North Harris College to inaugurate a multi-national Community Learning Center                                                                     North Harris College is currently developing a Community Learning Center (Centros Comunitarios de Aprendizaje, CCA) in partnership with the Mexican Institute of Greater Houston and the Monterrey Institute of Technology (Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey), a world leader in distance education and a world-class university accredited in Texas.

The new CCA will be equipped with computers connected to the Internet, which allows the Hispanic community free access to a wide-variety of educational content in Spanish. The CCA Network is a real option to empower the Hispanic community by triggering development in three interrelated dimensions: human, social, and economic. Programs have been developed to promote basic skills, health and safety, computer literacy, personal and community development, entrepreneurship, information technology, and work-related competencies.

Census data show that Hispanics lag far behind other ethnicities in education and that Hispanic immigrants in particular need to upgrade their education in order to benefit from Houston’s highly technical economy.
According to Anne Albarelli, director of NHC’s Center for International Education and Languages (CIEL), “Community residents do not need to be enrolled at the college to use the Community Learning Center. Education is the principal factor in the promotion of social mobility. Our focus is on Hispanic immigrant parents who are a key factor in their children’s future, but have few educational options available. They should be able to have access to education in Spanish so that they may attend a community college and attain better jobs.”

The CCA network opens the gates to anyone in need of education, and paves the way for continuing education from Monterrey Tech and North Harris College. This is a clear benefit for the Hispanic community and for north Houston as a whole.

“This partnership presents an opportunity to emphasize the interdependent world in which we live, to build inter-institutional partnerships, to incorporate new technologies into our programs, to consult worldwide, to coordinate our efforts, and above all to celebrate the humanity we share, says Albarelli.”

Among the many courses users will be able to access are: Introduction to Mathematics, Writing and Analysis of Information, First Aid, Nutrition, Prevention of Accidents, Emotional Intelligence, Stress Management, Information Systems, Successful Business Practices, Utilization of Forests, and Internet for Business.

The Community Learning Center will be officially inaugurated on August 8. For more information, call Erin de Souza at 281-765-7822.

North Harris College is located at 2700 W.W. Thorne Drive, approximately one-half mile south of FM 1960 East, between Aldine-Westfield and Hardy Roads. Registration for fall is currently in progress. For more information about the college, call 281-618-5400 or send e-mail to: [email protected]

North Harris Montgomery Community College District, the fourth largest community college in Texas, comprises North Harris College, Kingwood College, Tomball College, Montgomery College, seven satellite centers and The University Center. Cy-Fair College, the district’s fifth comprehensive college, will open in fall 2003.
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