Cal State San Bernardino receives grant to help migrant students

Cal State San Bernardino has been awarded a five-year $2.3 million grant to assist students who are migrant/seasonal farm workers (MSFW) or the children of migrant/seasonal farm workers stay in school during their first year of college and continue into their second year of higher education.

“We are thrilled to have been selected to bring the College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP) to CSUSB and look forward to working with all of our educational partners to implement a program, designed to meet the unique needs of MSFW families in the Coachella Valley,” said Summer Steele, director of the CSUSB California Student Opportunity and Access Program (Cal-SOAP).

The five-year grant, which begins July 1 and will serve 50 students annually, will work out of Cal State San Bernardino, the CSUSB Palm Desert Campus, the One Future Coachella Valley and the Boys & Girls Club of Coachella Valley – Mecca Club.

The CAMP grant seeks to offer support to the students in three areas:

• Academic support through college and career planning, progress tracking, advising, tutoring summer residential programs, STEM and supplemental curriculum;
• Financial academic support through family financial aid workshops and application assistance, book loan program, scholarship assistance, employment connections, opportunities for fellowships and internships and career preparation; and
• Personal resources through leadership development, mental health and wellness programming, college tours, cultural experiences, and connections to basics needs resources.