Migrant Education Services

The Maine Title I, Part C – Highly Mobile Students Program provides highly mobile children and youth with several educational and support services. These include summer programs, tutoring programs, and other opportunities to meet each child's specific need. The local Title I, Part C Program Coordinators enroll all highly mobile children and youth, conduct all needs assessments, and create a service plan for each student. Read more about the Maine Title I, Part C services on Mano en Mano's website.

Title I, Part C Eligibility Requirements

Each highly mobile child and youth must have a Certificate of Eligibility (COE) signed by the Maine Department of Education to receive services. In order to receive a COE, the local Title I, Part C Program Coordinator meets with the family to determine eligibility. Eligibility factors include, but are not limited to:

• Highly Mobile: The child, parent/guardian or their spouse moved across school district lines within the past 3 years
• Agricultural or Aquaculture Worker: The child, parent/guardian or their spouse worked in the temporary or seasonal agriculture and aquaculture industries.
• Eligible for Free Public Education in Maine: The child is younger than 20 at the start of the school year.

School Needs Assessment

Upon the enrollment of new highly mobile children and youth into Title I, Part C, the local Program Coordinator will contact the student's school to meet and complete a School Needs Assessment. The purpose of this meeting is to connect with school staff to discuss the students' educational goals and to gather information on what the school is currently offering to understand and respond to the students' abilities, interests, and needs. The meeting and completion of the School Needs Assessment form help to ensure that Title I, Part C is appropriately supplementing academic and advocacy needs. A subsequent school needs assessment meeting should be scheduled at least once per year.

Services for In-School Children & Youth

The Maine Title I, Part C – Highly Mobile Students Program provides supplemental educational and support services to highly mobile children and youth in school throughout the state. To inform the services provided, Title I, Part C staff complete a Family Needs Assessment and a School Needs Assessment for every highly mobile child and youth enrolled in the program. Based on these Needs Assessments and the child's educational goals and needs, supplemental services are provided to meet those needs.

• Advocacy: Title I, Part C program advocate for the children and families of highly mobile agriculture and aquaculture workers in schools, districts and elsewhere to ensure that students are receiving the services for which they are eligible.
• After-School Educational Programs: After-school tutoring and other educational support services for highly mobile children and youth may be available and vary by location.
• Preschool & Daycare Services: In some cases, Title I, Part C may be able to provide or contribute to preschool and daycare services to facilitate the educational needs of eligible parents or siblings.
• Referral to Outside Providers/Agencies: Title I, Part C works with several other State agencies and community partners to connect highly mobile agriculture and aquaculture workers and their families to educational and other support services.
• Transportation: Depending on a child's circumstances, Title I, Part C may be able to provide transportation for eligible students to and from Title I, Part C activities and services.

Summer Programs

In addition to the services provided to students throughout the school year, the Maine Title I, Part C – Highly Mobile Students Program coordinates summer opportunities for highly mobile children and youth in the state. Some of these children may live in the state year-round, and others move to the state to work in Maine's agriculture and aquaculture industries.

• Blueberry Harvest School. The Blueberry Harvest School is an educational summer program for children (ages three to 13) who are eligible for Title I, Part C. The program provides transportation, meals, and other services to participating children.
• Other Programs. Title I, Part C may be able to coordinate additional summer educational activities for highly mobile children and youth. These opportunities are decided upon on a case-by-case basis.

Services for Out-of-School Children & Youth

Title I, Part C helps students who have withdrawn from school with their educational goals. Through the initial needs assessment with the student, Title I, Part C staff identify their educational goals. After that, staff provide educational activities related to those goals such as language, math or reading lessons.