Since the Fall of 2013, when the Oswego Migrant Education Tutorial and Support Services (METS) program region was realigned to include Wayne County, the METS program and the migrant students and families that it serves have benefitted tremendously from a strong partnership with the Sodus Central School District.
In Sodus CSD the METS found a ready, willing, and able partner that was keenly interested in working together to support the growth and development of the district’s migrant students. It was clear from initial meetings that the METS program had the full support of the District’s administration, faculty, and staff. One of the first and most profound examples of this support was the district’s enthusiasm for hosting a regional METS summer school program. Starting in 2014 and continuing annually (except for summer 2020 due to the COVID 19 pandemic) the METS has collaborated with Sodus to provide a 6-week full day summer school program for migrant students entering grades K-12. Each summer the METS summer program has served between 60 and 70 students with between 40 – 50 percent of the students being from Sodus CSD and the others coming from surrounding districts.
To make summer school possible the Sodus CSD provided critical support including, but not limited to:
- use of classrooms and facilities (gym, pool, playground, auditorium, art room, library, computer lab, etc.),
- transportation of Sodus CSD students as well as those from other districts,
- technology support for METS staff and District IDs to access the building,
- inclusion in the school’s summer nutrition program (breakfast, lunch, and an afternoon snack), and
- participation in enrichment activities such as swimming and soccer, and transportation for program field trips.
This spirit of collaboration and partnership has not only contributed to the creation of an ongoing successful summer program but is carried throughout the school year as Sodus CSD has been instrumental in referring students that may qualify for migrant education services, welcoming METS educators to the district and including them as part of their educational team, providing them with resources such as technology accounts, access to Google classroom and other online tools, use of copiers, computers and other technology, and inclusion in professional development offerings. Additionally, the district has partnered with the METS on a variety of activities including providing transportation for annual trips to visit the College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP) at SUNY Oneonta, participation in Rural and Migrant Ministries Annual Harvesting Justice Celebration, Sodus’s Kids for College Club (a student club which helps migrant, rural, immigrant and other students explore college and career options and prepare for success), and participation in the METS annual Graduation & Recognition Celebration.
When asked about the partnership, Nelson Kise, Superintendent of Sodus CSD, responded, “We have many partnerships but I can’t think of one that is more personally rewarding than our partnership with migrant education.”
Written by: Paul Gugel, Director Oswego METS
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