What Else?
Graduating Estima program students in 1978
Occupational Opportunities
Through the Migrant Attrition Prevention Program (MAPP), students were able to work during their time at St. Edward's University. Students were spread around different job sites around Austin working in both public and non-profit agencies. [12] The opportunity to work allowed these students to gain real world experience and learn responsibility as well as how to productively work with others in a business setting. Students were paid at least the hourly minimum wage, which migrant workers were rarely paid for their work in the fields. Thanks to this students were able to support themselves when they needed to during their time at St. Edward's. However thanks to several seminars hosted by counselors and administration, the students learned how to budget and manage their money, and incidentally most of them would take a significant amount of savings back home to their families [13]. This was an important part of the program because without the opportunity to work, most students would not have been allowed or able to attend the program, wether they were accepted or not due to the financial needs of their family. This factor in the program made sure that it was beneficial for the students and their parents. The family was compensated for their loss of an extra capable body, and the student was able to return home with new knowledge and opportunites that he or she could use to support and influence their communities.
Description of electives offered at St. Edward's University during the 1979 summer program
Electives
In order to ensure a challenging, fun, and well-rounded curriculum, the MAPP/Estima program at St. Edward's University made sure to offer a wide variety of electives for students to take along side their regualr academic studies and work. For those interested in the arts, they offered folk dancing, guitar lessons, art, disco dancing and theater. For students with other interest they offered abstract lab, jewelry making, typing, and nature studies. Students were allowed to choose two electives for the selection above and while most were eager to take their favorites, scheduling did not always allow them to get their first pick. However most were still excited to learn something new, and some even found new interest and hidden talents [14].
Annual newsletter article describing active student governement for MAPP/Estima students
Extra Curriculars
Despite having a full work and school schedule the MAPP/Estima students spent whatever spare time they had taking advantage of, and praticipating in extracurricular activites. Even though the school provided some of these organizatioins such as theater productions and intramural sports teams and competions, students also took the intiative to create their own clubs. For example, althugh it was only a two month program, they created a student body government by migrant students and for migrant students, that was surprisingly active and productive. They held meetings with the administration to give direct feedback about the program to administration and held fun events such as movie nights for their student body. Many students enjoyed participating in baseball games, volleyball games, and plays because they got to express their athletic or creative sides, connect with new friends, and create memories that they would cherish for years to come. [15]
"A Fan for All Seasons" annual newsletter article about the 1979 summer intramural baseball season