ALAMOSA — The Alamosa School District Summer School Migrant Education Program came to a culturally rich and festive close on Thursday with a Family Night event held in the Alamosa High School cafeteria. The event was especially memorable as it included presentations and a dance performance by two dynamic, highly qualified teachers from Mexico who had spent the month instructing students as part of the Binational Teacher Exchange program.
With a large number of their students and their students’ families in attendance, Ameyalitzin Reyna Corona — who lives in Tepic, Nayarit, where she teaches Special Education — and Atziri Jaime Franco — who lives in Guadalajara, Jalisco, where she teaches English — performed a visually stunning dance wearing traditional dresses followed by a video they produced chronicling their time in Alamosa. They were also presented with a bouquet of flowers by Andrea Malouff, principal of the Alamosa Elementary Summer School program, for their dedication and commitment to teaching students as part of the Binational Teacher Exchange.
The presentation was followed by a feast of homemade pozole and cake, compliments of Alamosa Public Schools and the Migrant Education Program, with special thanks to the volunteers who made it happen. Parents and students were then invited for a “gallery walk” that displayed the students’ work and photos of the students and their teachers. Prizes were also raffled off with students taking home everything from large tote bags to games and activities that can be enjoyed at home.
The long-standing relationship between the Alamosa School District and Adams State University demonstrates the power in partnering for the benefits of students overall.
The summer school program is funded by the district to serve students in kindergarten through fifth grade. The Migrant Education Program, funded by Adams State University, is offered with the program to serve students whose families work seasonal jobs in agriculture.
Both programs operate under the supervision of Malouff.
Thanks to additional funding and support from ASU, Esmeralda Martinez, ASU’s Migrant Education Program Director, was able to travel to Mexico last October where she interviewed teachers interested in participating in the Binational Teacher Exchange program.
Six teachers from Mexico were selected to come to Colorado — two for Greeley, two for Grand Junction, and two for Alamosa. Martinez said the two teachers selected for Alamosa were perfect choices to enrich students’ educational experiences.
The teacher exchange program offers a myriad of benefits to all students in the summer school program as both programs are housed in the same building.
Students attending the Migrant Education Program benefit from the preservation of their language, culture, and knowledge of the history of Mexico; support that is crucial for students who, due to the occupation of their families, often live with a foot in two worlds. It also helps to aid those students who frequently transition from education in the United States to education in Mexico, as often happens with kids whose families are seasonal workers.
Students in the migrant summer school program, also benefit from not only receiving instruction in reading and math but also from exposure to exemplary teachers coming from Mexico who share with them information about the language, culture, and history of a country that is different from their own.
According to Luis Murillo, ASD Assistant Superintendent, about 200 students enrolled in the program, overall, this summer. If students’ and parents’ reactions during Family Night were any indication, it was a summer school program to remember.
