About Us

What We Do

Mission

The mission of the Center for Migrant Education is to join with local, state, and national agencies and organizations to improve education and related services for migrant children and their families through the development and study of programs and training addressed to their special needs.

Vision

The vision of the Center for Migrant Education is to be nationally recognized as a champion of educational success and lifelong opportunity for students from migrant and seasonal farmworker backgrounds through strategic outreach, comprehensive support, meaningful community engagement, and the development, advocacy, and advancement of responsive, evidence-based policies and practices.

History of the Center

The Center for Migrant Education was founded in the late 1980s in response to a need for a focused effort to address the dismal educational outcomes of Florida's migrant farmworker students, who have often been referred to as the most educationally disadvantaged group in the United States. With a mission to join with local, state, and national agencies and organizations to improve education and related services for migrant children and their families through the development and study of programs and training addressed at special
needs, the Center's initial focus was in the area of dropout prevention and recovery for this vulnerable population of students. Throughout the Center's four-decade history, this focus remained central with continuous funding of the High School Equivalency Program (HEP) from 1987–2025 through competitive grants from the United States Department of Education. Over the years, the Center's initiatives have expanded to include externally funded research and programs in the areas of postsecondary education, including teacher preparation for migrant students; interstate migrant education programs; and migrant students with disabilities. In addition, in collaboration with College of Education development personnel, Center staff raised funds to establish endowments that provide undergraduate and graduate scholarships for students majoring in education and related fields.