The academic initiative promotes experiential learning through community investment, leadership, and social responsibility.
By Institutional Communications
What began as an elective course became a transformative experience for a group of six students at the Universidad del Sagrado Corazón, who spent a semester serving as a philanthropic board to award $56,500 in grants to nonprofit organizations in Puerto Rico.
As part of the course “Social Change: Philanthropy Lab,” offered through the School of Business and led by Professor Anitza Cox Marrero, students evaluated proposals, analyzed social needs, and made real community investment decisions. The process culminated in a symbolic grant presentation ceremony held at the TV1 studio in the Ferré Rangel School of Communication.
During the event, students announced the allocation of $28,500 to Hogar Ruth and $28,000 to Happy Foundation, organizations selected after the students identified domestic violence and the wellbeing of older adults as priority focus areas.
Hogar Ruth provides protection, guidance, and support services to survivors of domestic violence and their children. The funded initiatives include the Emergency Shelter Program, which offers 24/7 safe housing for women survivors of domestic violence and their children, and Mariposa Montessori, a trauma-informed educational program that provides psychological services, daily meals, and enrichment activities for survivors’ children.
Meanwhile, Happy Foundation supports the wellbeing of older adults through social kitchen initiatives, community farming, and infrastructure improvements in elderly care homes. The selected proposals aim to increase weekly meal distribution, expand services to more than 350 seniors, broaden dignity-centered interventions in underserved homes, and open and operate a second community farm in Morovis to increase agricultural production for rural communities.
For Stephen Suárez Otero, a Business Development student and treasurer of the student board, the experience reshaped his understanding of leadership and service.
“I never planned to take a class like this, but it changed my life. It awakened a sensitivity in me that I didn’t have before, and now I want to help more people without expecting anything in return,” he said.
Similarly, Camila Rivera Vega, an Interdisciplinary Communications student with concentrations in Business Development and Theater, said the course taught her that social impact is not tied to public recognition, but rather to a willingness to serve.
“The course is about giving something tangible to someone who truly needs it. I learned that you don’t need to be well known to make a difference,” she shared.
Professor Cox explained that the academic model is designed to help students learn through real experiences in community collaboration and decision-making. Since 2023, the course has directed nearly $240,000 to nonprofit organizations in Puerto Rico, including Caras con Causa, Centro Inés, Causa Local, Solo por Hoy, Vitrina Solidaria, and Niños de Nueva Esperanza.
During the ceremony, Chief Development Officer Cassandra Vega highlighted that initiatives like this reflect an educational approach centered on developing socially conscious citizens committed to addressing the country’s most pressing challenges.
For her part, Sofía Martínez Álvarez, Executive Director of Titín Foundation, praised the students’ commitment throughout the semester.
“We celebrate students who stopped being observers and became protagonists. Students who made decisions based on criteria and data, but also with sensitivity. Puerto Rico needs leaders with social awareness who understand that philanthropy is not about giving away what is left over, but about investing in what matters,” she said.
This course is made possible through the collaboration of Titín Foundation and Darjo Foundation. Sagrado is the only university in Puerto Rico and outside the continental United States to offer this philanthropic academic experience through a partnership with The Philanthropy Lab. Rooted in Sagrado’s “learning by doing” philosophy, the course allows students to apply classroom knowledge to real-world challenges while developing leadership, empathy, and a commitment to social impact.