Walking around Scituate High School, you’ll notice a new adornment on students’ wrists—colorful, woven bracelets. What are they, exactly? And where did they come from? 

The Pulsera Project is a non-profit organization that sells handmade bracelets, called “Pulseras,” through schools, and more specifically, students. Artisans from Nicaragua and Guatemala weave the bracelets, the Pulsera Project ships and organize them for schools, and students sell the bracelets. All profit goes back into Central American communities, most notably paying artisans fair, livable wages. It’s a unique business model, as students are the primary point of sale. In 2021 alone, schools across the US raised $386,687. 

SHS Spanish teacher Sarah Brady oversees the project at Scituate High School as first-year advisor of the International Club. She’s looking to change the club’s focus, from exposure to hands-on help: “The Pulsera Project benefits the world,” Brady says, “while also allowing students to step up.” 

SHS junior Louisa Kinsley and SHS senior Sophie Cahoon are both members of the club. “We are really lucky to be where we’re at today,” Cahoon said, “but not everyone gets the same opportunities as us.” 

Kinsley stated, “This experience has helped me open my eyes even more to the continued need for support in these communities,” adding, “I was thrilled to see how many people in the town also care and want to help” by purchasing Pulseras. 

At football games, lunches, and the recent Homecoming Block Party, Kinsley, Cahoon, and other International Club members collaborated to sell the bracelets. Their efforts to fundraise, combined with community members’ donations toward the cause, help create a better world for those less fortunate. In fact, within two weeks, the club raised $1,206. “It’s a way for us to use our privilege to help others that really need it,” commented Cahoon. 

For more information on The Pulsera Project, visit https://www.pulseraproject.org/