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HCC team wins grant to launch Community Information Ambassadors program

Sep 9, 2025

Houston City College (HCC) has been named one of eight award recipients in the Community College Civic Info Challenge, a national initiative developed by Journalism + Design at Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts, The New School in New York.

The challenge invites community colleges across the Southern United States to propose innovative civic information projects that strengthen local engagement and expand access to reliable news. HCC’s winning proposal stood out for its creative approach to addressing information gaps in underserved communities in northeast Houston.

The college will receive $5,000 in seed funding to develop its project, titled Community Information Ambassadors. The initiative aims to train more than 50 residents across five neighborhoods as trusted local news sources. These ambassadors will be equipped to gather, verify and share information through digital platforms, newsletters and community activities.

Led by a team that includes Dr. Ashley Watkins, Professor Carlton Abernathy, Professor Fred Baptise and project lead Dr. Carolyn Cross, the program will also establish Community Information Centers on HCC Northeast campuses and offer a certification program for participants. The initiative will partner with local media outlets and community organizations to ensure broad reach and cultural relevance.

In addition to funding, the HCC team has been awarded an all-expenses-paid trip to Asheville, North Carolina, in November 2025. There, they will participate in a two-day design summit with educators, journalists, media leaders and community engagement experts to refine their project and develop a roadmap for implementation.