USU, Migrant Head Start Work Together on Early Childhood Education

Researchers from Utah State University are working with Migrant Head Start and Centro de la Familia to prepare children for kindergarten.

Lillian Duran, an assistant professor from the Special Education and Rehabilitation department, heads up the five-year, $800,000 project. She will work with a team of researchers to introduce an evidence-based curriculum at each site. They will also work to refine a curriculum for children who may need extra help.

“All of this will be bilingual programming,” Duran said. “Ninety percent of the children who go to the schools speak Spanish at home. We’re talking about some of the most vulnerable people in the country, really.”

Three Migrant Head Start programs currently operate in the state: one in Providence, one in Honeyville and one in Genola. The USU group is subcontracting with the Centro del la Familia to provide early childhood education at all three sites.

Education is often a challenge for families that relocate frequently. But Duran expects the partnership to benefit both the children and the university. She hopes to improve school readiness for young children while also conducting research into language, literacy and early numeracy.

Children who go to migrant head start come from families who receive at least 50 percent of their income from agriculture. The season in Utah runs from April to December. Some families move often to follow the planting and harvest cycle. Others are seasonal workers who may return to Utah year after year.

The Migrant Head Start program in Providence serves about 70 children, ranging in age from infants to five years old.

The USU research team includes Dr. Vonda Jump and Dr. Mark Innocenti, both from the Center for Persons with Disabilities within the Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services.

Writer:  JoLynne Lyon   435-797-1463

Contact: Lillian Duran  Lillian.duran@usu.edu