HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS OFFERS MIGRANT EDUCATION PROGRAM

School can be difcult for any child, but if you factor in coming from a migrant family, it can be much more difcult. Hillsborough County’s Migrant Education Service Center, located in Plant City, serves migrant students and their families to make school easier for them.

The Migrant Education Program is a federally funded program carried out by the state. The purpose is to provide a range of activities and services to support the needs of migratory children, including identifying and recruiting migratory children, providing instructional and support services that help bolster and sustain the educational progress of migratory children and collaborating with other organizations and programs that serve migratory children. The Migrant Education Program has been in Hillsborough County for over 30 years.

The program serves migratory children ages 3 through 21 years old and their families. Supplementary migrant services include: identification and recruitment, advocacy, health and social services, academic support, parental involvement and family literacy.

Services are provided to eligible students based on the availability of funds, priority for services and need. The Migrant Education Program employs certified migrant advocates, teachers and migrant recruiters.

The definition of a ‘migratory child’ is

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someone who is younger than 22; has not graduated from high school, or does not hold a high school equivalency certificate; and has made a qualifying move within the preceding 36 months due to economic necessity from one residence to another residence and from one district to another district, and the child moved as a worker, with a worker, to join or precede a parent/ guardian or spouse who is a worker.

Delma White, a migrant advocate with the program, said, “Migrant advocates provide information, guidance and support to migrant students and their families to facilitate their academic success. Migrant advocates establish collaborative partnerships with teachers, counselors, administrators, special program staf, parents and community agencies to ensure that migrant students attend school and have access to appropriate programs and resources.”

Each year, the program serves between 2,000-3,000 students.

White added, “We want the community to know that we support children in their education so that they may overcome adversities associated with a migratory lifestyle. Our goal is that they can break the cycle of poverty and become valuable citizens that contribute to the improvement of the community.”

For information, visit www.hillsboroughschools.org/migrant.

A new professional women’s soccer team is set to kick of in Tampa Bay in August 2024. As part of the USL Super League, the new Tampa Bay franchise will compete at the highest level of women’s professional soccer. The team will bring top-tier women’s pro sports to the region for the first time, joining 10 to 12 clubs in the league’s initial market.

“This is about inspiring, energizing and uniting our Tampa Bay community. We’re ready to build a team that not only wins on the field but also makes a positive diference of the field. To us, success comes when you become part of the fabric of your community,” said Darryl Shaw, who joined his childhood friends, David Laxer, co-owner of Bern’s Steak House, and Jef Fox, former chief information ofcer of BluePearl Pet Hospital, as the owners of the new team.

USL Super League will be the highest level of professional women’s sports to ever field a team with Tampa Bay on its jerseys. Once it is sanctioned by U.S. Soccer as a Division I league, it will rank on par with other top professional sports leagues and feature players who represent their countries in international competitions such as the FIFA Women’s World Cup and the Olympic Games. Because USL Super League will play from fall through spring, players will be able to balance their commitments to their club and their country.

“When I stepped onto the court in high school as a female athlete, there weren’t a lot of role models out there for me to look up to,” said Tampa Mayor Jane Castor, a star basketball and volleyball player at Chamberlain High School and the University of Tampa. “Today, women’s sports are exploding in popularity, and our new team will put Tampa Bay at the forefront.”

The club’s name, colors and crest will be decided in the future with involvement from members of the public across the Tampa Bay area. An advisory board of community voices and soccer lovers has been created to ofer guidance on connecting with the community and delivering a positive impact.

The team will start playing in August 2024 in a temporary home until a permanent, soccer-specific stadium can be built. With that stadium, the team intends to create a year-round venue that will be used for a wide range of activities, including opportunities with youth and community soccer leagues and nonsoccer events. Engagement with stakeholders and exploration of stadium location and funding options can begin now that the team has been announced.

“This commitment to bring top-tier women’s professional sports to Tampa Bay, in a new stadium where it can truly shine, represents a sincere investment in making this great community even stronger for the future,” said USL Super League President Amanda Vandervort.

The USL Super League is developing the largest women’s soccer network in the world, including: 10-12 professional teams in the first season of USL Super League, 65 preprofessional teams in USL W League this summer and more than 80 USL Academy programs for elite players under the age of 20.

The USL, headquartered in Tampa, also oversees the USL Championship professional men’s league, which includes the Tampa Bay Rowdies. To stay connected with Tampa Bay’s new team and sign up for updates, visit www.superleaguetampabay.com and follow on Instagram @superleaguetb.

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