A Week in the Life of Mano en Mano, August 16- 20
With a blink of an eye, we have arrived at our final week of the Blueberry Harvest School- and almost the end of summer! The saying, “time flies when you are having fun” could not be more true, and while it has been a busy month, we are all sad to see the summer end. Please read more below to see what the team at Mano en Mano was up to from August 16th- to August 20th.
Saying ‘good-bye’ to students on the last day of BHS
Blueberry Harvest School (BHS)- This was the final week of the Blueberry Harvest School! Students spent time working on their final projects with their teachers and classmates, playing outdoors, and reflecting on their time together through self assessments and discussions.
Mano en Mano staff alongside educators and administrators at BHS held a Student Caretaker Meeting in order to receive feedback about their, and their child's experience at BHS this summer. Together, they discussed this year's curriculum and activities as well as topics and themes they want to incorporate into the curriculum for the coming year. These meetings are crucial to the success of BHS since all aspects of the school's programming are built around the interests, abilities, and needs of migrant students and their families. Collaboration is key in order to reach the program's goals of providing instructional services and educational activities that promote students’ social-emotional growth, celebrating students’ languages and cultures, and preparing and exciting students to re-engage with learning in community with peers.
The BHS team also planned a Family Night to celebrate students' work and culture. All families were invited to the school to see student projects, eat some delicious food, dance, and listen to music! This year, teachers and families created a ‘Cultural Celebration Table’, and invited everyone to display items that have special meaning to individuals' identity and culture. Items at the table included: a tortilla press, a molcajete, and a Passamaquoddy necklace. Students and teachers played outdoor games, and the night ended in a dance party!
In order to commemorate the last day of school, teachers organized a BHS Carnival for students. From tie-dye and face paint, to drunk tanks and bounce houses, students got outside and had fun winning stickers and prizes. As a final treat to a sweet summer students were able to make their own sundaes! It was the final day of an incredibly dynamic and fun summer at BHS. Until next year!
Camp Services
The camp services team continued to provide educational programming, individual counseling, and support to students and families located in labor camps across Washington county. Staff supported families who have begun to move to other parts of Maine- making plans of how to stay in touch and serve students during their time in the state. This summer, the camp services team increased their rate of services provided per student, a statistic that highlights the greater attention and services staff were able to provide to each individual student during the program. Additionally, this summer the Camp Services team was able to enroll 96 students to the Blueberry Harvest School and Camp Services programs- 78 of which were students new to the Maine Migrant Education program.
Access to Essential Services and Advocacy
The team continued to advocate for workers and their families' needs- bringing resources directly to individuals across Washington and Hancock counties. In total they distributed a total of 194 boxes of non-perishable food and fresh produce, and provided warm clothing, face masks, and hygiene products to over 70 people. The team will continue to provide services to workers in the area throughout August, and fill the gaps in support that many workers experience.
COVID-19 Social Support
A fourth vaccine clinic was held at Milbridge Elementary School, through a partnership with Penobscot Community Healthcare. In total 11 people received vaccine services and interpretation services. Additionally, staff performed outreach to multiple different camps in order to answer questions pertaining to COVID-19 and support workers to overcome boundaries in accessing vaccine information and services.
This concludes our in depth look at Mano en Manos work this summer!
On behalf of the entire team at Mano en Mano we would like to thank all of the community members, leaders, allies from abroad, and staff from across the country that supported us to successfully run all of our programs this summer.
We are stronger when we work together. The success of this summer is a testament to the power of community and collaboration. Together we can overcome the barriers we may face and create a more just reality.
