Migrant students attending a regional Student Leadership Conference take a tour of the Eastern Washington University campus.

EWU PARTNERSHIP EXPANDS STUDENT LEADERSHIP TRAINING

With migrant education funding facing cutbacks, a new partner has stepped forward to establish another regional student leadership conference.

Eastern Washington University co-sponsored the EWU-SEMY Leadership & Educational Conference Nov. 1-2 in conjunction with the Secondary Education for Migrant Youth Office, the creator of the award-winning leadership curriculum.

As the host agency, EWU provided motels rooms and meals for the students, conference facilities, college mentors, speakers and door prizes.

SEMY provided coordination of planning and recruitment, the leadership curriculum, training of small-group facilitators and coaches, and general guidance and support. And school districts provided student recruitment and supervision, transportation, chaperones, leadership curriculum facilitators, and chaperone and facilitator room, board and supplies

The SEMY curriculum, developed over the past 21 years, teaches leadership skills, team-building, goal-setting, problem-solving and much more – all in a fun, inspiring and stimulating environment.

Students who come with a shy, cautious, reluctant or sometimes even negative attitude, typically leave with tears, embraces and sincere gratitude as visible evidence of the dramatic change that had occurred.

“The small-group curriculum is great!” says EWU’s CAMP Retention Specialist Adelina Grageda.

Luis Juarez, an EWU CAMP outreach and retention specialist, agrees.

“The small groups were effective in providing students with interactive dialogues and exercises that increased confidence, motivation, knowledge and communication skills,” he says. “The other highlight was allowing these students to interact with current EWU students to talk about their experiences on campus.”

Participants this year included 57 students -- 19 from Sunnyside School District, 13 from Yakima School District, 12 from Mabton School District, nine from Toppenish School District, and four from Oroville School District.

SEMY prefers to hold its student leadership conferences on college campuses to help migrant students to envision themselves pursuing higher education. Many of the students come from families in which no one has ever graduated from or even attended college, says SEMY Director Linda Roberts.

Many of the students have never even visited a college campus, much less tasted of campus life, says Grageda.

“We were able to make a difference in their lives,” says Grageda. “Just by being on a college campus has a lasting effect on them. A student panel was a good time for the high school students to hear from EWU students about all things relating to college.

“All the students seemed to be excited to be on campus and really asked a lot of questions of the EWU student panel. I think that had a very positive impact on them,” she adds.

The two-day EWU-SEMY conference included:

• Powerful speakers, such as Dr. Don Chacon, a Wenatchee psychologist.
• Presentation by EWU’s College Access to Migrants Program (CAMP), which provides migrant students with scholarships, work-study opportunities, tutoring, counseling, and socio-emotional support as they proceed into the challenging venture of higher education.
• Presentations by the Planetarium and Crime Lab programs at EWU.
• Such social activities as a student dance.
• And small-group leadership and educational workshops.

Students appreciated older role models who shared their stories. Dr. Chacon was named specifically by nearly half of the respondents in a post-conference evaluation as being particularly outstanding.

“Dr. Chacon hasn’t lost his roots. That’s cool,” wrote one of the students.

“He was able to talk to students from an historical perspective, as well as from a motivational perspective,” says Juarez.  “The students seemed to respond positively to his remarks about family, pride, education, and improving one’s lot in life.”

Dr. Chacon relates stories from his grandmother that taught him important values and also talks about his own life experiences that taught him never to give up. 

“He is just very inspirational,” says Grageda.

Chacon was born in Mexico and came to the U.S. with his mother when he was 11. His grandmothers for four generations were “curanderas” or folk healers.  The practice of “curanderismo” continues in his family.

Chacon is a VietNam-era veteran, whose life’s work has been to help develop social and mental health services for “la Raza.” He has been involved in the Chicano movement in Washington.  And he obtained his doctoral degree in psychology at the age of 62. He now has a private practice but continues as an advocate for Latino youth and families.  He is also writing a book on values.

Of students responding to the participant questionnaire, 93 percent said the event overall was “good” or “excellent;” all 100 percent said the speakers were “good” or “excellent;” and 84 percent said the small group activities were “good” or “excellent.” About 85 percent of the students volunteered to serve on next year’s planning committee.

In open-ended responses, students said the program taught them “how to plan out priorities,” “how to solve problems,” “how to be a good leader and to make decisions,” how “to be a confident leader,” “how to prepare to go to college;” and that to be “a good leader you have to forget about yourself.”

In other open-ended evaluation comments, students wrote:

• “I had a great time with the leaders; also all the kids. Their thoughts really influenced me to things I want to achieve but thought I couldn’t.”
• “I had a good time. Facilitators helped us a lot to find a part of ourselves – that we are all leaders.”
• “I learned that I should really focus on my actions, share it, influence my peers, and want the best for all of them.”
• “I had a great time at EWU and hope to come to more trips like this and learn about different colleges.”
• “I enjoyed this trip, and I think it was a good experience for me.”
• “Coming to this leadership conference has been a great experience.”
• “I learned many things and met great friends. [I enjoyed the] great team work. [It was a] courteous group.”
• “Communication was good. We all participated and shared our ideas and thoughts.”
• “It was fun and encouraging.”
• “Si se puede, never give up. You are never on your own. There will always be someone to support you. Anything can be accomplished. Just give all your hard work.”
• “I learned that I could be a leader and could help other people succeed.”

      After the conference, 19 percent more of the students said they now expect to attend college – up from 73 to 92 percent of those responding to both pre- and post-conference questionnaires.

 “I want to thank the EWU staff wholeheartedly for the great conference. The effort and heart they put into welcoming us to EWU was exemplary,” says Jeane Williamson, the Toppenish High School chaperone. “I was very pleasantly impressed.  So were my students.  Out of nine students attending the conference [from Toppenish], at least half of them are planning to attend school at EWU.  We liked the small school atmosphere; the close-knit group of CAMP students and staff.  It just had a homey, family feel to it.  Of course there were many things we liked about the conference; in fact, everything.

“It would be sooo cool if we could do a two-nighter next time where we don't have to be SOOOOO rushed and drop-dead tired from the commute and organization of getting kids there on time,” Williamson adds.

“Overall, I am happy EWU and SEMY have started this partnership. Hopefully it will continue and we can make a great impact on our migrant students,” says EWU’s Grageda.

Dr. Carlos Maldonado, director of the EWU Chicano Education Program, says this was a foundation for what he, too, hopes will become an annual event. 

CHANGES BEING MADE IN STATE LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE

Major revisions are occurring with the State Migrant Student Leadership Conference this year. It will be held Aug. 16-19, instead of in late March or early April, as has been the case in most of its 20-year history.

Also, parents will be invited to attend a side-by-side conference for a day and a half.  Parents and students will have an opportunity to learn together, reviewing individual five-year plans and practicing leadership.

Among the student participants will be 20 specially selected youth "Ambassadors," who represent migrant youths in a variety of settings in schools, before school boards and even before state legislators and other state officials.