The Abriendo Caminos-Promotora project aims to recruit, train, and support community volunteers to educate Latino families about health lifestyles, with the long-term objective of decreasing obesity and related health problems.

Abriendo Caminos-Promotora places a strong emphasis on program sustainability and cultural relevance – which are the strengths of the promotora-model.

This project builds on Abriendo Caminos (or “Clearing the Path for Strong and Healthy Families), conceived in 2010, when it was offered at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign as a nutrition education program for Spanish-speaking families. The six-week long program includes nutrition education and cooking activities that focus on preparing heathier versions of traditional Mexican foods.