The Promotores Institute
Inspiring personal and community transformation
Visión y Compromiso is committed to community well-being by supporting promotoras and other grassroots community leaders. We provide training and capacity building, leadership development, peer networking, advocacy, and support to strengthen the skills of resident leaders to apply the transformational Promotor Model to their work in the community. Trusted community members who provide servicio de corazón (service from the heart), promotores are skilled relationship builders who share lived experiences with other community members and are agents of change in immigrant communities, low-income communities, and communities of color. Promotores build egalitarian relationships, connect underserved families to critical social structures (health and education systems, social support networks, workforce opportunities), share resources to help strengthen families, and motivate residents to engage in individual and collective actions to transform their own communities into healthier places where all people can live a healthy and dignified life.
“Visión y Compromiso and the Instituto have completely changed how I view my life and helped me rediscover my goals. Today, I am stronger, more confident and I have in my hands the keys to open doors to opportunities that will help build a better world.”
THE INSTITUTO
Our Promotores Institute (El Instituto) is the first-ever training program developed by promotores for promotores based on their needs and interests. Rooted in the principles of educación popular (Paolo Freire), the Instituto employs a holistic approach to build community leaders’ skills to effectively engage residents in community transformation. Instituto participants are empowered to see, reflect and act (Ver-Reflexionar-Actuar), conduct root cause analyses related to the socio-economic, cultural and health conditions affecting their community, and learn advocacy skills to move the gears of social justice forward through individual and collective action. A 18-month training program, the Instituto is aligned with the Community Health Workers Core Consensus (C3) Project and supported by promotor advisors, technical experts and subject matter workgroups (curricula design and evaluation, professional and personal development, advocacy, and technical assistance). Organized as three phases, the Instituto’s methodology and evaluation activities support the Community Transformation Model while the unique mentoring and workforce development components promote job creation and help to integrate promotores into diverse workforce sectors.
- PHASE I: Fundamental Promotor Concepts includes personal and professional development, root cause analyses, and community project design.
- PHASE II: Advanced Promotor Concepts applied through implementation and evaluation of a community project.
- PHASE III: Specialization in Community Leadership building, education, training, health, research, and/or advocacy.
Facilitated by our expert Trainers with 100+ combined years of experience working with and training community-based promotores, each phase includes learning goals and objectives, specialized content, and interactive activities. Trainers model collaborative leadership, consensus building, and group decision making weaving in topics in response to the needs of participants and guiding participants in a reflection and values clarification process that develops communication and public speaking skills using what they know from their lived experience. In 2021, the first cohort of 20 promotoras completed Phase I (virtually); 55% of graduates are now engaged in developing community projects.
“I have worked with community promotores for over 20 years. I believe in the model and I am passionate about serving my community. As a mentor in the Institute, I am able to share my experiences, pass on the learning and be a caretaker of the practice, too.”
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Director of Training and Education
Alma Esquivel
alma@visionycompromiso.org