With custom‑designed workshops, the Cortés Foundation developed three sessions in Pedro Brand and in the Colonial Zone of Santo Domingo, benefiting 115 people including students, teachers, psychology professionals and other participants. The activities were focused on well‑being, emotional expression and social transformation.
Santo Domingo. As part of the celebration of its fourteenth anniversary, the Cortés Foundation brought its program Educa Cortés: The Art of Well‑Being and Mental Health to the Dominican Republic. The initiative was carried out in three sessions in Pedro Brand and in the Colonial Zone of Santo Domingo, which benefited 115 people including students, teachers, psychologists and community members.
The Foundation uses Caribbean art as a vehicle for social transformation and designs each workshop according to the characteristics and needs of the receiving group. Its proposal addresses realities such as limited access to cultural experiences, school lag, and challenges related to mental health.
A painting, a story read aloud, or a table full of colors can become the starting point for discussing emotions, strengthening confidence, and discovering new ways to interpret the environment. The methodology integrates observation, dialogue, reading, sensory experiences and artistic creation to stimulate reflection, self‑esteem and personal expression.
Art and community in Pedro Brand
Part of the activities took place at the Cortés Visitor Center, located at kilometer 24 of the Duarte highway, in Pedro Brand.
Children from Gregorio Santos School, in the Los Cocos community, participated in two visits to the Cortés Visitor Center, located about three kilometers from the school campus. During one of the sessions, 40 fourth‑ and fifth‑grade students toured the facilities, learned about the history of Cortés Hermanos and were introduced to some of the processes related to the production of their products.
Don Chocolatín, guide of the Cortés Visitor Center, accompanied the group during the visit, which then gave way to activities with colors, textures and other creative resources designed to spark creativity, foster interaction and promote the identification of emotions.
The vice‑principal of Gregorio Santos School, the special‑education teacher, the psychologist, the librarian and two community leaders also took part, expanding the reach of the proposal to people who are part of the children’s educational and social environment.
Later, the activities moved to the Colonial Zone of Santo Domingo, where the Cortés Foundation worked in collaboration with the Taíno Cultural Center Casa del Cordón and the Center of the Image, together with students from San Blas and Santa Bárbara schools.
Heritage, visual arts and creativity served there to encourage curiosity and interpretation, taking Educa Cortés to new settings and audiences.
Reading had a special space through the participation of the Guatíbiri Reader, a character of the Cortés Foundation who encourages approaching books and promotes aloud‑reading experiences. Through stories and conversations with the children, literature was incorporated as another avenue to stimulate creative thinking and foster expression.
Each session was led by Adelisa González Lugo, executive director and lead educator of the Cortés Foundation, and Gloriby Martínez Pagán, who traveled from Puerto Rico to develop the program’s methodology.
Dr. Leticia Ubiñas, a Puerto Rican psychiatrist, has maintained for more than 20 years a working relationship with the Los Cocos community and has served as a liaison to bring these initiatives to its residents. Likewise, the agenda also featured the presence of Elaine de Cortés, as well as the support of Cortés Hermanos and the Cortés Visitor Center.
With these sessions, the Cortés Foundation solidifies in the Dominican Republic a proposal that links education, culture and emotional well‑being, and demonstrates how art can become a concrete tool to accompany learning processes, strengthen bonds and open new development possibilities in communities.
About Cortés Foundation
Established in 2012, the Cortés Foundation is a private non‑profit organization that, through art and the humanities, promotes the strengthening of values and identity in communities. Its mission is to educate and inspire based on its passion for Caribbean arts, using creative expression, dialogue and reflection as tools for education and social transformation.
Disclosure: This is a press release provided by Henry Coradin via the email “[email protected]”. Its content is the sole responsibility of the source.
