Learning the Impact of Advocacy

 

Lynn Bowen, ECMHSP Head Start Administrator in Virginia, shares her recent experience at NAEYC’s Annual Conference.  The conference was held November 20 – 23 in Nashville, Tennessee.  Before starting at ECMHSP, she worked most of her teenage years at packing houses, grading green beans and cucumbers.  Please keep reading to learn why Lynn has dedicated almost 30 years of her life to serve migrant and seasonal farmworker families.

How did you begin your career with ECMHSP?

I learned about ECMHSP when I applied to be an infant/toddler caregiver at the Cheriton Center, located in the Eastern Shore of Virginia.  In 1989, I started working as an infant/toddler caregiver for four years while attending college to complete my undergraduate degree.  Upon completion of my B.S., I moved to Florida and worked with another Migrant Head Start grantee.  I returned to ECMHSP in 2011 as a Quality Assurance monitor, working out of the Raleigh, North Carolina office.  In 2012, I returned to Florida to work with a non-profit agency in Immokalee and served as the Director of Professional Development.  In 2015, the same year I completed my graduate degree in Early Childhood Education, the ECMHSP Virginia delegate agency made the transition to direct services.  I applied and was hired to be the Head Start Administrator of Virginia.

In 2016, staff from the offices of U.S. Senator Tim Kaine and U.S. Senator Mark Warner visited the ECMHSP Parksley Center, located in the Eastern Shore of Virginia. 

Why is it important for you to attend conferences like that of National Association for the Education of Young Children?

It is important for all who are involved in the field of early childhood and who advocate for migrant and seasonal children and families to attend and present at local, regional, state, and national conferences.  For those who are new to the field, attending conferences provides the opportunity to learn from experts, network with other providers, and provides a sense of accomplishment and professionalism. The field of early childhood is in transition.  There are many who continue to call child development centers “daycare” and call teachers “babysitters”.  This is not what we at ECMHSP do. We are qualified early childhood professionals who provide high-quality holistic services at child development centers.  Attending conferences and earning certifications, provides the foundation for continuous learning and elevates our profession.  It is only through ongoing professional development that we, as early childhood professionals, will receive the recognition that we merit.  Approximately two years ago, I presented an overview of migrant families during the Florida Association of Education of Young Children’s annual conference and was subsequently invited to present at another conference.  This type of exposure is priceless as I was able to share our mission with numerous professionals and agencies who would have otherwise remained unaware of ECMHSP.

What are the main things you shared about our Head Start program during your poster presentation?

The main points shared during the presentation included our mission, and an overview of the population we serve.  Many participants were surprised to learn that we can provide high-quality services in what are, for the most part, very remote and rural areas.  Participants were also surprised to learn that our recruitment efforts include children with disabilities, dual-language learners, and that we provide services from Lake Okeechobee up to Lake Erie.

What did you enjoy the most about NAEYC’s Annual Conference?

I enjoyed sharing ECMHSP’s successes and platform for providing services to migrant and seasonal families.

What valuable information will you be taking back to your Head Start centers in Virginia and our organization as a whole?

While speaking with a participant, she asked how I came to be presenting at the conference. I shared that I used to be terrified of public speaking and that at my first parent meeting I became so nervous that I left the center.  Luckily, my Center Director was understanding and helped me with the next meeting.  I commented that I began training during naptime with teachers.  I then progressed to local community trainings, regional, state, and now national.  I asked her to think of something about which she is passionate and to pursue that topic.  She told me that I had given her courage to submit a proposal for next year’s conference.  This interaction is the crux of what I would like to share with Virginia Direct Services and ECMHSP staff.  No matter where you begin, there is always room for growth and opportunity.  I began as a six-hour a day infant/toddler caregiver who had no car and had to ride my bike from a different town to Cheriton, Virginia in order to work.  People asked me, and continue to ask, why I do it.  The answer is simple.  I have enormous respect for the families we serve and am in awe of their tenacity and love for their children.  Sometimes our road will be bumpy, and there will be hazards, but the important point is to not give up.

Nohemi’s Field of Dreams

As a child, Nohemi Montalvo attended one of our Head Start programs in Virginia’s Eastern Shore.  Before going off to college, she worked at our ECMHSP Cheriton Center as a Bilingual Caregiver for about six weeks.  I invite you to learn more about her story.

What is your family’s background?

Thank you for giving me this wonderful opportunity to introduce myself.  I have seven family members in my family including me.  My parents worked in the tomato fields for three years in Virginia and Georgia.  I have been brought up in a Mexican middle class family with a very disciplined atmosphere, where values and principles are a priority.  It gives me pleasure to introduce to you my family.  First, my father who owns his own landscaping company, but now also works for another company called “The Pool Guyz.”  My mother works for a cleaning company.  I have four siblings, two older brothers who are currently studying, and two younger siblings.  They all have been an amazing source of inspiration and motivation to me. 

What do you remember from the Head Start program you attended?

I asked myself the same exact question when my boss and mother told me I attended the exact same Head Start program I was working for.  I honestly could not remember any of it until I walked into the Head Start center.  It all came back to me; the running around in the infant classroom, except I wasn’t an infant.  I could actually run.  I believe I might have remembered a Halloween event that my mother attended, and my grandmother cooked for.  I remember running around a slide that our center currently has, and all I ever do is see myself going down the slide and running out of the room to go to a middle classroom to pay attention to paper made spiders and webs on the ceilings.  I remember being a kid every time I walk in the center, and it truly reminds me of so much joy to the extent where it brings it all back.

Why did you want to work for ECMHSP? How does it help with your career goals?

I wanted to work for ECMHSP for financial assistance for education purposes, but once I thought about the job I would be taking on, it occurred to me how much fun it would be to surround myself in the very exact environment many of my family members spent time in.  I’ve had my mother, my aunts, my grandmother work for this program, but I’ve also had cousins, uncles, aunts attend in this program as well.  I thought it would be a very lovely experience to partake in.  I am happy to say that ECMHSP is a wonderful program and its centers provide helpful environments for me to gain valuable experience.  After I graduate from Chowan University, I intend to help children with disabilities.  In June, I committed to playing soccer for the university.  I’m thankful they helped me with scholarships to make my dream come true.

How did you maintain strong relationships with ECMHSP staff?

I maintained a strong relationship with ECMHSP staff by asking a ton of questions, and never hesitating to ask for help.  Often my coworkers, specifically Mrs. Charlotte Bell always gave me so much helpful advice even after I had completed my training.  I would say throughout the entire time I worked for the Head Start program, everyone at my center was always communicating with each other and myself to make everything run amazingly smooth.

How did you maintain strong relationships with parents?

By interacting with them in and out of the classrooms about how their child is doing.  Every now and then the teachers and I encourage the children and the parents to do educational things with their child at home, and I believe the parents are appreciative of that. I believe that strong relationships are maintained as long as you’re interacting, and that’s really what everyone here at our centers tends to do because we all care.

What kind of agricultural work do the families perform?

Families perform agricultural work in tomato fields, clam and oyster fishing, and nursery farms.

How long do the different seasons last?

Tomato fields last up to two to three months. Whereas, fisheries and nursery farms last up to an entire year.  Our season this year will be ending at the end of October.

What is the biggest challenge you have had to overcome in your position?

The biggest challenge I had to overcome was getting comfortable.  It didn’t take long, but I could definitely feel how uneasy I felt about doing things simply because I didn’t want to make a mistake.  Especially when it came to the kids, I really just wanted them to be comfortable, but I felt as though I couldn’t expect it from them if I couldn’t expect from myself at that moment.

We wish Nohemi the very best during her first year at Chowan University! In the future, we would love for her to join our team again and continue serving our farmworker families.