In December 2020, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico launched Project LEAD (Legal Enrichment And Decision-making), an educational program aimed at teaching students in the 5th and 8th grades about the criminal justice system and the significance of making sound decisions. The program, spanning ten weeks, includes techniques designed to help students manage conflicts and withstand peer pressure.
This semester, students from four schools completed the Project LEAD curriculum: S.U. Eugenio María de Hostos in Arecibo (8th grade), María Vázquez Umpierre in Bayamón (8th grade), Manuel Bou Galí in Corozal (5th grade), and Isaac Del Rosario in Cataño (5th grade).
Project LEAD was originally established in 1993 by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office in collaboration with the Constitutional Rights Foundation. Its primary objective is to educate children on how their current choices can have long-lasting impacts on their lives. Through a partnership between the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office and the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico, this program was translated into Spanish for the first time. Furthermore, it allowed tailoring of Project LEAD's curriculum to address scenarios that youth in Puerto Rico might face.
As of December 2020, USAO PR has reached more than 400 students throughout Puerto Rico.
