Tania - VYLI Project Coordinator
During Easter break (March 29-April 11) VYLI
Project Coordinator Tania Cruz participated in a 10-
day educational training and site visit to the Stone
Soup Leadership Institute’s organizational partners
in the San Francisco/Bay Area of California. Tania
was the third VYLI youth leader to have this unique
experience. In 2005, her brother Josue traveled to
Southern California to work with Cesar Chavez
Foundation and Radio Campesina. In 2006, VYLI’s
first Project Coordinator, Kutasha Silva visited our
Northern California partners.
It was a life-changing experience for Tania! First
she embarked on a 4-day intensive hands-on
training at Barrios Unidos and their Cesar Chavez
School with Nane Alejandrez, Barrios Unidos
(founding board member of the Stone Soup \
Leadership Institute.) In June 2004, Nane traveled
to Vieques to launch VYLI’s first Summer Institute.
On March 31, Tania celebrated Cesar Chavez Day
of Service and Learning, by working alongside
100 diverse youth, adults and dignitaries on a
community-service project to renovate a schoolyard
and build a playground with KaBoom! Tania
represented VYLI and met with Ocean Robbins
YES! (Youth for Environmental Sanity).
We are grateful to JetBlue and Banco Popular
Foundation for their support of this educational
experience for Tania and for the future of VYLI.
Tania learned from youth leaders at People’s
Grocery during a daylong Healthy Kids Day block
party in Oakland. In preparation for this training
experienced, the 23-year-old UPR psychology
senior had done her homework: she read their
stories from the book, Stone Soup for the World;
surfed the Internet; and prepared questions so she
could interview them about lessons learned and
ideas for how to help VYLI maximize our efforts.
Since many of these organizations participated in
previous VYLI Summer Institutes or the Institute’s
Oakland Youth Leadership Initiative (2002-2004),
they were pleased to welcome Tania and learn
about VYLI’s progress. Tania also interviewed
potential candidates to serve as faculty for the
VYLI 4th Annual Summer Institute. Our goal is to
build long-lasting relationships and partnerships
with these and other organizations that can share
their time, talents and resources to help VYLI
realize its mission of preparing young and emerging
leaders to help build a new Vieques.
Tania also had her first experience working with the
media: making a national appeal on Youth Radio.
Excerpts from Tania’s remarks: Through VYLI’s
Eco-Tourism-Entrepreneurship we are helping
young people learn how they can contribute to the
economy of Vieques. When they learn the right way
to make money, we reduce crime. We are helping
Viequenses to be leaders in the business world and
inspire more Viequenses-owned businesses. When
we improve our life, we help to change our family
and friends. People around us change, too. VYLI
youth are starting to be a model for their parents,
too. If we can create Viequense leaders, who are
healthy and feel positive about themselves and their
community, we create a better place for everyone.
Vieques Youth Leadership Initiative
P.O. Box 424, Vieques, PR
00765 787.741.2254
info@vyli.com • www.vyli.com
www.soup4world.com
