Hartnell College is a Hispanic-serving institution serving the Salinas Valley in California, a vast 1,000-square-mile agricultural region. The district includes large numbers of migrant workers and their families, chronically high unemployment, high rates of poverty, and low educational attainment. A review of student performance data in 2002 showed that Latino students had a 47% drop-out rate after their first year, with over 70% being unprepared for English 101 or Math 121 (algebra). This article describes the steps taken by Hartnell College to revamp and expand their Academic Learning Center (ALC), transforming it into an innovative, open-access center, with new academic linkages and partnerships throughout the campus. The program is comprised of reading, writing, computing, and tutorial labs operating on the main campus and at two extension sites. Lessons learned have included: the benefits of collaboration and linkages to other areas and programs on campus; the necessity of working closely with faculty to develop and support workshops; and the importance of having a welcoming environment for first generation college students who often feel lost and isolated on a college campus.