Making a Difference: Migrant Education in Florida’s Panhandle By Josh Duke
Nelson Mandela once said, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” The transformational power of education can change the trajectory of not just an individual, but an entire group of people. With knowledge comes self-empowerment and the potential for social mobility. That’s one of the reasons why so much focus is put on not just educational quality, but also educational equity and access.
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he Florida State University College of Education understands the vital importance of education and conveys that belief to our students. Faculty members, students and alumni further that philosophy by working with underserved and historically at-risk populations. One of these particular groups is migratory farmworker families identified as eligible for the migrant education program. Despite being an integral part of the American workforce, migratory farmworker families face an uphill challenge when it comes to escaping a cycle of poverty. In terms of education outcomes, migrant farmworker families— particularly the children—have some of the worst graduation rates. In fact, only 1 in 10 children of migrant families will graduate from high school. This lack of education only perpetuates the lack of upward mobility and difficulty escaping poverty. Because of these conditions and poor success rates, individuals at the College of Education have partnered with the Panhandle Area Educational Consortium (PAEC) Migrant Education Program to address the educational needs of migrant workers and their families. PAEC’s Migrant Education Program aims to break the cycle of poverty by providing literacy programs and connecting migrant families with support programs to improve their well-being, particularly the well-being of migrant children. MAKING A DIFFERENCE WITH PAEC PAEC has been around since 1967, when nine school districts in the Florida panhandle created the region’s first educational non-profit service agency. The consortium seeks to provide vital services to underserved populations, at-risk students, and improve outcomes of all students. Because PAEC’s board includes superintendents from partner districts, the organization benefits a wide range of individuals in the region. Over the years, its member districts grew to 13, as well as including the Florida A&M University Developmental Research School. Currently, PAEC focuses its efforts on providing a number of services, including the Migrant Education Program. Other services include instructional technology, distance learning, curriculum support services and much more. Students in the FSU College of Education have taken a particular interest in the Migrant Education Program, which provides much more than just education to migrant families. On top of a safe environment in which to learn, the program also offers health services, social services, nutritious food, transportation and early intervention
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