For the second time in three years, the WSU College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP) has been recognized as one of the country’s top five programs serving Latine undergraduate students.
CAMP was recognized by Excelencia in Education, a national organization that works to transform educational policies to support Latine student success.
CAMP Director Michael Heim said CAMP’s proven track record caused members of the selection committee to take notice of the program. Its first-year students have maintained a 98 percent retention rate over the past decade and their graduation rate is 13 percent higher than that of the general student population at WSU.
As a result of CAMP’s success, in June, the Office of Migrant Education awarded WSU CAMP over $2 million to continue providing academic advising, tutoring, and other support services, to students with migrant or seasonal farm-working backgrounds for an additional five years.
Heim and his team continued their great work in early October, when they hosted the annual CAMP Consortium — a gathering of nearly 400 students representing 16 CAMP programs from around the Pacific Northwest. Heim said the focus this year was on leadership building, and workshops touched on identity building, resilience, and how to leverage students’ personal stories.
