September 16, 2024, Cheriton, VIRGINIA — East Coast Migrant Head Start Project (ECMHSP), a pioneer in early childhood education for farm worker families, proudly announced the celebration of its 50th anniversary at a community gathering at Sawmill Park, in Accomack, Virginia. For half a century, ECMHSP has been a beacon of innovation, commitment, success, and excellence in the early childhood education landscape for migrant and seasonal farm worker children.
“These are the farmworkers who work hard every day to put food on the table of everyday Americans at an affordable price. Yet, many farmworker families cannot afford to buy those goods, and to put food on the table for their own children,” said Maria C. Garza, Chief Executive Officer of East Coast Migrant Head Start Project.
Established in 1974, ECMHSP has consistently exemplified excellence in high quality early childhood care and learning, preparing the children of farm workers for school and offering social emotional development support.
“So many migrant and seasonal farmworker families face various challenges that often affect their mental and physical health, but ECMHSP bridges that gap and helps alleviate some of the stressors that farmworker families experience by providing high quality early childhood education and family services,” said LaShaundra Blake, Parksley Educational Campus Director.
From our humble beginnings, we have grown into a premiere powerhouse early childhood program, leaving a legacy of early learning impact on families, communities, and economies, thanks to the dedication and hard work of our visionary leadership and committed team.
Over the past five decades, ECMHSP has achieved numerous milestones that have shaped the landscape of early childhood care and learning for farm worker families. Some highlights include:
- Established a presence in Virginia in 1975 by working with delegate agency, Virginia Council of Churches to open three centers, serving 135 children in that first year
- Transitioning to direct service provider organizations,
- Maintaining early care and learning services throughout the COVID-19 pandemic,
- Expanding from the east coast into the Midwest in 2021,
- Increased enrollment from 135 to 2957 children annually, and
- For the first time, ECMHSP’s CEO, Board President and Policy Council President are former migrant farmworkers.
These accomplishments underscore our unwavering commitment to quality, innovation, and customer satisfaction.
“My motivation comes from growing up as a child whose mom worked in the fields. I would work in the strawberry fields prior to going to school in the morning and use the money that I made to buy my lunch,” said Cheriton Campus Director Rhonda Strand. “I’m indeed honored to work for an organization that supports our farmworker families. Where you start is not where you have to be.”
At the heart of East Coast Migrant Head Start Project’s success lies our steadfast commitment to excellence. Our enduring relationships with partners and stakeholders have played a pivotal role in our journey. We express our sincere gratitude to all those who have been a part of this remarkable 50-year odyssey. Your trust and collaboration have been integral to our success.
As we celebrate our 50th anniversary, East Coast Migrant Head Start Project remains poised to prepare our children for the 21st‘s century’s challenges. We are committed to embracing emerging trends, fostering innovation, and continuing to provide exceptional value to our partners and stakeholders. Together, we look forward to the next chapter of growth and success.
For more inquiries and information, please contact: Lindsay K. Saunders, East Coast Migrant Head Start Project’s Director of Communications, via email at LSaunders@ecmhsp.org or phone at 919-270-9195.
About East Coast Migrant Head Start Project:
East Coast Migrant Head Start Project is celebrating 50 years of groundbreaking achievements and remains a trailblazer in Head Start. With a legacy spanning 50 years, we have consistently demonstrated a commitment to migrant and seasonal early childhood care and learning excellence. Currently, ECMHSP operates in 43 Educational Campuses across ten states providing holistic, high-quality early childhood education services for approximately 3,000 farmworker children between 6 weeks to 6 years old. For more information, visit: https://www.ecmhsp.org/
More information about the 50 year celebration online: https://www.ecmhsp.org/50thanniversary
More information about how it started: https://www.ecmhsp.org/post/how-it-started-first-decade-of-east-coast-migrant-head-start-project
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