[English Version] MPA Annual Report 2025

Annual Report 2025

Executive Summary Carolina Mejías Rivera Executive Director Leadership is built collectively and sustained through commitment.

This conviction has guided the work of Mentes Puertorriqueñas en Acción (MPA) throughout our history. Investing in youth is not a future promise; it is an urgent action necessary to transform Puerto Rico’s present.

Since its establishment, the PARACa VISTA Fellowship has demonstrated that investing in young talent generates real impact. To date, this collective effort has generated $5,491,398.37 for Puerto Rico’s social sector, strengthening organizations, essential services, and leaders committed to the archipelago's well-being.

In 2025, we continued driving systemic change through #EnAcción by incubating 10 youth-led projects that address urgent challenges such as access to essential services for blind people, adult women with autism, end-of-life and grief support, well-being of elderly adults, civic participation, and climate justice.

This same year, we brought together more than 50 young people to engage in dialogue about the Puerto Rico we want to build over the next 250 years, participating in Next250. This initiative amplifies the voices of Latin, Black, and low-income communities across the United States, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico, advancing proposals on climate justice, fair wages, reproductive justice, democratic strengthening, and violence prevention.

Additionally, we launched the Liderando 100×35 Map, a living snapshot of Puerto Rican talent that showcases the community of Changemakers trained in PARACa and #EnAcción, highlighting young people’s commitment to make Puerto Rico their life project.

2025 reaffirms that when young people have access to real opportunities and intentional support, our country moves forward. For this reason, we continue building leadership through community, convinced that a just, supportive, and participatory Puerto Rico is within reach.

PARACa VISTA Fellowship Programa de Apoderamiento y Retención de Agentes de Cambio PARACa

$657,526.91 Total Value of Resources Generated 30,769 Hours of Service 2,240 Hours of Training Delivered 29 Changemakers ​​

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32 Systems Generated 28 Partner Organizations

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PARACa Semester Cohort We launched a pilot edition of the PARACa program during the August–December 2025 semester.

Three nonprofit organizations participated in the program and provided placement sites for young leaders from Mayagüez, Manatí, and Caguas.

$61,084 Total Value of Resources Generated 1,019.5 Hours of Service 117 Hours of Training Delivered ​

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6 Systems Generated This pilot project was made possible thanks to the support of:

#EnAcción Civic Action Program

67% of projects are being implemented in the community, and 20% developed a work plan to begin implementation in 2026.

In doing so, they address:

Promoting a Conscious, Sensible and Effective Leadership Announcing the Leadership and Strategies for Social Change Course In 2025, we developed a training offer composed of three leadership modules, designed to meet the needs of organizations and teams seeking to strengthen a leadership that is capable of creating change and motivating their teams to act with an equitable and socially responsible approach.

Definition, differences, and importance between two leadership styles: transactional and transformational.

Mentes Puertorriqueñas en Accións’ Leadership Development Theory defines a leadership that is capable of addressing Puerto Rico's social, economic, and political challenges.

An exploration of the oppressions and privileges we all carry, in order to recognize them and engage with our teams in a conscious and equitable way.

The modules are delivered individually or as part of a training cycle and are tailored to needs of nonprofit organizations, businesses, educational institutions, and community collectives.

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To coordinate workshops or customized proposals, contact us at:

veronica@mentesenaccion.org.

This project was made possible thanks to the support of:

Next 250 Collectively building a vision for the next 250 years.

On May 3, we brought together 52 young people to engage in dialogue about the Puerto Rico we dream of. Next250 amplifies the voices of Latin, Black, and low-income communities across the United States, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico, with the goal of advancing conversations and proposals around climate justice, fair wages, reproductive justice, democratic strengthening, and violence prevention.

On September 3, Executive Director Carolina Mejías, represented MPA as a keynote speaker at the launch event in Washington, D.C.

Liderando 100x35 From north to south, from east to west, young leaders are changing our present!

As part of our 2025 fundraising campaign, we launched the Liderando 100×35 Map in partnership with Gadiel Miranda Acevedo, who is PARACa Class of 2025. This map tells the story of who are the Changemakers trained in the PARACa and #EnAcción programs since 2009, what they do, and where they are located.

This map is a snapshot of Puerto Rican talent and demonstrates that young people across the archipelago are committed to social justice.

The Liderando 100×35 Map is a testament of our Theory of Change: a tool that showcases the 16-year trajectory of our alumni community. From San Juan to Lajas and from Fajardo to Mayagüez, they are shaping our present into one that is more supportive, participatory, and just.

Explore the map at: www.mentesenaccion.org/mapa100x35.

The map was launched during our Liderando 100×35 fundraiser, where we showcased the stories of four MPA alumni:

We extend our deepest gratitude to our partners and sponsors whose generous support made this night a success: Casa Aboy, Servicio de Extensión Agrícola de UPR Mayagüez , ISIC Puerto Rico, Open Bar Móvil, Villa Gladys, Picadera de Abu, Joel Acosta y Salón Boricua.

Conferences and events For a Just, Supportive, and Participatory Puerto Rico

Human Rights: Open Dialogue with Youth

In response to current Human Rights struggles, we hosted an open dialogue with youth to reflect and co-create collective solutions that protect human dignity and the future of our archipelago.

Ethical, Compassionate, and Effective Journalism In collaboration with 9 Millones, we held a conversation about journalism as an effective tool for social change.

Young journalists discussed how their profession can shape public perception and reflected on the future of journalism in the digital era, including the challenges of maintaining quality and ethical standards.

From Youth to Retirement: Struggles That Connect Us Pensioners’ Struggle Day concluded with a conversation about the uncertainty surrounding young people’s access to a dignified retirement. We hosted a multigenerational dialogue to better understand the issue, address it, and propose solutions that guarantee a dignified retirement for all.

Women on the Spectrum: Challenges, Diagnosis, and Pathways to Support

We engaged in a conversation with Dr. Ismarie Soto Infante and GEMA about women on the autism spectrum, exploring their challenges, diagnostic experiences, and the support pathways available for them.

Death and grief: Recognizing your right to say goodbye Luna Menguante hosted a solidarity space where processes of grief, social expectations, the rights of the LGBTTQIA+ community, and the government’s responsibility in addressing these issues were discussed.

Publication in Cuaderno Crítica Journal: Nonprofit Organizations and Social Change Carolina Mejías Rivera, Executive Director, and Alejandro Silva Díaz, MPA alumni (Class of 2010), are co-authors of the essay “The Role and Advantages of Nonprofit Organizations as Models for Generating Change” in this publication.

Participation in 2 Conversations of Relevance to Our Youth: ​

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Media Presence

Verano Transformador by Oenegé Yalanis Vélez (PARACa 2021), Aris Class (PARACa 2022) and Paola Cabrera (PARACa 2022) shared their life stories, leading to the publication of three articles that highlight how the summer edition of the PARACa program fosters transformative youth leadership in Puerto Rico.

Executive Director, Carolina Mejías Rivera, appeared on the program “En La Mañana” on TeleOnce to discuss the emerging workforce, alongside Melissa Rivera, Human Resources Specialist and General Manager of Manpower Group, and Attorney Jaime Sanabria, labor law professor and attorney. [Watch the Interview]

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Partnerships and Fiscal Sponsorships Aligned with our mission to strengthen youth leadership in Puerto Rico: Leadership and Community Advocacy Curriculum Collaboration between Migrant Clinicians Network and MPA

Sol es VIDA Villa del Sol Community Sustainability

La Escuela de Liderazgo Político y Comunitario Empowering Afro-Puerto Rican youth in eastern Puerto Rico.

Colectivx Colectivx An initiative led by queer youth focused on building collaborative spaces and elevating the LGBTTIQAP+ community.

Mentes Puertorriqueñas en Acción, Inc. 167 Ave. Ponce de León San Juan, PR 00917 PO BOX 30518 San Juan, PR 00929 correo@mentesenaccion.org www.mentesenaccion.org