North Carolina has the sixth largest population of migrant farmworkers in the United States. Many children of these families experience educational disruptions due to frequent moves, living in poverty, cultural and language differences, lack of transportation, family separation, and/or children twelve-years-old and older being eligible to legally work in fields. In order to close opportunity gaps for underserved and underrepresented students, UNCA partnered with the Buncombe County Migrant Education Program to create Science on the Move. Science on the Move is a STEAM education program for middle- and high school-aged migrant students. This three-year program has three annual themes (Year 1: Food for Thought, Year 2: Environment Matters, and Year 3: Take the Challenge). Each year, 30 students participate in a two-week summer camp in late July, an online classroom component during the academic year, and three Saturday field trips. Science on the Move aims to educate students, build their science and technology skills, nurture their enthusiasm for science, and interest them in science-related careers. During the first summer camp, students participated in activities such as: food oxidation, building a food battery, seed germination, and plant and insect identification. They used iPads to develop video and photography skills as well as learned to use editing software to create a final video highlighting their favorite parts of camp. Student surveys indicated improvements in their confidence and interest in science, and in their overall scientific and technological knowledge, while they had fun and made new friends.
