these potential partners In addition, the historic public access offered the possibility to collect different and mission of Temple University resonates with new (for the college) sources of revenue in the both progressive staff and faculty. Although it form of state and federal dollars available to us may be hard to quantify, there is a palpable via new fee-for-service arrangements. There is connection to the mission of the university that one other component of the proposed Early does indeed inform how our staff, faculty and Learning and Community Engagement Center students view themselves and their respective that is both noteworthy and critical to the vocations as servant leaders. This connection is expansion of services: the proposed dental clinic especially powerful among our students, who to and medical practice to be run by our colleagues varying degrees chose Temple University in the Schools of Dentistry and Medicine, because of its urban location and its social justice mission. Moreover, when factoring in that the with existing assets in the college or create new vast majority of the students in the College of entities to address gaps in practice, research and Education require internships, practicum policy. placements, clinical observations, and in- Two examples come to mind regarding classroom experiences to complete their degrees how the community development initiative can and obtain the necessary certifications, it should serve as a magnet for new and exciting faculty. come as little surprise that work in the The first occurred with much fanfare and a surrounding communities, schools and considerable degree of controversy: the recent neighborhoods are taken up by students with hiring of Sara Goldrick-Rab. Some of you might earnestness and a deep-rooted idealismv. know Sara’s important work on college access However, I do not want to overstate the and affordability, while others may recognize her power of a “calling” to help others, especially in more for her social media exploits and recent the case of faculty, since their motivations are inclusion on an ominous national watch list more complicated and hinge on providing targeting progressive faculty. We were able to incentives related to what academics care most bring Sara to Temple because of important about: their individual subject matter or content college assets promoting equity, such as our areas. Indeed, the best way to reach the hearts Gear Up and Upward Bound grants. In turn, and minds of faculty is to create opportunities for Goldrick-Rab was interested in creating a their scholarly work to garner greater support, proposed, HOPE Center for College, resources and attention by facilitating new Community, and Justice. This Center is collaborations that enable documented impact in committed to translational research focused on their fields of practice, and the arenas of policy rethinking and restructuring higher education, and research. In this regard, my job as dean is social policies, practices and resources to create fairly straightforward, albeit not always easily opportunities for all students to complete college executed: that is, hire great faculty, find more degrees. Sara’s new proposed center is slotted to sponsored funding and philanthropic dollars and be part of our multi-generational community create better infrastructural support to allow for engagement facility. the highest level of faculty productivity. In the The second example of the magnetic case of the proposed Center for Early Childhood power of the community development initiative and Community Engagement, I was able to and our anchored, place-based strategy, is the appeal to several areas of faculty strength in the recent cluster hiring of faculty interested in college. These areas ranged from early creating another new center on assessment and childhood literacy, special education, disabilities evaluation. We have attracted and hired no less studies and clinical assessments featuring school, than five new faculty just in the last three counseling and educational psychology, to months, who have all committed to contributing organizational development and adult learning. to this new proposed assessment and evaluation Equally important, the proposed Center gave me center. In combination with key existing faculty the ability to attract new faculty who were at the college, we now have the breadth of interested in social justice and community subject matter and qualitative and quantitative engagement, and who were willing to partner methodological expertise to do case studies and large scale evaluations on a host of topics. These underlying intent of this complementary strategy topics span toddlers and infants, early childhood is to once again utilize the full breadth of faculty literacy, middle grades science and math, career and student expertise and related academic and college-readiness programming, mental and programming to promote the turnaround or behavioral health, organizational development transformation of the regional network that and adult learning across the life span. serves a large number of school-age children in Without the capacity to validate what the immediate neighborhoods surrounding works as well as what is not successful in terms Temple University. The aspirational goal of this of practices, pilots and interventions in targeted work is for students, teachers, and neighborhoods and schools, there is no hope of leaders to learn and operate in healthy, replicating and scaling up community sustainable ecosystems that improve educational development initiatives. To enhance validation and social/emotional/behavioral/physical efforts, I have strategically used one-time funds outcomes. To this end, we have committed the to provide startup for new faculty to use with college to engaging in four key areas to expand two important qualifications: first, that the total opportunities for north Philadelphia youth and amount of dollars available cannot be prepare them for college and career: individually released without faculty 1) Evaluation, Assessment, and Monitoring contributing to research in the areas of for Ongoing Decision-Making in all assessment and evaluation; and second, a portion partner schools. of the available funds must be used to support 2) Support Core Instructional Delivery (first other colleagues in the college, who are capable phase involves literacy in K-5 schools). and willing to collaborate on joint projects. 3) Social-Emotional, Mental, Behavioral, By building incentives around assessment and Physical Health (RTI, Trauma- and evaluation work of new and existing faculty, informed care, screeners, etc.) the motivations of our scholarship and research interventions for students and teachers. in the areas of teacher education, school redesign 4) Talent Recruitment, Professional and leadership, have been refocused. In Development, and Retention (using our particular, we are using our assessment and Teacher Quality Partnership funded evaluation acumen to serve as a catalyst for Residency-based teacher education another crucial component of our place-based, program and a host of PD provided by community development initiative in north students and faculty). Philadelphia: the creation of a new proposed We are currently in negotiations with one of the school network partnership with the SDP. largest Philadelphia-based philanthropic This new partnership hinges on the foundations to receive a 3-5 year, multi-million college working with a finite number of K-8 dollar grant to support our partnership with schools, centers for technical education (CTEs) Network 4. Our intention is to build sustainable and secondary schools primarily located in and validated models of improvement and Network 4 of the Philadelphia School District; a excellence in the neighborhood schools. grouping of North Philadelphia schools under the Combined, our nascent partnership with a leadership of a regional superintendent. The specific network of schools and the anchoring of the proposed Early Childhood and Community planned activities and practices, will in Engagement Center, is emblematic of a multi- combination, produce transformative results. generational, place-based strategy that expands This somewhat humbling observation is critical on the community development initiative to remind us all daily that our biggest challenge stemming from the Choice Neighborhood grant. is, and will continue to be, managing the We believe that the approach is both sustainable relationship between the university and impacted and serves the needs of our undergraduate and neighborhoods and communities. graduate students, while also having the potential Indeed, in meeting with community to improve the life chances of people residing in leaders and visiting churches and neighborhood neighborhoods and communities surrounding gatherings, I have come to understand and Temple University. This lifelong learning model appreciate that the big “T” logo that stands for features an integrated framework to collaborate Temple, is frequently viewed as standing instead with other academic units on campus, in for “takeover” in the eyes of some folks in the partnership with non-profit and philanthropic community. In order to address these organizations, government agencies and the perceptions, the work before us must always school district. begin and end with a commitment to listening to, In making this work central to our social and learning from, the surrounding communities, justice mission and values, we are not naïve to neighborhood associations and their either the challenges ahead, or the countless organizations and leaders. Without meaningful efforts of universities that have failed to sustain and respectful dialogue that produces short-term these models or generate lasting and positive and longitudinal results, we run the real risk of outcomes. In fact, it is our principled belief and alienating neighborhoods and communities, and commitment to assessment and evaluation that ultimately failing to fulfil our social justice we hope will drive our practice and when mission. necessary, compel us to change our approaches. A case in point involves the Our research will inform policy and also help to establishment of an after-school program in hold all partners accountable to ensure that the Norris apartments. After community leaders programs, pilots, and interventions, both within expressed deep frustration with another non- and outside the college and university, generate profit organization charged with providing the high quality services supported by evidence. service, we were asked by the Philadelphia There is much talk these days about the Housing Authority to “takeover” the program. notion of collective impact and I must admit that, After listening intently, the Norris residents’ on occasion, I have been swayed by the term. In concerns, we came to the conclusion that the full disclosure, I have used the concept of after-school program was initially unsuccessful collective impact to frame the work we are doing because the prior non-profit partner did not to enact change and revitalize neighborhoods. I include “a training the trainers” model to sustain have since learned however, that collective programming once the choice neighborhood impact is more a process, as opposed to a ready- funding was inevitably spent down. The made framework; it implies a set of strategies residents’ desire to redefine the after-school that we as of yet, do not know whether the program represented a simple, yet perfectly rational perspective that hinged on a self- I conclude with this small example empowering model of engagement. The because it was a turning point in our relationship residents rightly felt that by providing the with a neighborhood and a residential complex neighborhood with resources was a necessary but that our faculty, staff and students pass each day insufficient condition to ensuring long-term on their way to work or study. Although the success. Instead, what was required was the total amount of funding involved was tiny in the provision of training of specifically targeted grand scheme of things, we were able to build residents committed to helping support their trust together. Without such trust, there is no children and run the after school program on ability to move the needle and sustain their own. This approach meant that the dollars transformative work between communities, available to support the after-school work were neighborhoods and universities. The lesson better utilized by residents seeking training gleaned: folks want to do for themselves as rather than the College of Education parachuting opposed to others doing for them, as there is no in to run the program ourselves. better approach to promote self-determination and important role modeling in the community. ■

REFERENCES i See Gregory M. Anderson, Building a People’s University in South Africa: Race, Compensatory Education and the Limits of Democratic Reform (Peter Lang, Inc., 2002). ii I need to warmly acknowledge James Earl Davis, the college’s Bernard Watson Endowed Chair in Urban Education. James Earl, who prior to my arrival, served as the interim dean was instrumental in both stewarding the college through the choice neighborhood proposal stage and advocating for Temple University to serve as the lead educational partner from the HUD grant and the City of Philadelphia. iii For instance, we initiated a college-wide audit of all the required practicum and internship sites for our undergraduate and graduate students to see where we could provide a critical mass of support and greater overlap of our work in schools, non-profits and childhood and mental health organizations operating in the region. We also introduced a new undergraduate degree, Human Development and Community Engagement, which we carefully built new internships around to provide our students with new “non-teacher education” clinical experiences. iv Indeed, the College boasts a myriad of critical lens and skill sets ranging from school, counseling and educational psychology, applied behavioral analysis and special education, English as a second language, adult organizational development and higher education, sociology and urban studies, history and public policy, to traditional teacher preparation and school leadership programming. v Illustrative of this vocational, social justice impetus is the growth of our relatively new, non-teacher education related, Human Development and Community Engagement Degree, which despite being introduced only two years ago without great fanfare and marketing, is now our second largest undergraduate degree in the college.