Migrant agricultural workers help put food on America’s tables, and a program held at Lyon College each summer helps return the favor by giving their children a chance to make up school credit lost due to moving in the course of their work.

The Moving Up Arkansas Migrant Education Program advocates for migrant families, identifies and recruits all eligible students, and provides supplemental education programs, health and/or personal services to meet the unique needs of this growing population.

Children of families who earn their living in agriculture-related jobs such as farm workers or those employed by companies such as Tyson or Con-Agra, are eligible to participate in the program.

The Arkansas MEP provides textbooks, teachers and academic records exchange. The program’s mission is to ensure correct grade-age placement, transference of course credits and school enrollment opportunities.

Moving Up Arkansas principal Mary Jackson said students in the program can receive up to one and half high school credits in subjects including physical education, English, creative writing, math, biology, science, history, civics, geography and more.

Students also get to experience field trips to places such as the Clinton Presidential Library, an Arkansas Travelers baseball game, museums and Blanchard Springs Caverns.

Jackson said 44 students who were on campus this summer came from nations such as Mexico, Honduras, El Salvador, Peru, Thailand and the U.S. All the students from the U.S. are currently enrolled in Arkansas public schools. This year’s students ranged in age from 15 – 19, and the program is now in its eighth year.

"We held the first four at ASU Beebe and the past four here at Lyon," Jackson said. "The people here have been amazing to us, especially Terry Bryant, Gayle Silberhorn and Barb Dyer."

The program features two bilingual teachers, Jolynn Dixon and Jason Garvey, both teachers at Greenwood, Ark. Jackson and her husband Sidney serve as the residential teachers in the program.

"We’re their mother, nurse and everything else," she said.

Additionally, Beverly Joyner, Mason Moody and Bill Davis serve as day teachers in the program here at Lyon.

The vast majority of the students didn’t lose credits due to failing, Jackson said. "Most of them missed school work when their families were moving."

For more information on the Arkansas Migrant Education Program, call Mary Collins, Moving Up Arkansas’ director at (501) 724-6277, or e-mail William Cosme, state MEP director, at wcosme@arkedu.k12.ar.us.