El Sol Neighborhood Educational Center

Founded in 1991, El Sol is a grassroots 501(c)(3) organization whose mission is to serve the educational needs of underserved and resource poor communities of San Bernardino and Riverside Counties in California. El Sol addresses the health education gap among local non-English speaking communities and provides annual services to over 32,000 community members. Programs and services include: health education; parenting classes; English as a Second Language classes; and leadership programs. In 1999, El Sol developed and launched the Promotores de Salud Program (PSP) as a result of the rising need for community-based education and outreach on various health topics.

PSP is comprised of selected neighborhood leaders who provide health education and support to predominantly Latino community members, distribute health related information, and provide services through a culturally and linguistically sensitive community-level approach. Some health topics in which promotores de salud are trained include: mental health, postpartum depression, obesity, nutrition, domestic violence, and prenatal health. PSP strives to advance preventive health education, culturally sensitive service connections, and general health advocacy.