11/29/17 / LOS ANGELES / The Mexican Consulate in Los Angeles. (Photo by Aurelia Ventura / La Opinion)
Photo:
Aurelia Ventura / Impremedia / La Opinion
The Consulate of Mexico in Los Angeles will offer for the first time a course to be a health promoter for all concerned regardless of their country of origin.
The classes, which will be held Wednesday, Thursday and Friday for eight weeks, will be taught in collaboration with the Community College of East Los Angeles (ELAC).
Claudia Matus, coordinator of the Consulate Health Window, said a promoter can work in community organizations or volunteer to report medical care to their community.
"It helps them improve their knowledge on health issues and they become leaders trained to inform," he said.
The course, which will be taught in Spanish for men and women, will include issues of nutrition, diet, leadership, empathy, exercises, mental health, how to speak in public, reproductive health, among many others.
“The students of the course will obtain basic information and organizations that will talk to them about certain topics will arrive depending on their approach,” said the coordinator.
“When they already have the necessary knowledge they can decide if they want to offer their help, for example, in clinics, churches and schools.”
Upon completing the 90 hours of the course, participants can receive a certificate from ELAC as well as from the Consulate of Mexico.
Matus said that the health promoters course is currently offered at ELAC headquarters but only in English.
However, students attending classes at the Consulate of Mexico may receive the course completely in Spanish and free of charge.
The coordinator stressed that none of the entities request proof of legal residence in the country to participate.
The class instructor is a trained person with the appropriate credentials sent directly from ELAC, Matus said.
Course Benefit
Matus said the promoters will not only learn updated and important information to share with their community but also have the opportunity to continue training.
“The people who arrive at the course automatically register as an ELAC student without having to go to school to enroll,” he explained.
This allows them in the future to decide if they want to continue studying other classes and no longer have to worry about enrolling in the school, only their class.
"It doesn't matter how old they are, nor their immigration status, here we want them to continue educating, whether to learn English, take another course or take out their GED," Matus said.
The coordinator said that another benefit to which students will be exposed will be to learn how to use their email more.
“We do everything through email, we do this so they get used to it and since they register there they are starting the class,” said Matus.
In the past, the Mexican Consulate in Los Angeles has successfully taught courses for people who want to obtain certifications for childcare, care for the elderly and the GED, among others. This has motivated them to continue educating the community for free and in Spanish.
Classes will begin next Wednesday, February 12 from 9:00 a.m.
The quota is limited, to register for the course you must send an email to vedulan@sre.gob.mx or visit the Mexican Consulate in the city, located at 2401 W. 6th St. Los Angeles, CA 90057.
