Migrant Education Parent Conference Connects Families with Resources

The 2023 Migrant Education Regional Parent Conference was back in person this year and at a new location: MiraCosta College’s Oceanside campus.

Partnering with MiraCosta College and Encuentros Leadership, the Migrant Education Region 9 conference drew nearly 275 parents and students. Kindergarten through 5th grade students were provided educational time, while those in grades 6-12 registered for the Encuentros Conference.

The conference was back in person after a virtual 2021 conference, and provided the opportunity for parents to connect with each other, members of the Migrant Education Region 9 program at SDCOE, and community organizations. They also had opportunities to learn how to support all aspects of their children’s academic, personal, and emotional growth at workshops presented by experts in the fields of education, mental health, public health, cybersecurity, and financial literacy.

Health, vision, and dental screenings were offered as well as a variety of informational booths provided by non-profits, community services, and local businesses. As parents spent time in learning sessions, the conference also provided educational and informational lessons, activities, and demonstrations for the migratory children whose parents attended. Migratory youth are those who move periodically with their parents or guardians as they do seasonal agricultural work including field and farm work, work in nurseries, packing agricultural products, dairy, lumber, or fishing

“Partnering with MiraCosta and having the opportunity to host the conference on a college campus provided us many opportunities,” said Elisa Ayala, senior director of Migrant Education. “Families were able to simply be on and tour a campus, the larger facilities gave us more options, and we were able to include college students to provide some of the resources for families.”