Initiatives

The Puerto Rico Heat Community of Practice is a collaborative knowledge-and-action network led by the Caribbean Collaborative Action Network (CCAN), in partnership with the Puerto Rico Public Health Institute. Launched in June 2025, it provides a sustained space for communication, shared learning, and coordination among government agencies, municipalities, academic institutions, public health and emergency management professionals, nonprofit organizations, researchers, educators, community representatives, and other partners working to address extreme heat.

Through monthly virtual meetings, members exchange scientific findings, community experiences, tools, programs, and emerging needs related to heat preparedness, adaptation, response, and risk communication. Discussions have addressed topics such as vulnerable populations, school preparedness, healthcare response, early warning systems, municipal needs, urban cooling, nature-based solutions, public education, and public policy.

With more than 250 members and approximately 60 participants attending each monthly meeting, the Community of Practice strengthens relationships across sectors, supports the co-production of locally relevant strategies, and helps translate climate and health information into practical actions that protect communities in Puerto Rico and the broader U.S. Caribbean.

Join the Community

Monthly Meeting Link

WhatsApp Community

Email: heatcoppr@gmail.com

The Environmental Monitoring Program is an initiative of the Caribbean Collaborative Action Network (CCAN) that supports schools, municipalities, and communities in Puerto Rico in collecting locally relevant information about extreme heat, air quality, and other environmental conditions. The program generates data that can help participating institutions identify areas of greater exposure, evaluate environmental conditions, and develop informed adaptation and risk-reduction strategies.

The program uses environmental sensors installed in classrooms, hallways, outdoor spaces, libraries, and other community locations. Blue Maestro sensors measure temperature, relative humidity, and dew point, while PurpleAir sensors provide information on air quality, temperature, humidity, and volatile organic compounds. The data collected can be used to identify critical hours, indoor and outdoor hotspots, ventilation needs, and areas where low-cost interventions, such as shade, improved airflow, hydration stations, or changes to activity schedules, may reduce exposure.

The program also incorporates the Tempest weather station, provided by CARICOOS, to monitor weather conditions and patterns. This all-in-one instrument contains no moving parts, making it highly resistant to coastal environmental conditions. This collaboration is carried out in partnership with the Puerto Rico Sailing Federation and the Municipality of Toa Baja.

Customized for Punta Salinas, the weather station allows users to monitor weather variables in real time through a mobile or web application. The instrument provides real-time information on wind speed and direction, air temperature, accumulated precipitation, UV index, and lightning distance.

Participating schools, municipalities, and communities are engaged throughout the monitoring process through coordination meetings, educational visits, and the collaborative installation of sensors. Students, teachers, school personnel, municipal staff, researchers, and community partners can use the program as a practical tool for environmental education, STEM learning, citizen science, and evidence-based decision-making.

The Environmental Monitoring Program strengthens local capacity to understand environmental risks and translates scientific information into actionable recommendations for schools, municipalities, government agencies, and communities. The initiative is currently active in multiple locations, with additional schools and organizations expressing interest in joining and expanding the monitoring network throughout Puerto Rico.

Current Collaborators: Puerto Rico Department of Education, Autonomous Municipality of Caguas, El Puente Inc., La Maraña Inc., Urbe a Pie, Island Corps., Municipality of Toa Baja

Email: heatmonitoringschools@gmail.com

Sensor Network

Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands have common warm temperatures, and as a result, people often do not perceive excessive heat as a danger. Temperatures are rapidly increasing worldwide and in the Caribbean region due to human-induced climate change. Heat and humidity are reaching dangerous levels, suggesting that local populations are likely experiencing more heat stress and danger than they are accustomed to. In this context, it is crucial to understand how extreme heat impacts our educational environments, places where the community spends a significant portion of their time. This study aimed to understand the perceptions and experiences of employees in these institutions and to seek solutions to better adapt to this new climatic reality. The information provide was and is essential to help identify and evidence how extreme heat affects the health and well-being of employees in educational settings. 

The study was led by the Department of Environmental Health of the Graduate School of Public Health at the University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences Campus, in partnership with academic, scientific, and governmental institutions both locally and in the United States. This research project was funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Climate Adaptation Partnerships (CAP)/Regional Integrated Sciences and Assessments (RISA): Grant Number: NA22OAR4310545.

The study objectives were:

1) To analyze and understand the perceptions, vulnerabilities, and experiences of employees on school premises regarding extreme heat, as well as the associated risks and barriers.

2) To identify potential solutions and adaptations to face these conditions in the educational environment.