Pedagogies of Progress: The films of the Puerto Rican Division of Community Education (DIVEDCO)
The Puerto Rican Division of Community Education (División de Educación de la Comunidad, or DIVEDCO), was a government agency created in the mid 40s with the purpose of integrating the community—especially the rural population of the island—into the vertiginous industrialization and urbanization processes in Puerto Rico. Officially founded in 1949, it brought together a stunning group of visual artists, writers, and composers, producing films about health issues, hygiene, grassroots action, literacy campaigns, education and democracy. The films featured nonprofessional actors from rural areas. They constitute a vital archive of the dramatic social change experienced in the island in the 50s and its quickly fading, rural way of life.
