Our Promotores Program
Community Leaders Driving Environmental Justice
The Promotores Program empowers trusted community members to become environmental health ambassadors, ensuring that critical climate and public health information reaches the people who need it most. Rather than relying solely on traditional outreach methods, the program builds local leadership by equipping residents with the knowledge, resources, and confidence to educate and advocate within their own neighborhoods.
Through training and ongoing support, Promotores:
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Share air quality information in Spanish and English.
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Educate families about asthma triggers, air pollution, and other environmental health risks.
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Support climate preparedness and emergency response outreach.
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Connect residents with environmental resources and community programs.
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Bridge communication gaps between local government, public agencies, and historically underserved communities.
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Encourage civic participation so residents can advocate for healthier neighborhoods.
By investing in local leaders instead of imposing solutions from the outside, the Promotores Program creates lasting community knowledge and resilience. Information spreads through trusted relationships, empowering residents to make informed decisions that protect their health and strengthen their neighborhoods.
At Rise South City, we train, mentor, and support Promotores as they become leaders for environmental justice. Our Promotores are parents, neighbors, educators, and community advocates who care deeply about equity, public health, and creating a healthier future for everyone. They are not simply volunteers—they are changemakers who inspire collective action and help ensure every resident has a voice in decisions that affect their community.
Promotores serve as trusted messengers because they live, work, and raise their families in the same communities they support. They understand the unique challenges their neighbors face and are able to communicate in culturally relevant and accessible ways.
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The History of the Promotores Model
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The Promotores Model has its roots in grassroots public health movements that emerged throughout Central America during the 1960s. Community members—particularly women—were trained to educate their neighbors about health issues, provide basic health information, and improve access to care in communities where formal healthcare systems were often limited. The success of this peer-to-peer approach demonstrated that trusted local leaders could dramatically improve health outcomes through education, relationship-building, and community organizing.
Recognizing its effectiveness, the model expanded into the United States beginning in the late 1960s, particularly in states with large Latino populations. Over time, the role of Promotores evolved beyond health education to include community engagement, advocacy, environmental justice, disaster preparedness, and social change.
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In California, the Promotores Model has become a nationally recognized approach to community-based leadership. It is built on the principles of mutual respect, trust, cultural understanding, and shared lived experience. Rather than speaking for communities, Promotores empower communities to speak for themselves—building stronger relationships between residents, public agencies, and decision-makers while advancing health equity and environmental justice.
