For more than one month now, we have had to adjust to a new way of working.  This temporary “new normal” has brought many challenges.  But it also has provided us with wonderful opportunities to connect with our families in new and innovative ways. One of our new innovations was inspired by our Chief Executive Officer, Maria Garza.  She envisioned an ECMHSP Learning Channel on YouTube.  Her vision was brought to life by Christine Alvarado, Consuellis Hawkins-Crudup and educat

Monica Vicente is part of the 2019 NMSHSA Summer Internship Program and as a child was enrolled in a Head Start Program. This summer I was given the opportunity to intern with East Coast Migrant Head Start Project.  With my interest in studying communications, this placement was a perfect fit. As I reflect on my first day of being introduced to Norma Lopez, John Menditto, Rita Rey, and Diane Santo, I was very nervous.  They welcomed me with open arms and would often spoil me

Monica Vicente is a 2019 Summer Intern for the National Migrant Seasonal Head Start Association.  She lives in Middletown, NY and is a proud Agri-Business Child Development alumna.  She’s currently a rising sophomore at Lehman College, where she studies nursing.  Her goal is to become a nurse practitioner after having first obtained a master’s degree in nursing. She considers nursing a noble career, having high morals and principles that reflect on her parents’ teachings grow

ECMHSP is excited to announce the release of our 2018 Annual Report, which unveiled our new logo and brand identity.  The report showcases the great success ECMHSP experienced in providing comprehensive and high-quality services to farmworker families along the East Coast. Cover of the ECMHSP 2018 Annual Report Some of the highlights from this year’s report include: An overview of how our Practice Based Coaching (PBC) process is strengthening our teachers in the classroom Tot

Marietta College volunteers get familiar with the Head Start services we offer our migrant and seasonal farmworker families. Cathy Cobb, ECMHSP Whiteville Center Director, gave them a warm welcome and a presentation on who ECMHSP is to familiarize all volunteers with the Head Start services offered to the migrant and seasonal farmworkers in our program.  A light breakfast and lunch were provided to the volunteers, which worked hard to beautify our center. Our Marietta College

John Menditto, ECMHSP General Counsel, thanks the parents that attended the conference during a plenary session. The National Migrant & Seasonal Head Start Association (NMSHSA) held its Annual National Conference in Costa Mesa, CA, from March 2 through March 6. A number of our dedicated employees travelled to the conference to make presentations on best practices we have implemented. Sofia Baucom and Consuellis Hawkins-Crudup, for example, presented a session titled, Planning

Leaders from the faith, business and advocacy communities read Dreamer testimonials on Capitol Hill. Photo credit: FWD.us East Coast Migrant Head Start Project is committed to preparing the children of migrant and seasonal farm workers for success. The farmworker families we serve entrust their children to ECMHSP centers while they toil in the fields every day to feed America. But many of these same families live with the fear of separation, afraid that today will be the last

Clara Cappiello y Emily Diaz On November 17, Emily Diaz, a preschool teacher with the ECMHSP Loxley Migrant Head Start Center in Alabama, and Clara Cappiello, Training and Development Manager at ECMHSP, were prepared and excited to present at the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) annual conference, which took place at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta. They were a part of, “Grandes Comienzos,” a special track for the Spanish speaking

ECMHSP welcomed a new Policy Council in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the birthplace of America. During the week of August 13 through August 18, parents representing all of the ECMHSP Migrant and Seasonal Head Start programs gathered for the annual orientation, the election of the new Policy Council Executive Committee and the Policy Council meeting. The week began with a meeting of the outgoing Policy Council Executive Committee on Sunday afternoon, at which the elected parent

Armando Cendejas is part of the 2017 NMSHSA Summer Internship Program and as a child was enrolled in the ECMHSP Fort Pierce Head Start center in Florida. This is his story. Armando Cendejas, one of the students selected for the NMSHSA Internship Class of 2017, shares his story at the Closing Celebration in Washington, DC. My name is Armando Cendejas. I am a 20-year-old sophomore attending Indian River State College in Fort Pierce, Florida, pursuing a degree in Physical Therap

About 15 years ago, Priscilla Garza, Cheyla Moranchel, Armando Cendejas, and Juan Rangel were young children enrolled in the Migrant and Seasonal Head Start program. Priscilla’s MSHS experience was in Texas and Maryland, in programs operated by Teaching and Mentoring Communities and East Coast Migrant Head Start Project. Cheyla’s was in Oregon in a MSHS program operated by the Oregon Child Development Coalition, while Armando and Juan both attended ECMHSP’s MSHS center in For

John Menditto, ECMHSP General Counsel, with Lou Struble and Gaby Procacci of Procacci Brothers farms, which employs many of the farmworker families served by the center. On July 14, ECMHSP celebrated the Jennings (Florida) Early Head Start center with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The Jennings staff and the Early Head Start staff did an amazing job of hosting this special event. We had a number of important visitors attend the ceremony and tour the center, including Lamar Hill a

Debbie and Takila at the Newton Grove community lunch. Debbie Youhouse and Takila Newkirk are two of the unsung heroes of the Migrant and Seasonal Head Start (MSHS) program. Debbie works as a Program Specialist with the Office of Head Start, where she is responsible for overseeing the program services of eight MSHS grantees, including East Coast Migrant Head Start Project. Takila works as a Grants Specialist with the Office of Head Start, where she is responsible for managing

Lynn Bowen is the Head Start Administrator for ECMHSP’s Direct Services in Virginia. This is her experience as she and her team prepare to serve farmworker families at their centers. At East Coast Migrant Head Start Project, the summer season has a slightly different meaning. It is growing season for many farms across America and workers are called to harvest the fresh fruits and vegetables grown under the summer sun. The migrant and seasonal farmworker families we serve begi

Lynn Bowen is the Head Start Administrator for ECMHSP’s Direct Services in Virginia. This is her experience as she and her team advocate for farmworker families. The ECMHSP Virginia Direct Services team has been actively participating in opportunities to raise awareness of our Migrant Head Start programs, families, and employment opportunities. Exhibitor table representing ECMHSP at the regional job fair. On April 5, LaShundra Weeks, Center Director, and Rhonda Strand, Early

ECMHSP is excited to announce the release of the 2016 Annual Report. The report showcases the great success ECMHSP experienced in providing comprehensive and high-quality services to farmworker families along the East Coast. Some of the highlights from this year’s report include: An overview of our indigenous language curriculum with parental involvement A red carpet rollout of a documentary featuring a ECMHSP family A parent’s effort to bring her congressman to her Head Star

Photo of Chavez, founder of UFW and civil rights leader. César E. Chávez is the late founder and president of the United Farm Workers of America. He was born on a small farm near Yuma, Arizona, on March 31, 1927, and began working in the fields at the age of 10. In 1942, Chavez quit school in the seventh grade. Despite his hardships and lack of education, he went on to create a movement in support of farmworker rights and dignity. Silvia Rodarte, the ECMHSP Policy Council Vic

Speaker Paul Schmitz at the conference. ECMHSP hosted our annual conference in Raleigh, North Carolina, from March 14-16. The conference theme was “Looking Towards the Future: Innovation, Leadership, Success.” Everyone in attendance received a wealth of information, with a particular focus on innovative practices to improve the quality of our program. There were far too many wonderful presentations to share the details of them all with you here. However, we do want to share w

The National Migrant & Seasonal Head Start Association (NMSHSA) held its Annual National Conference in Costa Mesa, CA, from March 5 through March 9. A number of our dedicated employees travelled to the conference to learn about the changes to the Head Start Performance Standards, which were rolled out last summer. It was a great opportunity to hear about implementation strategies and the importance of being outcomes-driven in our execution. Parents from Migrant and Seasonal H

Children at our centers benefit from the multiculturalism celebrated in our classrooms. ECMHSP is proud to serve America’s farmworker families, a challenging task that we have lovingly undertaken for more than 35 years.  Many of these farmworker families immigrated to the United States, bringing with them their rich cultures, languages, and beautiful traditions that are passed down to their children.  The children enrolled in our Migrant and Seasonal Head Start program benefi