In December 2020, the United States Attorney's Office for the District of Puerto Rico initiated Project LEAD (Legal Enrichment And Decision-making), a school curriculum designed for 5th and 8th-grade students. The program aims to educate students about the criminal justice system and highlight the importance of making sound decisions. The 10-week curriculum includes strategies to help students manage conflicts and resist peer pressure.
This semester saw the completion of Project LEAD by students from four schools:
- School S.U. Eugenio María de Hostos, Arecibo – 8th grade
- School María Vázquez Umpierre, Bayamón – 8th grade
- School Manuel Bou Galí, Corozal – 5th grade
- School Isaac Del Rosario, 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 goal is to instill in children an understanding that their current choices can have long-term impacts on their lives. Through an agreement with the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico translated the program into Spanish for the first time and adapted it to address situations specific to youth in Puerto Rico.
Since December 2020, USAO PR has reached over 400 students throughout Puerto Rico.