The Colonias Program was founded in 1991 by State Legislature and is housed within the College of Architecture. As of today, 42 resource centers across the Western (El Paso), Central (Laredo), and Lower (Weslaco) Rio Grande Region provide access to a wide array of social programs such as: educational services (e.g. literacy, GED, job training, dropout prevention) job referrals, vital health and human services, youth, elderly, economic and community development assistance, with the goal of increasing their ability to become self-sufficient, and enhance the overall quality of life.