In the early 1990s, two Sisters of Mercy, along with women living in Anthony, New Mexico, saw isolation and a lack of education affecting women in this rural community. They responded by creating the Women’s Intercultural Center. Today, more than 15 years after it opened, the Women’s Intercultural Center offers a welcoming place for women to gather and develop their spiritual, social, political and economic potential. In 2001, the center’s Educational Construction Project combined job creation, skills training, and alternative construction education programs to create a 7,000-square-foot environmentally friendly building that utilized materials such as recycled tires. A loan from the Mercy Partnership Fund assists the center with cash flow for daily expenses. A grant from the Kellogg Foundation recently enabled the center to launch the Small Business Development Academy, which uses real-life, interactive experiences to educate and train women residing in the border on starting and operating a microenterprise or small business. The 12-week course focuses on key business concepts such as strategic planning, marketing, accounting, human resources, legal issues and the available federal and state resources.