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Bridging Cultura & Public Health

"Where culture meets community health, amplifying voices, building bridges, and leading with corazón."

Welcome to the official page of Moni Avila, a cultural educator, public health leader, and lifelong advocate for community-rooted change. Moni’s work lives at the intersection of cultura, healing, and justice. As a doctoral candidate, CHW instructor, and founder of MAS for the Masses, she brings years of experience in grassroots organizing, cross-sector collaboration, and culturally grounded education. Whether she's training Community Health Workers, speaking at national conferences, or mentoring future leaders, Moni moves with purpose, corazón, and a deep commitment to her community. This space was created not just to share her journey, but to uplift the voices, stories, and power of those often overlooked. Here, you’ll find her portfolio, media features, upcoming talks, and a growing archive of work dedicated to building equity from the ground up. Thank you for visiting, may you find inspiration, connection, and the courage to lead with your whole self. Bienvenidos.

Her Story

Moni Avila’s story is one of resilience, love, and transformation. Once a high school dropout and single mother of four, she returned to the classroom with her children by her side, literally, doing their homework while she did hers.

 

Rooted in community, Moni founded MAS for the Masses, a grassroots ethnic studies program that brings cultura, pride, and healing to those often excluded from traditional education. She believes history belongs to everyone and that public health must honor the lived experiences of the people it serves.

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Now leading the CHW HUB at the local health department, Moni uplifts frontline personnel with the same compassion and conviction that carried her through her own journey. Every space she enters becomes a bridge between academia and barrio, between policy and people. Her work reminds us that our stories are powerful, that healing is possible, and that leadership rooted in love can change everything.

Impact

Coordinated with Purpose, Grounded in Community: Professional Development That Moves With the People

 

For over a decade, Moni Avila has built programs from the ground up that bridge culture, education, and health. As the founder and director of MAS for the Masses, she created a grassroots ethnic studies program that positioned community knowledge as a driver for transformation, an approach she continues to carry into public health. Her work is guided by the belief that capacity building is not about providing services for people, but with them, strengthening local leadership and creating spaces where communities define their own priorities.

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As the Professional Development Coordinator for the CHW Hub at the local health department, Moni applies this expertise to design and implement training systems for Community Health Workers (CHWs) that are equity-driven, culturally rooted, and responsive to frontline realities. She curates content, collaborates with subject matter experts, and ensures continuing education meets state certification standards while remaining flexible to community contexts.

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Her leadership moves beyond logistics—Moni is recognized as a community expert voice, shaping cross-sector collaborations and advancing policies that elevate CHWs as essential to public health infrastructure. This year alone, she partnered with 20 internal departments, 26 nonprofits, and national networks to expand access to multilingual, affordable, and meaningful professional development opportunities.

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Role in Action:

  • Building capacity: Equipping CHWs with tools and skills that directly strengthen crisis preparedness, chronic disease management, and health equity efforts.

  • Strengthening systems: Aligning trainings with city, county, and state priorities while ensuring grassroots input shapes outcomes.

  • Centering voices: Creating learning spaces where cultural relevance, lived experience, and collective wisdom guide public health practice.

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“Every session we coordinate is a step toward stronger, better-supported CHWs and frontline personnel who are rooted in culture, compassion, and capacity.” – Moni Avila

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CHW Hub Training Impact: FY25 Q1–Q3 Highlights:

Certified CE Trainings:

 

 

  • 9 Certified CE Trainings Coordinated

  • 141 Total Participants

  • 351.5 CE Hours Awarded

  • Topics include:
    Data & Evaluation Literacy, Climate Justice, Emergency Preparedness, Community Storytelling

Non-Certified CE Trainings:

  • 15 Coordinated Events

  • 303 Participants

  • 945 Hours of Non-Certified CEs Awarded

  • Topics include:
    SisterSong Reproductive Justice, CHW Reentry Journeys, City History Tours, Violence Prevention

Reach:       

Certified Trainings - 9         

 

 

  • 141 Participants             

  • 351.5 CE Hours

Non-Certified Trainings - 15

 

 

  • 303 Participants           

  • 945 CE Hours

Total Trainings - 24   

  • 444 Participants         

  • 1,296.5 CE Hours

Direct & In-Kind Support Secured

Since August 2023, under the coordination and leadership of Moni Avila, the CHW Hub Training Arm has facilitated over $483,279 in direct and in-kind support for Community Health Workers across Bexar County. This support has been made possible through intentional Community of Practice efforts and resource-sharing partnerships that prioritize frontline needs.

 

Key Impact Figures:

  • $108,000 – Dedicated to CHW support and training through coordination efforts (FY25)

  • $483,279 – Total direct and in-kind value secured through collaborative partnerships (August 2023-present)

 

Support Includes:

  • Facility access donated by community organizations and institutions

  • Expert facilitation from local and national partners at no cost

  • Meals and hospitality for CHW participants during training

  • Supplies and printed materials for workshops and summits

  • Transportation & access services for increased participation

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Moni’s ability to leverage relationships and elevate shared ownership has allowed the CHW Hub to operate at high impact with minimal cost, reflecting her values of sustainability, equity, and collective leadership.

Education, Achievements, and Presentations

Education

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San Antonio College

Associate of Arts 

  • Journalism with a concentration in Photography

  • Mexican American Studies

  • Liberal Arts

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University of Texas San Antonio

Bachelor of Arts

  • Mexican American Studies

  • Minor in Public Administration

  • Concentration in Non-profit Management

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University of Texas El Paso

Master of Arts

  • Leadership Studies 

  • Concentration in Community Engagement

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Arizona State University

Doctor of Education (candidate)

  • Leadership Studies and Innovation

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Fellowships, Recognitions, and Nominations

  • 2025 - Texas Association of Mexican American Chamber of Commerce, 2025 Women of Distinction Award

  • National Association of Community Health Workers, Change Agent Award

  • 2025 – Nominee, Aspen Institute Job Quality Fellowship: Fixing Work in the South

  • 2025 – Nominee, Las Comadres Nora Awards- Comadre Community Service Award

  • 2024 – Fellow, Culture of Health Leadership Institute for Racial Healing (CoHLI)

  • 2024 – Nominee, Aspen Institute Healthy Communities Fellowship

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See the desktop site for additional certifications, presentations, and awards

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Certification

 

                           

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2025                        ICS-400: Advanced Incident Command System Command and General Staff

                                     San Antonio Fire Training Academy

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                                     ICS-300: Intermediate Incident Command System for Expanding Incidents 

                                     San Antonio Fire Training Academy

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                                     Community Health Worker Emergency Preparedness & Response (CHW-EPR) Initiative Training

                                     Texas Epidemic Public Health Institute (TEPHI)

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                                     IS-288. A: The Role of Voluntary Organizations in Emergency Management

                                     FEMA

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2024                          Six Sigma Black Belt

                                     Management and Strategy Institute

                                 

                                     Mental Health Peer Support Training

                                     Form Communities

                      

2023                          Birth Doula 

                                     San Antonio Birth Doula (SABD)

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                                     CompassionateUSA

                                     Compassionate USA

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                                     Mental Health First Aid 

                                     National Council for Mental Wellbeing

           

2022                         Community Health Worker Certification

                                     Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) 

           

                                     Community Health Worker Instructor Certification

                                     Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS)

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                                     IS-100.c: Introduction to Incident Command System

                                     FEMA

 

                                     IS-200.c: Basic Incident Command System for Initial Response

                                     FEMA

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                                     IS-700.b: An Introducation to the National Incident Management System

                                     FEMA

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                                     IS-800.d: National Response Framework, An Introduction

                                     FEMA

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                                     Business Expertise in Administration & Management

                                     University of Miami

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2017                          Franklin Covey Leadership Certification Program

                                     7 Habits Fundamental Leadership Level I Certificate

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                                     National Engaged Leader

                                     The National Society of Leadership and Success

 

Honoring the Journey through Awards, Fellowships & Recognition​

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Shared Honors: Community-Led, Community-Fueled!!!

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​These awards do not belong to Moni alone; they belong to every student who thought it was too late, every frontline worker whose labor goes unseen, and every community that dared to imagine something better. Each recognition is a reflection of the people who have walked with her: the mujeres, elders, children, colleagues, and ancestors who shaped her path. Moni carries these honors not as personal trophies, but as affirmations that community-rooted leadership matters, and that healing, justice, and culture belong at every decision-making table.

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Fellowships, Recognitions, and Nominations

  • 2025 Texas Association of Mexican American Chamber of Commerce, 2025 Women of Distinction Award

  • 2025 National Association of Community Health Workers, Change Agent Award

  • 2025 Nominee, Aspen Institute Job Quality Fellowship: Fixing Work in the South

  • 2025 Nominee, Las Comadres Nora Awards- Comadre Community Service Award

  • 2024 Fellow, Culture of Health Leadership Institute for Racial Healing (CoHLI)

  • 2024 Nominee, Aspen Institute Healthy Communities Fellowship

  • 2024 City of San Antonio Fourth Quarter EnCore Innovation Recognition

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Academic & Leadership Awards

  • 2019   COEHD Undergraduate Summer Research Intern

  • 2018–19 McNair Scholar Fellow

  • 2018- 19 Mellon Humanities Pathway Fellow

  • 2018–19 AHSIE Seed to Tree Scholarship Recipient

  • 2018 San Antonio College Distinguished Graduate

  • 2018 Student Leadership Institute Scholarship

  • 2018 Master Leadership Program Scholarship

  • 2017 NSLS Engaged Leader Award

  • 2017 SAC President’s List

  • 2017 2nd Place, Hispanic Heritage Month Essay Contest, SAC

  • 2017 Student Leadership & Success General Scholarship

  • 2017 First Place, Black History Month Essay Contest, SAC

  • 2017 SAC United Foundation Scholarship

  • 2017 Hispanic Women’s Network of Texas Scholarship

  • 2017 Women’s Empowerment Conference Cathy Hoy Scholarship

  • 2017 Alamo Colleges Foundation Scholarship

  • 2016 St. Philip’s College Honors Award

  • 2015 St. Philip’s College Honors Award

Presentations & Panel Discussions

 Juried

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November 2025         Accepted, Empowering Community Health Workers: Leveraging a Community of Practice for 

                                           Workforce Development, American Public Health Association

November 2025         Accepted, Platiquemos! An Innovative Peer-Led Approach to Professional Development in

                                           Community Health Workers, American Public Health Association

May 29, 2025               Presenter, The Critical Role of Community Health Workers in Emergency Preparedness and

                                           Response Efforts, 2025 Texas Emergency Management Conference

March 27, 2025           Presenter, One Step towards Organizational Change: Community Health Workers Evaluation

                                           Capacity Building, 2025 Texas Evaluation Network (TEN) Virtual Institute

November 15, 2023  Accepted, Community Health Workers Professional Support and Workforce Advocacy,

                                           American Public Health Association 2023 Annual Meeting and Expo.

August 4, 2023           Panelist, The act of balancing parenting, education, and community, as Community Health

                                           Workers, National Association of Community Health Worker Unity Conference

June 9, 2023                Panelist, Community Voices on Health Equity, Health Confianza, Health Equity in Action

                                           Summit

March 28, 2023           Panelist, From Community to Institution: The Importance of Alliances, Collaborations, and 

                                           Reciprocal Relationships to Provide Health Resources and Support to Underserved

                                           Communities, Teaching Prevention: Leadership for Health Equity

March 24, 2023           Accepted, Collective Testimonios-Nontraditional Student Reflections: Experiences in el Torre 

                                           de Marfil, NACCS Tejas Foco

August 4, 2022           Moderator, Community and Health Education: Bridging the Community and Institutional Gap

                                           through Community-Based Learning and Cross-sector Collaboration, National Association of 

                                           Community Health Worker Unity Conference

May 20, 2021               Presenter, MAS (Mexican American Studies) for the Masses: Building Community and Ethnic

                                           Pride Through Historia y Arte, La Lucha Sigue: Continuing the Fight for Dignity, Education,     

                                           and the Chicano Identity, TACHE

April 12, 2019               Panelist, Lessons From Amá: Activism, Mentorship, and Healing Strategies Within and 

                                           Outside Academia, National NACCS Conference

March 30, 2019           Accepted, Cross-Sector Collaboration and Community-Based Learning.SECOLAS- 

                                           Southeastern Council of Latin American Studies, Oaxaca, Mexico

February 16, 2019      Presenter, Closing the Gap through Community-Based Learning, NACCS Tejas Foco

November 17, 2018   Presenter, Mexican American Studies for the Masses: 50th Anniversary of the U.S. Civil 

                                           Rights Commission Hearing on Mexican-American Studies in the Southwest   

November 17, 2018   Presenter, Mexican American Studies for the Masses: 50th Anniversary of the U.S. Civil   

                                           Rights Commission Hearing on Mexican-American Studies in the Southwest    

May 18, 2018                Presenter, Community Activism and Organizing Then and Now, El Mundo Zurdo, An   

                                           International Conference on the Life and Work of Gloria E. Anzaldua

April 21, 2018               Presenter, Myths, Folklore, and Legends: Bridging Stories across Cultures and Communities, 

                                           National  Council for History Education

February 24, 2018     Presenter, Myths, Folklore, and Leyendas: Bridging Stories across Cultures and Communities

                                           through Latino Literature, UTSA National Latino Children’s Literature Conference

March 25, 2017           Presenter,  UTSA National Latino Children’s Literature Conference

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Invited

March 18, 2025           Presenter, Language, Literature, and Art, Texas A&M San Antonio

September 6, 2024  Language, Culture, and Communication in Latine/x Health, Texas A&M San Antonio

August 27, 2022         Presenter, I can’t… Language, Culture, and Communication in Latine/x Health

                                           Panelist, CHW certification, pathways to higher education, professional and workforce 

                                           development, Northwest Vista Community College

July 14, 2022               Presenter, Cross-sector Collaborations with local agencies, community, and K-12 Education,

                                           UTSA Summer Bridging Institute for Academy for Teaching Excellence

May 1, 2019                   Keynote Speaker, San Antonio College 2nd Annual University Signing Day

March 30, 2019           Presenter, Re-envisioning Our Future by Revisiting the Past through Testimonios Teach for                                                  America Latinx Corp Member Summit, San Antonio

November 17, 2018   Panelist, Chicana Activism and Leadership: 50th Anniversary of the U.S. Civil Rights           

                                           Commission Hearing on Mexican-American Studies in the Southwest

April 11, 2018               Presenter, San Antonio College Mexican American Studies Fine Arts

July 14, 2016               Panelist, “Mentorship for a Lifetime of Learning” UTSA Summer Bridging Institute for                 

                                           Academy for Teaching Excellence

April 2016                      Presenter, “Stand by Your Sisters- Radical Mothering as a Rite of Passage” Women’s 

                                           Empowerment Conference, Austin, Texas

 

Additional

August 21, 2025            Guest Speaker, The Role of CHWs in Public Health, Westside Education and Training Center

June 7, 2025.                 Judge, 2025 San Antonio Pride Pageant

November 8, 2023      Panelist, Visiting the Past to Gain Perspective on the Present, Light The Torch Community 

                                             Health Worker Summit, San Antonio Metropolitan Health District

February 9, 2017          Presenter, “Cross-Sector Collaboration for Community Education”

                                             UTSA Civic Engagement Summit

August 13, 2016           Panelist and Moderator and Summer Round-up Facilitator, Youth Conference

                                             MAS for the Masses hosted by Cafe College

July 30, 2016                 Presenter, “Movimiento y Metal” MAS for the Masses Summer Workshop Series

June 18, 2016                Facilitator, “Community- Break-out Session” Summit on Implementing Mexican American                                                     Studies in Texas Schools Pre-K through 12

June 18, 2016                Panelist, 2016 MAS TX EDUCATION Pre-K through 12 SummitSan Antonio College

Media Mentions

Video & Broadcast

“Podcast – The Heart of Preparedness: People, Purpose & Public Health”, Domestic Preparedness – July 23, 2025

“NCHE’s Culture of Health Leadership Institute Announces 3rd Cohort”
EIN Presswire / WKRG – June 20, 2024

News Features & Articles

“Grassroots Group Teaches Mexican-American History to San Antonio Youth”
San Antonio Express-News – June 24, 2017

“Mas for the Masses: How San Anto Brings Xican@ Studies to the Gente”
Xica Nation – August 27, 2015

“San Antonio Artist Establishes ‘M.A.S. for the Masses’”
La Prensa de San Antonio – June 25, 2015

“Westside’s Barrio Barista Hosts M.A.S. for the Masses”
Rivard Report – July 18, 2015

“Taking Mexican-American Studies to the Masses”
USA Today – Hispanic Living – September 17, 2016

Biography

Moni Avila is the Professional Development Coordinator for the Community Health Worker HUB at the local health department. She is deeply committed to supporting frontline personnel and Community Health Workers (CHWs) across Bexar County, with a focus on education, empowerment, and equitable access to public health resources.

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A dedicated grassroots organizer, Avila founded MAS for the Masses, an ethnic studies program designed to bring Mexican American Studies to individuals without access to traditional academic settings. As a cultural educator, she collaborated with community members to explore how Mexican American history contributes to the broader global narrative, not as a separate or exclusive story, but as a foundational part of American society.

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In her public health role, Avila bridges the gap between ethnic studies and public health practice. Her lived experience, both working and residing in the communities she serves, positions her as a trusted liaison between institutional systems and the public. She plays a vital role in mentoring and developing CHWs and other frontline personnel, helping to build capacity across the region.

Avila holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas at San Antonio in Mexican American Studies, with a minor in Public Administration and a concentration in Non-Profit Management. She earned her master’s degree in Leadership Studies with a concentration in Community Engagement from the University of Texas at El Paso. She is currently a doctoral candidate at Arizona State University’s Mary Lou Fulton College of Teaching and Learning Innovation, where she is working on her Leadership and Innovation EdD. Her research focuses on Community Health Workers and their use of code-switching in leadership and advocacy roles.

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