Blueberry Harvest School 2024 Highlights
This summer's Blueberry Harvest School (BHS) was a success!
The wild blueberry harvest in what is known today as Washington County, Maine takes place each summer in the months of July and August. Each year, our community welcomes hundreds of workers and their families to the area traveling to work in the fields and factories harvesting and processing berries. At its core, the BHS is built around the needs of migrant students and the challenge that mobility poses to their educational success. Funding for the BHS is provided by Title I, Part C of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) and the Maine Department of Education (DOE).
In order to determine the program’s strengths and growth areas, each year Mano en Mano seeks feedback from students, parents, staff, and community partners. This year, the number of families and students who migrated to Downeast Maine for the blueberry harvest was slightly higher than 2023, and we enrolled 150 students into our three week program. Teachers and Mano en Manos staff provided school based educational and enrichment programming, and direct outreach and support for younger children and out of school youth through our camp service work.
Highlights from the summer included:
Field trips- We brought our students on excursions all over the Downeast area! Some of our favorites were: College visits at the University of Maine in Orno, trips to hike, swim, and play outside, a visit to the Milbridge movie theater, an adventure day at the Maine Seacoast Missions ropes course, a trip to the water park, and visits to the public library.
Collaborative Curriculum- We worked with partners from Healthy Acadia, the Downeast Institute, the Maine Bureau of Parks & Lands, and the Department of Education’s Learning through Technology team to provide in-school programming and activities
Family Night- We welcomed families to school for a night to share all of the work their students had accomplished over the summer. We shared a meal, listened to music, danced, and celebrated our wonderful students
Rayitos de Verano- This summer we were able
“We are so Much More”- This year’s theme was chosen by parents in our parent advisory committee, and explored experiences of breaking barriers, being authentic, and overcoming the limitations that others try to place on us. Students explored this theme throughout the summer through project based activities and teacher led curriculum.
We hope you enjoy some photos from this year's Blueberry Harvest School!
