Passive coping behavior and traditional role-gender definitions affect learning needs of segments of the Mexican American adult community and may affect the behavioral development of younger family members. Networking within the community is useful in defining and meeting learning needs of adult Mexican Americans by creating cooperative, deliberately structured community change rather than individual learning in the classroom. Cooperation with elementary, secondary, and college educators helps detect needs of the adult community and offers approaches to teaching through parent education and participation programs and behavioral science theory. Individuals in private and public service agencies and businesses have valuable insights into learning needs of their consumers. An adult education class on networking may generate collaboratively developed lists of learning needs and may uncover needs of professional and service adults as well as needs of the target group. Curricula derived from such classes might help participants to find ways to work through threats from role changes, increase parent-child communication, and teach active coping behaviors. (LFL)