Spring newsletter 2013

Spring 2013

Inside this Issue Message from Director- 2 MSU HEP—6/7

MSS Highlights—3

MSU ID&R— 8/9

IEM—10

MSU CAMP— 4/5 Alumni Spotlight—11

MSS Highlights

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Message from the Director: It is remarkable how fast the semester goes by and new cohort of students enters our program. I extend my hearty congratulations to all HEP/ CAMP scholars for their successful completion of their time here at MSU Migrant Student Services and best wishes to our continuing scholars and graduates.

Our programs at Migrant Student Services have continued to evolve to meet the needs of our students and to serve our fabulous partners who have contributed towards our phenomenal success.

Over the course of the semester our HEP/CAMP scholars were involved in numerous activities and events, fostering their personal and professional growth from student leadership retreats to working their way to become interns in Washington D.C. It is our strong belief that scholars alike benefit from sharing in the various activities and roles of leadership assisting in their transitions to college and beyond.

Additionally, many of our continued scholars were recipients of prestigious internship positions and gained recognition for scholarships and fellowships. MSU HEP continues to help students accomplish their educational goal of obtaining their GED’s and providing students the opportunity for lifelong success.

Our goal is to provide the best services that can be offered! Our programs will become even stronger through our combined efforts. We look forward to another outstanding academic year ahead and wish everyone a great summer!

- Luis Alonzo Garcia, Director

MSU School of Social Work & Public Health Students in partnership with MSU Migrant Student Services and Desarrollo Integral de la Familia (DIF) in Mexico.

MSS Highlights

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MSU CAMP partnered with the Residential College of Art and Humanities (RCAH) in designing a 3 credit class for CAMP scholars to explore and build notions of civic engagement, social responsibility and community through engaging with Latino children’s literature ,local history and curriculum development around story telling. The class was designed to bring together CAMP scholars, RCAH students and local elementary children to explore the process of communal storytelling as a form of collective memory.

Student were expected to critically engage in discussions of identity and community, foster the importance of story building relationships and present their findings in a presentation.

International Engagement Volunteers (IEV) Officers along with International Engagement in Mexico (IEM) site leaders and students, raised closed to $10,000 dollars for the annual IEM trip to Mexico. The money was used to help communities in Mexico as part of the week—long community engagement and civic learning experience. MSS Director, Luis A. Garcia, and MSS program coordinator, Titun R. Maiti, serve as IEM guidance advisors to the group.

We extend a special congratulations to Patricia Joly, MSS Office Manager, for the completion of her Bachelor’s degree from Central Michigan University! Patricia earned her Bachelor’s of Science with an specialization in Community Development with a concentration in Public Administration.

Jesus Ambriz, (MSS techie) and CAMP continuing scholar, was selected to create the 3D animations for a live show at MSU titled Theatre Engine Transitions.

This is the first of a three-part project exploring audience participation in theatrical performances. The performance is a workshop to test current progress of a multi-media collaboration between dance, music, computers, and smart phones.

For more information on this unique performance visit https://www.msu.edu/~dobbinsa/

CAMP Scholars

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CAMP scholars and staff came together for a presentation and workshop led by Cool Speak leader Ernesto Mejia. This leadership retreat was an energizing and educational experience designed to motivate scholars to stay active, involved, and connected across campus.

This unique opportunity encouraged students to focus on skill building, various leadership activities, networking, collaboration, and community service.

CAMP freshmen scholar, Michael Suarez, has been selected to serve as an intern for a U.S. Senator in DC , (Summer2013). This internship was provided through the National HEP/CAMP Association.

MSU CAMP welcomes new Graduate Assistant Christian Ramirez.

C A M P scholars enjoyed a weekend in Traverse City, Michigan ice-skating, snow boarding and other group building activities.

CAMP freshmen Jessica P. Hernandez has been awarded the “Raul Reyes Alternative Spring Break Scholarship" in memory of Raul Elias Reyes.

This scholarship seeks to provide students with the ability to enter communities and actively assist in issues of racism, poverty, and hunger Jessica was also the proud recipient of the Alternative Spring Break (ASB) award from the Office of Study Abroad for the spring semester 2013. ASB is an immersive living and working experience where students perform services and explore the culture and history of the area in which they are helping.

CAMP scholars and staff enjoyed the windy city “Chicago” to take a break from academics.

C.A.M.P. Scholars Academic Honors Dean’s List Naomi Carmona, Jessica P. Hernandez,

Freddy Bahena, Gissel Brito, Shalisa S. Ramos, Lorena Saucedo

CAMP Scholars

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Marissa Sustaita has been chosen as a P.A.L.M.A. scholarship recipient (Pursuing Academics, Leadership, and Maximizing Awareness ) This scholarship is awarded to an incoming CAMP scholar with a promising future in pre-medicine (now Supply Chain Management) and a scholar who has shown outstanding leadership through their involvement with CRU, IEV, and DDLM committee.

Staff and MSU CAMP scholars engaged in a friendly game of kick-ball to finish the spring 2013 semester.

MSU CAMP received a large donation from CoBANK for the 2013-2014 academic year in support of students to cover various basic needs.

The 2013 MSU CAMP recognition banquet recognized freshman scholars for an outstanding first year and celebrated CAMP student alumni earning their undergraduate and /or masters degree.

HEP

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The MSU High School Equivalency Program (HEP) at Michigan State University celebrated yet another year of successful students receiving their GED’s. MSU HEP is a federally funded program through the Office of Migrant Education (OME), providing GED instruction to migrant and seasonal farm workers and their children. The program offers a great opportunity for academic preparation toward completion of the Graduate Educational Development (GED) diploma as well as the development of academic, vocational, and personal skills necessary for placement in higher education, careers, or military.

The HEP completion ceremony, Spring 2013 celebrated 40 MSU HEP participants who successfully completed the GED !

Meghan Zarbo and Tara Patrico repreMSU HEP extends a special thanks to the 2012 – 2013 HEP Interns and Student Coordinators Darius Ward, Tara Patrico, Ricky Garza, and Julie Sanchez!

sented MSU HEP at the 2013 NASDME Conference in Orlando, Florida.

HEP

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MSU HEP participants partook in three college visits during Spring semester 2013 Central Michigan University College 101, Lansing Community College, and Lansing Community College, West Campus . Also, MSU HEP participants engaged in a leadership training led

by CoolSpeak leader, Ernesto Mejia.

Micaela Zamorano was nominated for and received the 2013 National Association for State Directors of Migrant Education award – Outstanding HEP student presented in Orlando, Florida on April 29,2013.

Kareem Downer-Shojgreen, Brenda Linley, and Karla Loebick represented MSU HEP at the 2013 COABE Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana.

ID&R MSU Identification and Recruitment of Migrant students

The MSU ID&R Center is a small program that is tasked with finding migrant youth, ages 0 to 22, in the hopes of connecting them with supportive educational services. The IDR Center works with a large variety of State agencies and non-profits to help proBruce Lack vide basic assistance to migrant families. Additionally, the students are registered to receive education services anywhere in the United States that they may travel. While the level of service varies by school district, programs are available in each and every State. In general terms, a migrant worker is one who has moved in the last 3 years in search of agricultural work. MSU IDR is unique in that it works directly with the MSU HEP and CAMP programs, allowing the programs to provide educational support to migrant children from birth through college. Now entering the third season of operation, MSU IDR continues to grow and build its network of partners in the effort to provide as much support as possible to Michigan’s migrant population. Hopefully our efforts will motivate today’s youth to reach new levels of success and become role models for the next generation.

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ID&R

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MSU Identification and Recruitment (ID&R) staff to provide pesticide safety training.

All MSU IDR staff who will be visiting with migrant farm workers will now be able to provide pesticide safety training. The training will be a minimum of 30 minutes and can be provided in either Spanish or English. The training is provided free of cost upon the request of growers in our service area. The training also meets State of Michigan requirements for any employee who works with or near pesticides. Our goal is to provide additional safety to workers while helping build relationships with growers. Growers or workers interested in receiving the training can contact MSU IDR to schedule training at their worksite.

Moving on Upper Peninsula (U. P.) Summer of 2013 will be a challenging time for the MSU IDR recruiters. One of the major goals for this summer will be to canvass the entire Upper Peninsula of Michigan in the effort to identify populations of migrant workers.

Due to the low migrant population and relative distance from service providers, the Upper Peninsula generally goes unnoticed by those agencies that work with migrant students. If successful, MSU IDR will not only provide educational opportunities to the migrant youth in the U.P. but will also provide all workers access to service providers that are in the lower half of the State. In order to effectively accomplish this task, we will need some help.

We are aiming to work with DHS offices, MSU Extension, and Michigan Works to help us get started. It would be very helpful to receive contact information for anyone who may be able to help us find workers or provide services in the Upper Peninsula.

For more information, please contact Bruce Lack, Associate Director of MSU ID&R with information or questions related to Michigan’s Migrant Education Program at 517-432-9900 or email lackb1@vps.msu.edu

International Engagement in Mexico

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The 2013 International Engagement in Mexico (IEM) program, offers MSU CAMP scholars the opportunity to become exposed to selected MSU global competencies through international engagement and academic study. CAMP scholars along with other undergraduate Spartans, provided variety of social services in Campeche, MĂŠrida, Puebla and Oaxaca, MĂŠxico. Through this engagement, students were required to work closely with social service agencies to assist with maintenance projects and contribute towards resident program activities. Scholars gained knowledge of effective citizenship, community development, leadership skills and civic engagement as an expression of leisure. This experience provided scholars valuable leadership opportunities to develop their interpersonal skills.

Alumni Spotlight Bianca Segura, a former CAMP

Congratulations to

scholar recently

Guillermo Avilez who

joined the MSU

has been hired to be

Counseling Cen-

the new Program Co-

ter’s Sexual Assault

ordinator for the

Program as an Advocacy Coordinator.

Texas A&M High

Bianca previously served as a program

School Equivalency Program (HEP)

coordinator at the Highfields Youth

based out of Weslaco, Texas.

Organization in Michigan.

Best wishes from MSU Migrant Student Services for a warm and safe summer!

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