Founder and Executive Director of Tiempo de Contar (Time to Tell Stories). She holds a bachelor's degree in Public Communication with a minor in Drama, and a master's degree in Education with an emphasis in Reading, Writing, and Children's and Young Adult Literature from the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus.

She is a certified Children's Literature Reading Mediator by the Center for Advanced University Studies of the Organization of Ibero-American States (OEI), and is trained as a storyteller, focusing on the use of stories as an educational and cultural resource. She has participated in research on authentic representation in children's and young adult literature, and on racial issues related to child development.

For over twenty years, she has worked as a communicator, actress, and public relations professional, collaborating on cultural, educational, and community projects. Through Tiempo de Contar, she promotes initiatives that foster a love of reading and affirm children's right to experience literary, artistic, and transformative activities.

Reading facilitator with a long history of supporting children's reading development, she holds a bachelor's degree in Special Education with an emphasis on Hearing Impairments and a master's degree in Reading, Writing, and Children's and Young Adult Literature from the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus.

For the past decade, she has worked in both public and private educational settings, promoting access to literature as a tool for inclusion, enjoyment, and holistic development in early childhood. She has experience in research on migration and authentic representation in children's and young adult literature. These topics inform her pedagogical practice and her inclusive approach to reader development.

Music educator and music therapist with a career focused on the holistic development of youth and the affirmation of Afro-Caribbean culture. She holds a bachelor's degree in Music from the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus, and a master's degree in Music Therapy from the International University of La Rioja (UNIR).

From childhood, she trained in Modesto Cepeda's Bomba and Plena Workshop, an experience that cemented her musical identity and her commitment to Puerto Rican cultural traditions. As a singer and percussionist, she has collaborated with artists such as Kany García, RaiNao, and Plena Libre, and is a member of groups like LuisGa Núñez y la Sonoridad, Ausuba, and Álea 21. In the field of music therapy, she specializes in working with adolescents, integrating Afro-Caribbean rhythms to strengthen self-concept, emotional expression, and cultural identity. Her practice intertwines music, healing, and pedagogy, proposing culture as a tool for well-being and transformation.

Liza Macía Rivera holds a bachelor's degree in Preschool and Elementary Education from the University of Puerto Rico, Bayamón Campus, and a master's degree in Reading, Writing, and Children's and Young Adult Literature from the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus.

For 12 years, she was a first-grade teacher in the private sector. She complements this experience with her work as a researcher in the field of Children's and Young Adult Literature. She has researched topics related to authentic representation in Children's and Young Adult Literature and reading processes, integrating them into her teaching and professional development practice. Most recently, she served as Academic Coordinator of the Encuentros Project at CELELI, where she integrated pedagogical knowledge and cultural practice into teacher training and reading support initiatives.

Kayshla Robles Reyes holds a Master's degree in Education with a specialization in Reading, Writing, and Children's and Young Adult Literature from the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus, and a Bachelor's degree in Education with a concentration in English from the University of Puerto Rico, Cayey Campus.

She has worked as an English teacher at the elementary, middle, and high school levels in both the public and private sectors. She also worked at the Center for the Study of Reading, Writing, and Children's Literature (CELELI). She has experience in research on racial issues, authentic representation in children's and young adult literature, and reading processes. She has collaborated on reading promotion and social justice projects.

She is currently pursuing doctoral studies in Education with a specialization in Curriculum and Instruction at the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus.

Janisse Hernández Marrero is an educator by profession and holds a bachelor’s degree in Education with a focus on elementary school. In addition, she completed a second concentration in Drama and a minor in Women’s and Gender Studies at the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus.

She has worked as a workshop leader in the dramatic arts, incorporating themes of social justice. She has also worked as an educator on community projects. She is a member of La Colectiva Feminista en Construcción, a Black feminist political organization based in Río Piedras, Puerto Rico. It is from this organization that she draws inspiration for her work and sensibility as an educator and artist. In children’s literature, she sees a collective meeting point, a tool for transformation and the development of sensitivity, empathy, and critical thinking—all of which are essential for true, fundamental change in society.

Juliris Ferrao Coreano is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Social Work at Ana G. Méndez University in Bayamón. She holds a certification in Early Childhood Education (CDA), which qualifies her to provide care and support the holistic development of children ages 0 to 5, and has completed additional training in yoga and mindfulness for children.

For more than three years, she has worked as a caregiver and tutor, incorporating sensitive and creative practices into her work with children. Her passion for social change has led her to collaborate with community and educational initiatives such as the School of Anti-Racist and Community Leadership, Tiempo de Contar, and PRCONCRA—spaces that have strengthened her commitment to equity and social transformation through art and education.

In the literary sphere, her work has been published in magazines such as Kametsa, Santa Rabia, and Nuevo Horizonte, and she is featured in the Puerto Rico Poetry Slam Anthology. She was a finalist in this competition and is an active voice in Puerto Rico’s contemporary poetry scene.

Alanis Villegas is an early childhood educator and a student in the Preschool Education program, with a minor in Psychology. She studied at the Central School of Visual Arts and has worked as an art teacher since she was very young. She has experience working with children from infancy through preschool, using activities that integrate literature, art, and play.

Her practice is grounded in respect for each child’s identity, cultural context, and experiences. Through reading mediation, she seeks to bring literature to underserved communities, creating inclusive spaces where children can see themselves reflected in stories, explore other realities, and strengthen their imagination, their voice, and their sense of belonging.