Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month through week-long sample lessons from the Cesar Chavez Foundation’s signature K-8th grade curriculum. Develop students’ knowledge of Hispanic culture and ability to share and connect to their own stories.
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Teachers in the Migrant Education Program create supportive spaces where students strengthen core skills and grow with confidence.
Migrant farm workers often face significant educational barriers, especially due to the disruption caused by seasonal agricultural work, which can leave students falling behind. Cesar Chavez knew this struggle, having attended 36 schools as a migrant farmworker before leaving in the 8th grade. Today, the Chavez Foundation’s Education team seeks to help students through the Migrant Education Program. Established in 1966, the Migrant Education Program remains committed to ensuring migrant students achieve academic success and are prepared for a bright future.
The Cesar Chavez Migrant Education Program, created by the Cesar Chavez Education Fund, serves students from TK through 8th grade with a focus on strengthening literacy, language, and math skills. Tailored to the unique needs of migrant families, the program can be completed in person, virtually, or in a hybrid format. Rooted in Cesar’s core values, the program helps students learn about his legacy while exemplifying the impact they can make. Certified teachers with cultural competence facilitate the program, and a family partnership approach ensures flexible options that meet the community’s needs. With a 93% attendance rate, the program demonstrates strong engagement and success.
Students are encouraged to engage, ask questions, and take pride in learning.
These programs help students achieve academically, boosting their confidence along the way. Our Manager of Programs, Erika Hall, recalls one student in particular who was struggling in school. Through the program, he received support in a targeted small group led by an instructor and gained access to an engaging online platform. Over the course of the program, he grew academically and received an award for achievement in math.
Families served by the program value it for many reasons. Their schedules are often unpredictable, and the program’s flexible hours support student success. The family outreach team offers real-time bilingual support, helps students navigate technical issues, and ensures students stay connected daily when working online. When partnering with districts, the Chavez Foundation team ensures support extends beyond the classroom and looks at families’ unique needs.
The Migrant Education Program builds connection and learning, in person or online.
The program has left a lasting impact on its facilitators and staff. One group of students that made a powerful impression through their enthusiasm and passion for learning came from Atwater, California. Program facilitator Isabel Garrison shared, “They were such a joy to work with and eagerly awaited my arrival on Zoom every single day! They were talkative, enthusiastic, and ready to engage in every lesson. Our SEL sessions sparked meaningful conversations, and it was clear they valued the time we spent together. I will genuinely miss them!”
Time and time again, we have seen that students succeed when their community supports them and they have access to needed resources. Notably, 86% of students in our Education Fund’s Migrant Education Program maintained academic proficiency or showed growth, and 88% achieved their individual goals.
Together with districts and county offices of education, we’re helping students access the tools and resources that fuel their success. Explore how the Education Fund is shaping brighter futures through innovative programs.
Learn more about the Education Fund at chavezfoundation.org/education-fund/.
Cesar Chavez understood the critical role education plays in strengthening communities. In the 1960s, he and his colleagues established the Huelga School in Delano to educate the children of farm workers, enabling them to thrive and providing their children the opportunity to grow, learn, and pursue higher education, something Cesar wholeheartedly encouraged. Today, his vision lives on through the work of the Chavez Foundation.
The Chavez Foundation’s Housing and Economic Development Fund is home to the Community Services team, which works across the Southwest in partnership with residents of our affordable housing communities. Their efforts go beyond providing resources; they create connections through organizing events like holiday celebrations, community meetings, and Know Your Rights workshops. The flagship program Sí Se Puede Learning Center is at the heart of their work, an afterschool program that helps students who may be learning English or struggling with reading and writing. The program has shown a median academic improvement of 35% across the region. These centers offer educational and social support, building confidence and creating a safe space for students to thrive.
Joy and laughter filled the air as kids enjoyed activities at Govea Gardens, one of CCF’s affordable housing communities in Bakersfield, CA.
The Community Service Program Coordinators are vital to this effort, bringing diverse skills to their roles. They are both educators and program leaders. Their creativity and deep understanding of the communities they serve often make them role models to the students they mentor. They tailor lessons and projects to their interests, making learning fun while helping them build academic skills.
Evette Ybarra, a Program Coordinator in Fresno, California, recalls helping a fourth-grade student struggling with multiplication tables. “In just a couple of months, she mastered them with daily practice during homework help time.” Evette shares that many of her returning students show significant academic growth. The program coordinators create a safe and supportive environment where students feel comfortable asking for help, enabling them to thrive academically and personally.
Families in our Montebello affordable housing community received new backpacks during a back-to-school event in Montebello, CA.
The Community Services team significantly impacts the broader community by managing large-scale programs and events that provide essential resources to thousands of students. One key initiative is the annual backpack giveaway, which offers free backpacks filled with school supplies and often includes a back-to-school celebration. Jessica Tomoko, the Regional Program Coordinator for Texas, noted, “Many of our students come from families where buying new supplies can be challenging, so receiving a backpack filled with everything they need makes them feel supported and excited for the year ahead.” Through effective planning and coordination, the Community Services team helps remove barriers to education, giving families peace of mind and equipping children for success.
The Sí Se Puede Learning Centers offer a safe space for students to connect and support each other. With guidance from Community Service and Regional Program Coordinators, students build confidence, achieve academic success, and grow into community leaders. These programs provide the tools and mindset needed to become inspiring leaders of the future.
As we celebrate Cesar Chavez Month, we reflect on his lasting legacy and how his work continues through the Cesar Chavez Foundation (CCF). Founded to uphold his vision of justice and empowerment, the foundation focuses on education, affordable housing, media, and preserving Cesar’s legacy—ensuring his mission thrives for generations.
In the 1960s, Chávez and his colleagues created the Huelga School in Delano, providing farmworkers’ children with access to education during the grape strike. Later, he established a Montessori school at La Paz for movement staff families.
The Education Fund continues this commitment today by providing diverse, culturally responsive programs in under-resourced communities. Its goal is to impact one million students by 2028.
Chavez often called migrant farmworkers “the original homeless.” Having experienced this struggle firsthand, he prioritized affordable housing through what is now the Housing & Economic Development Fund.
The foundation’s first housing project, the Paulo Agbayani Retirement Village, provided Filipino farmworkers with dignity and stability. Today, CCF manages over $900 million in affordable housing, transforming the lives of thousands of families, seniors, and youth.
Recognizing the power of media to mobilize change, Chavez established Radio Campesina, its flagship program, in 1983 to entertain and instill a sense of community among Latinos and working families.
Today, Chavez Media reaches millions of multicultural audiences across multiple touchpoints, engaging a multi-generational, multicultural audience. Its abiding mission is to promote Cesar’s legacy by motivating people to use the resources available and be active participants in shaping their lives and communities.
The National Chavez Center ensures that Cesar’s legacy remains a beacon for future generations. From national days of service to heritage summits and the Cesar E. Chavez National Monument, it serves as a place of education, reflection, and community-building.
La Paz, where Chavez spent his final years, continues to embody his principles of nonviolence, self-sacrifice, and service—a lasting tribute to his life’s work.
Cesar Chavez believed in the power of community. Join us in celebrating his life and ensuring his mission continues.
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Together, we keep the movement alive. ¡Sí, Se Puede!
Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month through week-long sample lessons from the Cesar Chavez Foundation’s signature K-8th grade curriculum. Develop students’ knowledge of Hispanic culture and ability to share and connect to their own stories.
For more information about our full curriculum offerings, including After-School & Summer programming, contact edu.partnerships@chavezfoundation.org
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