Our History

ConXión to Community, formerly known as the Center for Training & Careers, was founded in 1977. The Center offered educational programs and transitional employment opportunities for youth and community members facing systemic barriers such as language, unstable housing, unemployment, immigration status, and incarceration.

With the feat of opening our main office on Story Road in 2009, we have been able to expand our programs to address issues that our participants face on a daily basis, such as; truancy, substance abuse, unstable housing, relationship violence, peer pressure, harassment, gang violence, joblessness and school failure.

In 2014, realizing our potential outreach to the greater community and the need to verify ourselves more clearly to it, we decided to create a new message about our Vision and Mission that more accurately reflects our purpose and goal of advocating against the overcriminalization of our communities.

Our new name and logo, ConXión to Community, is based on a Nahuatl (Naw-wha-tl) cultural symbol “Ollin” derived from the words “Yollotl” meaning heart and “yolistli” meaning life. Ollin means to move and act now with all your heart. To experience the Ollin factor, we have to get “All In”!

We believe in a holistic approach that truly addresses the many barriers and needs that our community members face. We ensure that our partners are empowered by creating opportunities for individuals and communities. Our service-delivery approach demonstrates respect for the beliefs, practices, history, language and experiences of all program participants and our staff represents Latinx and Indigenous cultures from various regions in north and south America.