A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

CONNECTIONS
Geneseo Migrant Center, Inc.

Mobility, lack of money, and limited educational backgrounds place the families of migrant farmworkers at a severe disadvantage in fulfilling a dream of education for their children. The Geneseo Migrant Center, Inc., through a variety of programs including in-camp/home ESL/literacy/arts instruction, mobile medical team visits, dental clinic, outreach/advocacy, employment linkages and a food pantry, serves migrant farmworkers in a 7 county area of western New York. The Center also coordinates programs and develops materials for migrant workers, their families, and educators on a statewide and national basis.

CONNECTIONS (Center for Educational Connections for Migrant Families), sponsored by the Geneseo Migrant Center, Inc., serves migrant families in three western New York Migrant Education Outreach programs (MEOPs)-- Brockport, Cortland, and Oswego. It seeks to assist migrant families to develop skills in working with their children and interacting with educators to enhance their children's educational development. Each of the 3 CONNECTIONS sites will house a family assistance center where families may gather and utilize an educational resource collection including books, videos, toys, and a computer. Staff will have access to a variety of educational resources such as research materials on home-to-school connections and parenting skills. The centers will utilize the following strategies to improve family interaction:

• Flexible family center hours to accommodate the migrant work schedule.

• Home visits to provide information about MEOP programs, family center access, and educational activities.

• Training modules/workshops to enhance parents' roles as first and most effective teachers.

• Transportation and child care assistance.

• Multi-sensory, portable parental assistance kits for home visits. Each kit will include information and materials (books, games, puzzles) to guide parents in working with their children.

• Home Instruction Program for Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY) for 4 year olds and their families.

• 800 hotline number to answer questions on parental assistance.

• Networking with agencies and organizations available to support additional educational and recreational opportunities for migrant families.

Collaborators:

• New York State Migrant Education Outreach Programs in Brockport, Cortland, and Oswego

Director:
Patricia M. Edwards
Geneseo Migrant Center, Inc.
PO Box 545
Geneseo, NY 14454
Telephone: (716) 245-5681
FAX: (716) 245-5680
Award: $249,952
Affiliation: HIPPY

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