Colonias Program trains new promotoras in Travis County

Hispanic residents of Travis County will have better access to health care and social services with the help of a new group of promotoras , community health workers trained by Texas A&M’s [Colonias Program] (http://colonias.arch.tamu.edu) .

The group of 10 promotoras graduated in a Sept. 29 ceremony at the Parker Lane United Methodist Church in Austin.

Jorge Vanegas, dean of Texas A&M’s College of Architecture, which houses the Colonias Program, was a guest speaker at the ceremony. Oscar Muñoz, director of the program, provided the ceremony’s closing remarks.

The Colonias program, which for years has trained promotoras to operate in impoverished areas of the Texas border region with Mexico, partnered with the Promotoras Community Health Workers of Travis County in the training effort.

The newly graduated promotoras can now provide a neighbor-helping-neighbor service connecting their fellow Hispanic residents to myriad social services available through public and private sector organizations.

“They have demonstrated perseverance and dedication in mastering a challenging curriculum and they are sure to have a profound impact on improving health in their communities,” said a proclamation read by Texas state senator Kirk Watson at the ceremony.