PLOWING FORWARD! In Fort Worth’s 76104, a church-led partnership is building a ‘Pipeline to Possibilities’ for immigrant families.

PLOWING FORWARD! In Fort Worth’s 76104, a church-led partnership is building a ‘Pipeline to Possibilities’ for immigrant families. 

FORT WORTH — In a ZIP code often defined by disparities, a new collaboration is working to redefine what opportunity looks like in southeast Fort Worth.

This summer, New Mount Rose Missionary Baptist Church is launching the Nosotros La Gente Academy, a community-based citizenship and education initiative designed to serve immigrant and refugee families in the city’s 76104 neighborhood.

The program is part of a broader partnership between New Mount Rose, LULAC Council 22308 and the University of North Texas at Dallas—a coalition focused on bringing resources directly into the community, rather than expecting residents to navigate complex systems on their own.

“This is about access,” said Pastor Kyev P. Tatum Sr., senior pastor of New Mount Rose. “We’re making sure that families right here in Morningside can see, touch, and step into opportunities that may have once felt out of reach.”

Meeting a growing need

The launch of the academy comes as the 76104 area continues to grow more diverse, with immigrant families from across the globe now calling the Morningside community home.

At the same time, the neighborhood faces persistent economic and health challenges, including one of the lowest life expectancy rates in Texas, according to regional studies.

Community leaders say those realities make intentional, targeted outreach not just important—but necessary.

“Behind every statistic is a family trying to build a future,” said Aracely Vasquez, president of LULAC Council 22308. “Our responsibility is to make sure they have the information and support they need to succeed.”

The Nosotros La Gente Academy will offer citizenship preparation courses, civil rights education, and community-based support—helping participants not only navigate the naturalization process, but also build long-term stability and civic engagement.

From information to empowerment

One of the academy’s first major public events will be the Nosotros La Gente Immigration Information Forum, scheduled for June 13 at New Mount Rose.

The forum will provide practical, accessible guidance on topics ranging from “Know Your Rights” to visa pathways, asylum, Temporary Protected Status, and fraud prevention. Local consulates and immigration experts are expected to participate in panel discussions, followed by a live question-and-answer session.

For many families, leaders say, access to accurate information can be life-changing.

“People need trusted spaces where they can ask real questions and get real answers,” Tatum said. “This forum is about clarity, confidence, and community.”

A national spotlight in Morningside

Just days after the forum, New Mount Rose will host the LULAC Youth & College Expo on June 18, part of the national LULAC Convention taking place in Fort Worth.

The event is expected to draw students and educators from across the country and will focus on college access, career pathways, and youth leadership.

For organizers, bringing the event to 76104 is both strategic and symbolic.

“We want young people from across the nation to see this community not for its challenges, but for its possibilities,” Tatum said.

The expo will also provide local students with direct exposure to higher education opportunities, including programs at the University of North Texas at Dallas, a key partner in the initiative.

Building a pathway forward

At the heart of the effort is what leaders are calling a “Pipeline to Possibilities”—a long-term strategy to connect residents from Morningside to education, workforce training, and economic opportunity.

Plans include expanding citizenship programming, strengthening enrollment pathways to UNT Dallas, and creating experiential learning opportunities such as the proposed “Train Ride to the Promise Side,” which would take participants directly to the university’s campus.

The concept is both practical and deeply symbolic.

“It represents possibilities,” Tatum said. “Possibilities from where we are to where we can be.”

A different model for change

Unlike traditional programs that rely on individuals to seek out services, the Nosotros La Gente Academy is built on a different model—bringing institutions into the neighborhood and building trust through consistent presence.

That approach, leaders say, is rooted in partnership.

“This is what happens when faith, education, and community organizations come together with a shared vision,” Vasquez said.

As the summer launch approaches, organizers are inviting residents, students, and families to participate in the upcoming events and take part in what they describe as a growing movement of opportunity.

‘All aboard’

For Tatum, the message is simple.

“This is not just a program,” he said. “This is a pipeline to possibilities.”

And in Fort Worth’s 76104, that movement is just beginning.

“All aboard.”

Contact New Mount Rose at 817-966-7625 for more information.