How local Girl Scouts group is making an impact at area migrant farmworkers camps

Renata Ramirez is 5 years old and will start kindergarten in August at a school in Empire. But her education will continue in another country in October, when her family returns to Mexico.

Her father grew up in Stanislaus County, and he’s worked at an Escalon tomato cannery the past 18 years. He’s a seasonal worker, and his family only lives in the United States six months out of the year.

The Ramirez family is among several dozen who live in a seasonal migrant farmworker housing complex in Empire. For children like Renata, their school year is split up with different schools and sometimes different languages and different cultures.

The Girl Scouts Heart of Central California wants to supplement the education of kids like Renata living in farmworker housing throughout the Central Valley. The Girl Scouts offers educational programs involving Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, also known as STEM. They host these educational programs at the STEM Center + MakerSpace on Oakdale Road in Modesto.

But the Girl Scouts know that farmworker parents work long, grueling days and don’t have the energy to get these girls to educational summer camps.

“They have long hours. Most of them, they work in the fields or in the canneries,” said Zenaida Sanchez, a strategic and community partnerships manager with the Girl Scouts Heart of Central California. “And when they come home, all they want to do is be under the shade, eat something and rest for the following day.”

So, Sanchez leads weekly STEM activities at seasonal migrant housing areas, where the children live with their families.

“We bring the STEM Center to them,” Sanchez said. “These girls can do anything, like any of the other girls.”

Sanchez brings the educational activities to Girl Scout troops at five migrant housing complexes throughout the Central Valley, including those in Patterson, Westley and French Camp in San Joaquin County. About 100 girls participate in the STEM summer program for migrant children each year.

In Empire, the children gather in the small park at the center of the housing complex each week to participate in STEM activities Sanchez organizes. Most of these children living in the county-run housing for workers in the agriculture industry migrate from Mexico or other states, like Texas. To live in the complex, residents have to be U.S. citizens or legal residents in this country.

The Ramirez family used to live in Modesto year-round, but that changed about nine years ago. Isabel Ramirez, who has established legal U.S. residency, felt she couldn’t spend so much time away from her own parents and siblings still living in Jalisco, Mexico.

The family lives in Mexico from November through April. Usually, they return in May to the Empire seasonal housing, where they live through October. Renata eagerly awaits the time she spends with her Girl Scout troop.

“She counts the days until she can come out and participate in the Girl Scouts activities. She loves it,” the girl’s mother said in Spanish. “I think it provides a lot of focus for these kids, to help them catch up and stabilize their education.”

Sanchez said the Girl Scouts Heart of Central California wants to spark the girls’ interest in science and engineering.

“We want them to think outside of what they have in their immediate family environment,” Sanchez said. “This broadens their minds and helps them explore new things.”

Girl Scout Troop 8600 was created at the Empire housing complex, which houses about 90 families typically from May through mid-fall.

When they and their families settle in Stanislaus County in the late spring, there’s only a few weeks before the school year is over. Sanchez said the STEM learning offers these children an educational boost.

“They’re always behind. Then, they have to deal with the language barrier,” Sanchez said about children of mostly Spanish-speaking migrant families forced to move every several months.

Ramirez said her 11-year-old son, Raymundo Ramirez, benefits a lot from migrant education programs at his school. And she always enrolls him in summer school, so he’ll continue learning English. His ability to speak English is more conversational right now.

The mother said it used to be difficult for them each time they moved, especially for her son.

“He used to get really hesitant at first, but now he’s used to it,” she said. “We get used to this kind of life. Now, we enjoy the time we have here, and we enjoy the time we have over there.”

Sanchez said it’s important for these children to be introduced to STEM education, especially when the language barrier might discourage them. Sanchez was born in Mexico, and has more than 20 years of experience in local organizations. That includes the past 11 years with Girl Scouts, starting several troops in the region.

“I know what it feels like when you don’t know the language,” Sanchez said.

Each year, she arrives at the migrant camp with flyers. With the help of the Housing Authority, which operates the housing complex, Sanchez goes door-to-door explaining to parents how the educational activities can benefit their daughters.

Volunteers needed

Girls, including junior high and high school students, can participate in the free activities. But Sanchez is only available to lead the instruction for four weeks — one day each week — at each migrant camp.

The Girl Scouts Heart of Central California are seeking volunteers who can lead the STEM activities for these migrant children. Sanchez said they want the community to take the reins, so the STEM education for these Girl Scout troops continues throughout the summer, maybe once or twice a month. These volunteers would receive training before working with the children.

Sanchez said the parents she’s met at the migrant housing are confident the Girl Scouts can offer their daughters support for their education. She said many of these parents work hard from sunrise to sunset to support their families.

“These parents love their children,” Sanchez said. “I would love for them to be more engaged, but they can’t. And I understand that, and I respect them very, very much.”

For more information about the Girl Scouts Heart of Central California or to volunteer, call 209-545-3620 or visit the web site at www.girlscoutshcc.org

This story was originally published July 9, 2019 at 3:24 PM.