Dress for Success Fashion Show

Adult education can be dull to some students, but at the Margarita R. Huantes Learning and Leadership Development Center (LLDC) located in San Antonio, the classes are exciting! Different activities are conducted in the classroom that promote life-long learning, encouraging students to return to class.

The Huantes LLDC was started in 1992 through funds allocated by the city of San Antonio to build learning centers in each city council district. Council District 5 was selected as the location for the first learning center, mostly because it had the highest illiteracy rates which were 51.49% in 1980 and 35.8% in 1990, according to the "State of Literacy in San Antonio" developed by Intercultural Development Research Association. The mission of the Huantes LLDC is to provide free adult education classes to adult learners using community resources and holistic methods. The Dress for Success Fashion Show is one example of a classroom activity that promotes lifelong learning.

The concept for this community event was proposed by the Avenida Guadalupe Association who suggested that the Huantes LLDC team up with Goodwill Industries of San Antonio to involve the surrounding community in making it an educational and rewarding experience for everyone. The Association is located adjacent to the learning center and provides the logistics for the fashion show. The area surrounding the association has numerous businesses such as an adult day care, a beauty shop, ethnic restaurants, medical offices and the Huantes LLDC. It also has the Plaza Guadalupe, a beautiful open air plaza, and the 85 year old Progreso Theater which are used for the fashion show. Director of Events Operations, Richard S. Cardena and his staff, provide the use of these two facilities as a perfect background for the fashion show to make this event a huge success.

Goodwill Industries provides the clothes and accessories for the show. Goodwill Industries sells affordable used clothing while focusing on successfully integrating people with disabilities or barriers into the workplace. The fashion show is another facet of the services Goodwill Industries gives back to the community. According to Lupe Young, Vice-President of Public Relations and Development for Goodwill Industries, "the fashion show is organized to give GED students an opportunity to learn how to dress appropriately and affordably for the business world."

Twenty welfare students from the Huantes LLDC were chosen as models. They qualified according to attendance, teachers' recommendations, and behavioral guidelines. The students select affordable clothing they would wear to a job interview, work, or school. The Huantes staff reviews the clothes for appropriateness to the job market and makes suggestions to enhance the students' appearance. Marta's Beauty Salon, located across the street from the center, provides, free of charge, the makeup and hairstyles that are most appropriate for the workplace.

Another agency involved in this community event is Santa Rosa Community Health Watch, which provides a $15 stipend for each student to buy any clothing they have modeled. Santa Rosa's primary goal is to begin a pattern of improved basic health and increase awareness of disease prevention. It also gives back to the community by providing the money needed to buy clothes for the workplace.

La Prensa Bilingual Newspaper donates the publicity through their newspaper one month prior to the event. Their photographer takes pictures of the models, showing the collaboration of the community and the learning center. Mr. Tino Duran, publisher of La Prensa, volunteered to be a model in the finale and posed in a tuxedo with one of the students. His appearance resulted in a multitude of applause by the 400 people attending the event.

This annual community event has become part of the learning center and the community. For the learning center and the students, the fashion show has become a top class assignment to learn about budgeting, clothing for the business world, and the promotion of self-esteem as the students view themselves in the video. This activity has made an impression on the welfare students by creating an awareness of changes in themselves. They take this activity outside the classroom when they go for job interviews and remember what they have learned from the instructors, Ms. Kay Hish and Ms. Benita Lopez. For the community, it represents the collaboration among community agencies, families, and the immediate area in the neighborhood. Looking back, we can remember the first time the students were sent to the Goodwill store to look for clothing. Some returned with prom dresses and one even returned with a wedding dress. That was in 1993 and we know this experience was a learning experience for the staff as well as the students. The instructors still use holistic methods in the classrooms and monthly community presentations to make the activities exciting and fun. Come and join us!

Eufemia N. Rangel has twelve years experience in adult education as a volunteer, instructor and supervisor. She is currently Program Coordinator for the City of San Antonio and adjunct staff for Texas A & M - Kingsville. She would like to dedicate this article in memory of her father, Mike Nino, Sr.