All are at least two years behind in school and have been selected from counties across the state. The necessity of keeping the whole family at work in the fields, coupled with frequent moves, makes staying in school difficult for the students, she said. She explained that the students aren't exposed to any other way of life growing up in an orange grove, and the Institute helps to show them other opportunities. A Hillsborough County educator, Niedbalec heads a faculty of 38 teachers, tutors and counselors, whose goals are to help the students build study skills, earn academic credits toward promotion or graduation and encourage them to think about careers. Niedbalec expects that some of the students may qualify for one of the 25 migrant scholarship programs offered at Stetson and other universities and colleges throughout the state.
Students attend classes all day, in three academic blocks, and take a fourth block at night.
The Institute offers most of the same classes offered at any other school, ranging from life management skills to literature, biology to algebra. There is also time for relaxation, and field trips to such places as DeLeon Springs and Nickelodeon Studios. The summer residential migrant institutes are conducted by the Florida Department of Education with funds from the Migrant Child Education, Adult Migrant and Seasonal Farmworker and Food and Nutrition Programs. Other host schools are Lynn University and University of South Florida. Stetson's summer migrant institute will conclude in late July.