Migrant Education Program Update
Last April, when many schools transitioned to remote instruction, and each day seemed to be filled with more and more unknowns, members of our Migrant Education Team were feeling the same anxiety shared by many. “On one hand I was happy we switched to remote learning, because I wanted our children to stay safe,” shared Juana Rodriguez, the Director of the Migrant Education Program, “their safety, health and well-being is priority. But on the other hand I felt lots of pressure that ‘children need to be learning...children are falling behind.’ However, I also didn’t see that anyone was taking the extra steps to support students...It was really difficult”
It has been more than a year since the initial lockdown, but the past year has continued to be difficult for students and families around Maine. Many schools this fall and winter stayed in remote or hybrid instruction, which was not an easy switch for everyone. Many families and students that the Migrant Education Program supports needed to learn how to connect in unfamiliar ways. Juana shared that, “One of the schools asked us, ‘why aren’t the parents/students connecting to our meetings?’ and my initial response was to ask, ‘did you teach them how to use their device?’ Some families we work with hadn’t had the training to be successful with the technology, or the instruction wasn’t available in their native language.”
Seeing that technological support was needed, the MEP team launched into action, providing training, support and guidance. Leslie Monroy, Migrant Education Services Coordinator shared, “We just adapted. We listened to what parents were saying about where they needed support and we adapted to the new needs.” Juana added, “In the middle of the pandemic, I would travel to the homes of our participating families and give training outside so that they would know how to connect to Zoom, how to create an email account, and give tutorials about GoogleClassroom.”
However, technological literacy wasn’t the only barrier that the MEP team was working to overcome. Rates of food insecurity in Maine rose 25% this past year. Juana shared, “lots of families depend on food provided at school, and for many reasons they just weren't receiving it. Many of the applications and forms were online or not available in their language which made it harder for families to navigate.”
Adapting to the elevated needs, MEP staff partnered with the Maine Seacoast Mission to deliver food to homes, and also would bring food boxes from schools if families did not have transportation or were working during pick-up time. Leslie shared, “the need was so large this year, that we also helped families applying to different programs to get support with rent and paying bills. This year we really had to be extra communicative to support one another and make sure that everyone we work with was doing ok.”
Maine Department of Labor reports that in 2020 Mainers lost about 104,000 jobs, and as of this year, only 56,000 have been recovered. As vaccines become readily available, there is still much to do to support members of our community moving forward. Juana added, “There is no one person to blame. The system has never been accessible for everyone before the pandemic, and the pandemic just made it worse.”
In addition to technological, dietary, and access to essential services support, members of the Migrant Education team created a virtual tutoring program with the support of tutors across the country to supply an additional 1-2 hours of support for students (See article with more information here). Programming also has been focused to support students and their socio-emotional needs. Thania Hernandez, Regional Coordinator for Washington County shared, “I worked mostly with the Pre-K kids and it was amazing how they adapted to remote learning this year. I am most proud of the social emotional support we offer as well , and it is a big part of why virtual programming was so important...lots of students haven't seen friends, been outside or done any form of socializing and it was fun to organize events for them that could help.”
In fact, this April pre-K students in the MEP Program participated in a virtual Spring Break Program, where they engaged with one another-virtually! Programming included a Dance Party, Game Night, and a virtual tour of the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Students have also learned about pottery from local artist Tim Christensen, and the flora and fauna of Maine, taking part in pottery workshops and the creation of their own bird feeders! This spring, Thania will be organizing more activities to get students actively learning. Curriculum will focus around food systems, and students will learn about seeds and how food is grown.
As the school year comes to an end, the Migrant Education Team has not stopped working hard. The Blueberry Harvest School is coming up, and coordinators are hard at work to organize events, outreach, and support for families coming to the area for Blueberry Season. Last year, the amount of students attending BHS was much smaller than previous years, but the MEP team is anticipating a larger turnout this summer.
In reflecting on the past year, Leslie shares, “I got so close to all the families I work with...we really relied on each other to make it through and we built up even more trust and respect for one another. I am proud of the work we have done together, and that we will continue to provide support where it is needed.”
For more information about the Maine Migrant Education Program, please visit the program page on our website, or the US Department of Education.
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