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July 9, 2010
Metropolitan State University of Denver
College receives U.S. Department of Education renewal grant for $2.2 million
Metropolitan State College of Denver’s College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP) recently received a five-year renewal grant of $2,238,482 from the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Migrant Education.
“This is really exciting news for us,” said CAMP Budget and Recruitment Manager Rory Korpela, who’s slated to become CAMP’s director next month. “The renewal grant gives us the opportunity to take CAMP to a whole new level, to do a lot more with our CAMP students.”
The grant pays a portion of first-year tuition and fees for students from Colorado migrant and seasonal farm worker families who are American citizens or legal residents of the United States eligible to receive federal student financial aid. Metro State received its first CAMP grant in 1999, and a renewal grant in 2005.
In operation at the College since 1999, CAMP has served over 420 students to date. Designed to meet the academic, financial, and social needs of migrant and seasonal farm workers and their children in pursing higher education, CAMP provides students with 50 percent of tuition and fees for their first year, and, depending on the student’s circumstances, an additional living expenses stipend of $150 per month and health insurance if needed. Korpela hopes to provide more travel and cultural opportunities to CAMP students.
In August, Korpela will replace co-directors Arthur Campa and Adriann Wycoff.
Campa who has been involved with migrant educational programs since 1981, also serves as associate dean of Letters Arts and Sciences. After so many years working with this community, he says “I feel a strong commitment to provide higher education opportunities to farm worker youth. Most of them do not have this door of opportunity given to them, and with their strong work ethic, they will flourish in the College environment. Farm workers remain as the most underserved occupation groups in the U.S., and continue to be underappreciated as ruling labor force for agriculture industry in this country.”
Wycoff has been involved in the area since 1985. She also serves as director of the College’s Family Literacy program and assistant professor in the Chicana/o Studies Department.
Both served as principal investigators on the previous grant and will remain part of the new grant in that capacity.
