MMESC excels in new opportunities

Contact: Lydia Palmer

STARKVILLE, Miss. —The Mississippi Migrant Education Service Center, operated by Mississippi State’s College of Educations, provides resources for students who meet the qualifications for the program.  

Services are provided throughout the year, and there has been significant success in the summer programs. This past summer, students were able to gain consistent hands-on experience with MSU’s Department of Chemistry and the College of Veterinary Medicine.  

Starsha Jamerson, center director, is passionate about strengthening the education available to migrants. She conducted research during her graduate program that found gaps between what researchers said students need and the policies that teachers are required to follow.  

To fill these gaps, Jamerson has enhanced summer programs that benefit the students by encouraging their curiosity and scientific reasoning, strengthening abilities in math, science and language arts. 

The College of Veterinary Medicine’s annual partnership with MMESC allows scholarship-based admission to “vet camp.” The students who are awarded scholarships to attend can further their knowledge and gain experience that will benefit them throughout their educational careers.  

Students are also able to take part in “Ciencia en Vivo” —Science Lives—with the Department of Chemistry. This hands-on experience in scientific research, under the guidance of MSU faculty, has proven beneficial for the students.  

Jamerson shared her excitement for the new addition to “Ciencia en Vivo” this year, which is an internship for one student to have on-campus housing for three weeks and conduct research. 

The intern, a high school student from Lauderdale County, studied air quality in Hand Chemical Laboratory under the guidance of Vicky Montiel-Palma, an associate professor in the department.  

These programs, in addition to the many resources for students throughout the year, show the dedication of the MMESC to those needing its services.  

“All of these opportunities and projects that we are doing now are brand new,” Jamerson shared. “If it had not been for the support from the College of Education and the Mississippi Department of Education being open to me being innovative, we could not have done this.”  

Established in 1903, MSU’s College of Education is home to six academic departments, one research unit and numerous service units. For more about the college, visit www.educ.msstate.edu. The Mississippi Migrant Education Service Center is online at https://www.mmesc.msstate.edu/.  

MSU is Mississippi’s leading university, available online at www.msstate.edu.