Migrant Education Outreach Program
The Long Island-Metro Migrant Education Program (MEP) is a federally funded supplemental program that supports the implementation of educational and support services for migratory children and their families in Suffolk, and Nassau Counties and the Five Burrows. The goals of the Long Island MEP are to support migratory children in addressing educational disruption, cultural and language barriers, social isolation, health problems, food insecurity, homelessness, poverty, and other factors that inhibit such migratory children from doing well in school and making the transition to postsecondary education or employment. Sponsored by Eastern Suffolk BOCES, the Long Island-Metro MEP provides supplemental services designed to meet the educational needs of migrant-eligible farm workers and their children. The Long Island-Metro MEP may provide support to a migrant eligible family for three years following a qualifying move for the purposes of acquiring agricultural work.
Background Information
The Migrant Education Program (MEP) is authorized by Title I, Part C of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). The MEP provides formula grants to the state education agencies (SEAs) to establish or improve programs of education for children of qualifying migrant workers. These grants assist states in improving educational opportunities for migrant children to help them succeed in the regular school program, attain grade-level proficiency, and to meet the challenging content and student performance standards that all children are expected to master. The Long Island-Metro MEP is one of eight Migrant Education Programs in New York State and is represented in yellow on the map.
The Migrant Education Program (MEP) was established as a mechanism to reach migrant families who live in rural and urban school districts and typically comprise a small percentage of these districts' enrollments. A variety of educational support services and programs, including family advocacy, individual tutoring, ENL classes for Out of School Youth and educational field trips are offered free of charge.
Migrant families on Long Island work in a variety of agricultural activities. These include nursery work; vegetable crops; fruit orchards; vineyards and other agricultural and fishing work throughout the region. Although migrant families' backgrounds vary considerably, many are of Mexican, Mexican-American or Central American descent and are native Spanish speakers. While the children are at varying levels of English proficiency, the parents tend to be dominant in their native language.
Definition of Migrant Eligibility
A migrant child is a child whose parent, guardian, spouse or him/herself is a migratory agricultural worker or fisher and who has moved within the past thirty-six months from one school district to another to enable the child, the child's guardian, spouse or a member of the child's immediate family to obtain temporary or seasonal employment in an agricultural or fishing activity. The Identification and Recruitment Parent Survey is used to identify students who may be eligible for Migrant Education Program services.
Lunch Program
At the beginning of each school year, the Long Island-Metro Migrant Education Program (MEP) sends each school district a list of currently eligible migratory students. These students are categorically eligible for free lunch and breakfast without completing the application.
Educational Services
The Long Island-Metro Migrant Education Program (MEP) provides supplemental educational services to migrant students and their families through advocacy and coordination with schools and community agencies, outreach activities, and academic tutoring in-person, virtually and at schools (as available). Migrant Education Specialists and Tutor Advocates provide services to families by building partnerships with families, schools and community services.
A needs assessment on each child is completed in collaboration with the parents. The needs assessment evaluates the educational and social needs of the family, the services received from the school and recommends referrals and migrant services. Supplemental services and activities are developed with the family members and progress is assessed periodically. Services are delivered through a variety of models depending on the needs of the family.
For more information about the New York State Migrant Education Program, please visit their website https://www.nysmigrant.org/.