Daddy Yankee to Give Scholarships to Troubled Kids

      Daddy Yankee has decided to fight violence with education, and to do so his foundation is teaming up with the Ana G. Méndez University System and the Juvenile Institutions Administration in Puerto Rico to start up the Edúcate con Impacto project, which will provide scholarships for young people who have committed a crime.

      “Once you get an education, you’re free. And these scholarships are to help them get ahead, so they don’t get arrested. There’s always a chance to get back on track,” the artist expressed at a press conference in Puerto Rico where the project was announced. “This is my legacy to fight the cycle of violence that I lived, and I don’t want it to rob Puerto Rico of anything else. The cycle starts in a house without love that takes away your innocence; it happens to a frustrated kid who resents the injustice of it. When you’re an adult, you take that injured spirit to your relationships and, whether you know it or not, you get even,” he added.

      The reggaeton singer contributed $100,000 to the program that in its first year will award six young people with university scholarships, a mentor and a job.

      Candidates for the scholarships must have completed 12 months of good behavior and write a letter about how “your warrior heart will help you change, and not let you fall behind.”