New Partnership Aims to Bring College to Fort Worth’s 76104 Neighborhood. LULAC, UNT Dallas, and New Mount Rose Church Launch “Pipeline to Possibilities” Initiative

New Partnership Aims to Bring College to Fort Worth’s 76104 Neighborhood. LULAC, UNT Dallas, and New Mount Rose Church Launch “Pipeline to Possibilities” Initiative

By Black Texans, Inc. 

DALLAS — In one of the most ambitious community education partnerships announced in North Texas this year, the University of North Texas at Dallas, the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), and New Mount Rose Missionary Baptist Church are joining forces to bring college opportunities directly into one of Fort Worth’s most underserved neighborhoods.

The initiative, called Pipeline to Possibilities, will be formally unveiled Wednesday, July 1, at the University of North Texas at Dallas. Organizers say the partnership is designed to create new pathways to higher education, workforce development, citizenship preparation, leadership training, and lifelong learning for residents of southeast Fort Worth.

The effort specifically targets Fort Worth’s 76104 ZIP code, an area long recognized for significant health and economic disparities. Community leaders say the neighborhood also possesses tremendous strengths, including deep faith traditions, cultural diversity, and residents determined to build brighter futures for their families.

Rather than expecting residents to come to the university, the partnership will take many university resources directly into the community.

Educational classes and services will be offered through New Mount Rose Missionary Baptist Church, creating opportunities for students and families to pursue higher education close to home. Eligible participants will also have opportunities to attend UNT Dallas tuition-free through available university programs.

“We are thrilled with this partnership between three institutions committed to creating a culture of love for lifelong learning,” said Pastor Kyev P. Tatum, Sr., senior pastor of New Mount Rose Missionary Baptist Church. “New Mount Rose is demonstrating how faith communities, universities, and civic organizations can work together to create new pathways of opportunity.”

The partnership traces its origins to Cinco de Mayo, when Pastor Tatum, a graduate of the University of North Texas School of Community Service, signed an Affiliation Agreement establishing a supervised experiential learning partnership between UNT Dallas and the church. Since then, university and community leaders have expanded that agreement into what they now describe as a comprehensive educational initiative.

Among the first programs to launch will be Nosotros La Gente Academy, a citizenship and community education initiative that will offer citizenship preparation, civic engagement education, civil rights instruction, faith-based mentoring, and educational navigation for immigrant and refugee families.

“Behind every statistic is a family working to build a better future,” said Aracely Vasquez Ramos, president of LULAC Council 22308. “This partnership helps ensure that opportunity reaches every neighborhood.”

Another signature feature will be Train Ride to the Promise Side™, an educational experience using Trinity Metro rail transportation to introduce Fort Worth students and families to the UNT Dallas campus.

For many participants, organizers say, it will be their first visit to a university campus.

“It represents movement,” Pastor Tatum said. “Movement from barriers to possibilities. Movement from limitation to opportunity. Movement from surviving to thriving.”

Leaders also announced that Pipeline to Possibilities will become the signature initiative of the Chancellor Erma Johnson Hadley CommuniVersity Center at New Mount Rose.

Named in honor of the late Chancellor Erma Johnson Hadley, the Center is envisioned as a neighborhood-based learning hub where higher education, workforce development, entrepreneurship, citizenship preparation, digital literacy, leadership development, and community health education intersect.

Its guiding philosophy is simple:

“Bring the University to the Community…to Take the Community Back to College.”

“Our goal is simple,” Pastor Tatum said. “If everyone cannot get to the university, then we will bring the university to the community so together we can take the community back to college. Education changes families, strengthens neighborhoods, and transforms generations. This partnership is about creating opportunities that will outlive all of us.”

Community leaders say the initiative is intended to become a long-term investment in southeast Fort Worth by connecting residents to educational opportunities that can improve economic mobility, strengthen neighborhoods, and expand access to careers and lifelong learning.

The public announcement will be held at 1 p.m. Wednesday, July 1, at the University of North Texas at Dallas, 7300 University Hills Blvd.

For additional information or to RSVP, contact Aracely Vasquez Ramos, President of LULAC Council 22308, at 817-231-2476.

Partners: University of North Texas at Dallas • League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) • New Mount Rose Missionary Baptist Church

Pipeline to Possibilities

Bringing the University to the Community…Taking the Community Back to College.