Since 1991, El Sol Neighborhood Educational Center (El Sol) has served vulnerable communities in the Inland Empire, California, with an emphasis on mono-lingual Spanish speakers, immigrants, and residents with limited-english proficiency.
Through the years, El Sol has engaged and deployed highly trained lay workers as community health workers (CHWs) and promotores de salud. Research on CHWs and promotores endorse their effectiveness in areas ranging from improved prenatal care, reduction in child abuse prevention, enhanced social support, strengthening referral systems, improving self-esteem, and psychological functioning.