by LINDSEY RODRIGUEZ

Lincoln Journal Star

Through a program offered by Lincoln Public Schools, children of migrant families have the chance to stop the feeling of displacement at school and replace it with a feeling of comfort.

The Migrant Education Summer Program, sponsored by a federal program, was a three-week program and ended June 29. It was offered for students in kindergarten through eighth grades.

Pablo Cervantes, migrant recruiter and bilingual liaison for LPS, said the federal migrant education program started in the 1960s. Three years ago, the program came to LPS.

Lourdes Almazan, coordinator for the program and English Language Learner teacher at Hawthorne Elementary School, said the program had 27 participants its first year.

This year, it had 78.

While the LPS program had more than 50 percent Hispanic students, Cervantes said, Vietnamese, Sudanese and Iraqi students also participated in the program.

The program teaches the students reading, writing, listening and speaking skills in English, Almazan said.

“A lot of the kids will migrate again, depending on their parents,” Cervantes said. “It may be hard for the kids to have friends and finish school. We are teaching them techniques that they can use at other schools.”

Almazan also said the program focuses on maintaining the students’ culture through art, music and dance. The final day of the program, the students acted out plays that symbolized their culture.

As part of a binational program, two teachers were brought in from Mexico, Cecilio Barrera and Carlos Valdez.

“We want to keep them learning,” Almazan said. “We want to focus and polish their talents so that they can shine.”

Reach Lindsey Rodriguez at 473-2640 or lrodriguez@journalstar.com.