Final report for LNE22-438
Project Information
The future success of the dairy industry in Vermont and beyond depends in part on farms' ability to both attract and retain a skilled workforce.
Although farmworkers have been the backbone of Vermont dairy farms for over 20 years, farmers have limited options for providing employees comprehensive educational trainings that cover on-farm communication and technical skills required for the modern dairy. Of the resources that are available, many do not account for common farmworker limitations including high mobility, daily life barriers, irregular and long work hours, geographic isolation, limited access to transportation, and inaccessible or unreliable technology and internet access. In addition, cost is a barrier for farmworkers that often are committed to working 7 days a week to maximize their earning potential and are often unable to access financial aid or scholarships. Farmworkers' educational experience varies greatly and often includes gaps, which often translates to limited basic literacy and applied mathematics skills, which many available programs do not account for.
One of few programs providing educational services to farmworkers in the state, the University of Vermont Extension's Migrant Education Program (VMEP) “bridges the gap” through providing online instruction and necessary technology. Due to federal eligibility requirements, however, VMEP is only able to provide services to +/-150 farmworkers annually. VMEP estimates that there are an additional +/-650 farmworkers in Vermont working on 150 farms that would benefit from expanded offerings and participation.
Through establishing an online educational platform, investing in the development of new curriculum and instructional materials, expanding capacity, and broadening the target audience, this project established and maintained the Farmworker Educational Hub. The results serve to benefit the local and regional agricultural economies as well as farmworkers by enhancing quality of life, work-based communication, and farm safety.
Over the course of three years, 221 dairy and other farmworkers engaged in online content reflective of needs identified by both farmers and their employees. Bilingual instructors conducted five weekly synchronous group classes on Zoom, with educational content accessible outside of class through Brightspace, the University of Vermont's online Learning Management System (LMS), and as videos on YouTube. Content included five eight-week English courses focused on language and communication skills pertinent to agricultural work and rural community life; safety and technical skills required for the modern dairy farm; and workplace and cultural/community literacy skills. Hub instructors offered basic computer skills instruction, providing Chromebooks and ongoing technical support as necessary to facilitate access and capacity. Based on feedback from students and the Advisory Council, the Hub staff developed a series of 8 special topics webinars and initiated on-farm workshops on Agricultural Workplace Orientation and Workplace English.
The 221 farmworkers participating this project adopted the practice of participating in online instruction, logging a total of 1555 instructional hours over 610 class sessions. Students participated in these flexible educational opportunities in accordance with their interests and availability; 35 completed at least one course, and 90% of those responding to surveys experienced improved workplace communication and quality of life as a result.
This project will establish and facilitate access to an opensource, online educational "hub" for 150+ dairy farmworkers in Vermont and neighboring states. Of the 150 participating farmworkers, 2/3 (100) will demonstrate proficiency through a score of at least 80% after completion of a module by the end of the project. In addition, 2/3 (67) of farmworkers receiving direct services will report improved farm stability through measurements of farmworker quality of life, job satisfaction, workplace communication and safety through survey results.
The Farmworker Educational Hub project aimed to establish a place where migrant farmworkers could access necessary and desired educational experiences that would support their employment and future endeavors. Although there were some online educational resources available to farmworkers at the start of the project, they did not recognize the barriers unique to this population: lack of appropriate technology and access on geographically isolated farms, limited transport, irregular and demanding work schedules, and language and cultural barriers. In addition, farmworkers did not always know of available opportunities and lacked familiarity with the technology required to access those that did exist. Those that do not have permanent resident status had limited access to financial aid and scholarships that would support the pursuit of enhanced technical skills and further education. Farm managers and English speaking employees often did not have sufficient time or language skills to adequately train new Spanish-speaking staff. The Hub and resources placed there allowed for farmworkers to access education without cost, without the need for transportation, and with technology provided.
Cooperators
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Research
Education
Engagement:
Over three years, 255 farmworkers enrolled in the Farmworker Educational Hub designed specifically to suit their educational needs, and 221 participated in educational opportunities. While the initial proposal was to encourage 50 of 150 participant farmworkers to engage independently in educational content housed in the Learning Management System (proposed to be Moodle, implemented in Brightspace), all 221 of the participating farmworkers engaged in synchronous classes, and independent access to Brightspace content was minimal. Due to technical delays with the LMS, courses were begun synchronously and not implemented in the LMS until year 2. A short technology instruction course was developed in December 2023 to introduce students to the asynchronous content.
Throughout the project, the Hub Coordinator continuously collected referrals from farmers and service providers including UVM Extension’s Migrant Education and Health Programs. In addition, an online self-referral form was shared with existing contacts through WhatsApp message blasts and social media. To ensure farmers were aware of the program and would encourage their employees’ participation, the "Hub" Coordinator planned in-person or phone meetings with farmers, focusing initially on the 60 largest dairy farms. Outreach materials were shared with additional farms that outsource labor through email (when available). Phone calls and follow-up visits were done with farmers as recruitment needs for participants and program staff availability permitted; the Hub Coordinator made 28 in-person visits over the course of the project.
Farmworkers were enrolled every three months beginning in June 2023. The model itself was intended to address some of the historical challenges farmworkers have faced when attempting to access educational and technical trainings. The Hub Coordinator helped to facilitate internet access by working with farmers to see if internet access could be made accessible in farmworker housing or another location on farm. A "Technology for Online Learning" webinar was developed and presented in June 2024, addressing students' questions about using Brightspace and its mobile application, Pulse, Zoom, and other platforms. The Coordinator and Instructors supported students individually via video calls and in-person visits when technology learning was required for students to access synchronous classes or online content. While most students preferred to participate via their smartphones, utilizing the technology and format that was already familiar to them, some participants did request Chromebooks, and those were delivered in person with ample time planned for orientation and support.
Learning:
Once a student was referred, the Hub Coordinator reached out to the farmworker and set up a time for an in-person or online “counseling visit”. During this visit, the program and participant expectations were described to see if it was an appropriate fit. If they decided to move forward, the Coordinator completed the Farmworker Profile and Survey outlining educational interests, background, availability, and needs. They then received assistance creating a Brightspace account and developed an educational plan. They selected coursework from the topic areas that reflected their educational goals and farm needs: 1) English for workplace communication; 2) safety and technical skills required for the modern dairy farm; and 3) foundational educational skills (math and literacy). Nearly all farmworkers chose to focus on English and preferred to participate in synchronous classes. Their plans were revisited on an annual basis or as needed.
Additional content was added as the program received feedback and farm needs evolved. By the third year of the project, Hub Instructors offered six synchronous group classes per week on Zoom, in eight week sessions, with special topic webinars held between sessions. Webinars were attended by 5-14 students each and covered topics such as "Financial Empowerment for Agricultural Workers", "Computer and Technology Use for Learning", "Life Goals Setting and Time Management", "Educational Opportunities in Vermont", and "Know Your Rights", as well as English Pronunciation Workshops. The Hub partnered with the BIPOC Financial Empowerment Initiative, Migrant Justice, and the Vermont Migrant Education Program to successfully develop and deliver these webinars.
New collaborations were explored with Extension professionals and service providers in Vermont, Pennsylvania, New York, Massachusetts, Maine, and Virginia. We envision creating a Farmworker Education Working Group to bring these partners together in service of farmworker communities.
Evaluation:
After every course module, farmworkers were assessed to demonstrate proficiency within the content area. The initial goal of the project was for 2/3 of 100 participants to demonstrate proficiency through a post assessment on at least one course module. The format of assessments included content focused quizzes in Brightspace. As the project progressed, it became clear that the process for logging into Brightspace to complete these quizzes was a barrier to assessment, and instructors began to offer alternate in-class assessment formats. After completing all course modules within a program area, participants received a “Certificate of Achievement” that could be shown to future and/or current employers.
Participating farmworkers were surveyed in April and December of each year, facilitated by the Hub Coordinator. This provided information related to farm viability: 1) Workplace communication; 2) technical and safety skills; and 3) job satisfaction and quality of life.
Milestones
Efforts and outreach for the creation and continued success for the Farmworker Educational "Hub" were ongoing over the project period. The following outline benchmarks associated with farmworker and farmer outreach, development of materials, enrollment, gathering feedback, and demonstrating proficiency.
- Consultation with Project Advisory Committee
Status: Complete
Accomplishments:
The "Hub" Coordinator conducted biannual semi-structured interviews by phone or in-person with the Advisory Committee including 2 farmers, 2 agricultural/educational professionals and 1 farmworker, regarding suggested content for instructional modules and the program's impact on farm viability related to safety and labor. Introductory interviews between the Hub Coordinator and advisors were completed in by February 2023 and meetings were held on a biannual basis through the end of the project in November 2025.
- In Year 1 meetings, the Hub Coordinator asked advisors and received valuable feedback on three primary questions: 1) What are the barriers (if any) to farmworkers accessing managerial skills? Do you see the Hub playing a role in that? 2) Would familiarity with computers, keyboards, basic comp skills, be useful for dairy farms? Or are laptops, tablets, and keyboards too far removed from what farms are using to monitor cow health, irrigation, etc.? 3) What general educational needs/desires you’re hearing from dairy farmworkers? In response, advisors shared about specific dairy management software and technologies (PC Dart and Dairy Comp) for which it would be useful to dairy farms to have Spanish language trainings. The group also had a robust discussion about managerial skills training; Cornell-based advisors shared about the launch of the Spanish version of their Agricultural Supervisory Leadership course in fall 2023 and ideas for referring Hub students to this program were discussed. Regarding general education needs, advisors emphasized the need for a “Workplace 101” training in Spanish, which would serve to support farmworker onboarding on dairy farms where owners do not speak Spanish.
- In Year 2 meetings, the Hub Coordinator updated advisors on enrollment numbers, student progress, and courses currently available. Advisors provided input into possible future funding channels and opportunities for collaboration for the Hub. Results of these meetings included a new collaboration with Jaime Garzon at UMaine Extension and the development of plans for the Workplace 101 course in collaboration with Cornell Cooperative Extension Advisory Council member Kaitlyn Lutz (this project has since been funded by the Extension Foundation). Additionally, the Hub Coordinator met 1:1 with Advisor Chelsea Sprague in person at her farm in May 2024 and virtually twice with Kaitlyn Lutz.
- In Year 3, two meetings were held with the Advisory Council -- in April 2025 and November 2025 -- in which the Hub Coordinator updated advisors on progress towards our educational goals and solicited input on future directions. Results of this meeting included affirmation of the need for more driver's education for farmworkers, as well as affirmation of the opportunities for increased collaboration between UVM Extension/the Hub and Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) especially with regards to needs assessment and English classes.
- In Year 1 meetings, the Hub Coordinator asked advisors and received valuable feedback on three primary questions: 1) What are the barriers (if any) to farmworkers accessing managerial skills? Do you see the Hub playing a role in that? 2) Would familiarity with computers, keyboards, basic comp skills, be useful for dairy farms? Or are laptops, tablets, and keyboards too far removed from what farms are using to monitor cow health, irrigation, etc.? 3) What general educational needs/desires you’re hearing from dairy farmworkers? In response, advisors shared about specific dairy management software and technologies (PC Dart and Dairy Comp) for which it would be useful to dairy farms to have Spanish language trainings. The group also had a robust discussion about managerial skills training; Cornell-based advisors shared about the launch of the Spanish version of their Agricultural Supervisory Leadership course in fall 2023 and ideas for referring Hub students to this program were discussed. Regarding general education needs, advisors emphasized the need for a “Workplace 101” training in Spanish, which would serve to support farmworker onboarding on dairy farms where owners do not speak Spanish.
- Creating platform and content:
Status: Complete
Accomplishments:- Website: A bilingual Hub website was developed in Year 2, with a link for interested farm workers to register or learn more.
- English classes: The Hub Coordinator and instructors successfully created 5 English courses, which were initially hosted on UVM's Learning Management System, Brightspace*. When Brightspace proved to be a poor match for our students, we pivoted to hosting the courses on YouTube. Course content was used to conduct synchronous classes, and links were shared with students to view class videos on YouTube and access practice activities in learning applications such as Quizlet, Word Wall, and Quizzizz. All communication with students took place via WhatsApp. At the end of the project, content included five 8-week English modules developed by the Hub Coordinator and four part-time English instructors, including learning objectives, course material (interactive slides), practice activities, and quizzes.
*While courses were created, content uploaded, and accounts created for students in Brightspace, the UVM delays with the Brightspace launch in Year 1 necessitated a shift of focus to live synchronous classes. These classes were strongly preferred by farmworkers to asynchronous work in the LMS, and despite the investment of work in building course content and improving platform accessibility features (i.e. advocating for language accessibility and providing missing translations to the Brightspace transition team), in Year 4 we stopped work in Brightspace due to student lack of engagement in the platform. The cumbersome nature of account creation and activation, as well as use of the system, proved a barrier for engagement for the students we serve, who typically had low tech literacy and wanted to access the web via cell phone only. Given the availability of synchronous classes, there was no perceived benefit to students of attempting to overcome these barriers. - Other learning opportunities:
- A series of 90-minute workshops were created and delivered to students, covering the topics: Financial Empowerment and Personal Finance Management, Educational Opportunities in Vermont, Know Your Rights, and Time Management, driven by student demand for education related to these topics.
- One technology orientation was developed to help participants learn how to navigate and use the computers and virtual programs.
- The ProDairy course was converted into a Brightspace course (from Cornell’s Moodle version) as the first of 5 planned dairy technical skills modules. Investment in creating these dairy technical skills modules did not continue, as the enrollment interviews with students indicated no interest in pursuing this content.
- With the additional grant funds obtained in support of this project, Financial Literacy and Agricultural Workplace Orientation trainings were built. We began offering these to students in 2025.
- Website: A bilingual Hub website was developed in Year 2, with a link for interested farm workers to register or learn more.
- Farm outreach
Status: Complete
Accomplishments:- Using contact information and data available from VMEP’s Farm Database, in Year 1 the Hub Coordinator compiled a list of the +/- 150 farms that actively hire and employ farmworkers. The Hub Coordinator called 32 of these farms in late winter and spring 2023, using contact information from the UVM Migrant Education Program’s Farm Database, to share news and information about the Hub and its offerings for workers. She also established a fruitful partnership with UVM Extension’s Migrant Education Program, training the 4 Regional Coordinators who handle identification and recruitment as well as other program staff, on the work of the Hub and referrals to our program. This staff was out on farms daily and has frequent contact with farmworkers and farm owners.
- By Year 2, for much of the year we had more interest from students than we could keep up with. The Hub Coordinator opted to focus on enrolling and supporting the farmworkers who were arriving to us via referrals from VMEP staff and other community members, rather than conduct robust outreach to farms.
- When incoming referrals slowed in 2025 (Year 3), the Hub Coordinator conducted 4 farm outreach days, covering regions with a high concentration of dairy farms, in collaboration with the VMEP Regional Coordinators. In total, 19 farms were visited and outreach about the Hub conducted (flyers distributed in English and Spanish, conversations with workers and farm owners). Additionally, the Hub Coordinator built stronger relationships with two farms, which resulted in beginning to offer offering Hub English classes in-person on those farms in fall 2025.
- Using contact information and data available from VMEP’s Farm Database, in Year 1 the Hub Coordinator compiled a list of the +/- 150 farms that actively hire and employ farmworkers. The Hub Coordinator called 32 of these farms in late winter and spring 2023, using contact information from the UVM Migrant Education Program’s Farm Database, to share news and information about the Hub and its offerings for workers. She also established a fruitful partnership with UVM Extension’s Migrant Education Program, training the 4 Regional Coordinators who handle identification and recruitment as well as other program staff, on the work of the Hub and referrals to our program. This staff was out on farms daily and has frequent contact with farmworkers and farm owners.
- Participant recruitment
Status: Complete
Accomplishments: Using an online Teams form, The "Hub" Coordinator collected a total of 255 participant referrals from service providers, farm owners and managers, as well as self-referrals by farmworkers collected on an ongoing basis. These referrals came via a bilingual online referral form (187) and direct contact from farmworkers to the Hub Coordinator via WhatsApp messenger (68). All referrals were reviewed and followed up on by October 2025.
- Identifying interests and needs
Status: Complete
Accomplishments: The Hub Coordinator assisted 221 farmworkers with the completion of the Farmworker Profile, which gathered information on their academic experiences, contact information, and interests.
- Surveying farmworkers
Status: Complete
Accomplishments: In July 2023, the Hub Coordinator developed a self-assessment survey for participating farmworkers in Qualtrics covering the following: 1) workplace English; 2) technical and safety skills; and 3) job satisfaction and quality of life. This was intended to be completed upon enrollment and every 6 months thereafter while a farmworker actively participates in the program. The survey was created by the Hub Coordinator using Qualtrics in July 2023 and was administered to Hub students in September 2023, April 2024, December 2024, April 2025, and November 2025. A total of 51 students completed the survey at least once (23% of total students enrolled in the Hub). 19 students have completed the survey at least twice, allowing for evaluation of progress over time.
- Creating online accounts
Status: Complete
Accomplishments: The Hub Coordinator assisted 83 farmworkers with creating accounts in the LMS platform by the end of Year 3, and delivered 1:1 support – via text message, video chat, and/or in-person visit – to some of these students to support them in accessing and utilizing the platform. In Year 4, due to very low student engagement with Brightspace (0% of Hub students had created accounts independently and engaged with course materials on Brightspace exclusively asynchronously, as was the original intent of the LMS use), despite extensive time investment from the Hub Coordinator to set up accounts and support students in accessing them, we decided that the LMS was not serving its intended purpose -- to facilitate asynchronous student engagement and learning -- and abandoned use of the platform in favor of less cumbersome distribution of materials via YouTube and WhatsApp.
- Disseminating Chromebooks
Status: Complete
Accomplishments: 25 Chromebooks were purchased in Year 1. Nine were distributed in Year 2, and ten in Year 3. With the change to Brightspace from Moodle (the LMS in place when the proposal was written), the interface for phones has greatly improved and thus, the purchase additional Chromebooks was not warranted. Zoom and Pulse, Brightspace's mobile app, are mobile-friendly. The project team communicated with NESARE to share this and asked for rebudgeting towards instructor salary. The Coordinator and instructors reminded students quarterly that the Chromebooks were available to them, and no student who requested a Chromebook was denied. Approximately half of the students who were utilizing Chromebooks from our program in the April and/or December 2024 surveys indicated that it had significantly improved their learning experience; this information motivated the Coordinator to follow up with other regular students and encourage them to borrow and use a Chromebook from the program. However, in Year 4, no new Chromebooks were distributed. The Hub Coordinator offered them to all enrolled students repeatedly, but no one expressed interest. The students who had Chromebooks through the program in Year 4 were using them at about a 50% usage rate, with some saying they facilitated learning, while others said it is more convenient to participate via their cell phone.
- Synchronous Instruction Hours
Status: Complete
Accomplishments: Synchronous instruction began in April 2023, focusing on workplace English with allied content in applied mathematics and literacy. In total, farmworkers collectively received an average of 518 hours of synchronous instruction per year in years 2, 3, and 4 (1555 in total over the course of the project).
- Demonstration of knowledge
Status: Complete
Accomplishments: The Hub Instructor created assessments to demonstrate proficiency on the initial courses in Year 2. That year, a total of 16 students demonstrated proficiency through a test score of at least 80% after completion of a course (5 of these 16 students successfully completed more than one course). Each of these students received a digital Certification of Completion (pdf) from the Hub Coordinator upon completion of the course. By Year 4, a total of 35 students had demonstrated proficiency through a score of a least 80% after completion of a course. At least 50% of these students have completed at least 2 courses, with some students successfully completing all 5 courses we currently offer. About 10 students have demonstrated extensive proficiency following 2+ years of participation in Hub classes, including asking for and participating in more advanced classes. All 221 students who successfully participated in classes demonstrated that they had learned about the offering, considered the relevance of the class to their goals, and learned how to access and participate in an online class in Zoom, which was a new and unfamiliar activity for all. Those who persisted, even if they resisted formal assessment, demonstrated their knowledge about how to be part of a remote learning community by learning to use Zoom and attending online classes regularly, which are valuable skills unto themselves.
Milestone activities and participation summary
Educational activities:
Participation summary:
Learning Outcomes
Performance Target Outcomes
Target #1
150
Participate in Hub classes for English language learning, dairy technical training, computers and technology training, and/or math and literacy education.
32
improvements to farmworker quality of life, job satisfaction, workplace communication and safety
51
Participated in Hub classes
n/a
improvements to farmworker quality of life, job satisfaction, workplace communication and safety
While 221 farmworkers enrolled in the Hub and gained awareness of online learning opportunities, thereby exceeding the goal of 150 participating farmers, only 51 engaged in a meaningful way with classes (i.e. attended more than one class session, were invested in their learning goals over time). However, these 51 farmers have engaged in a more robust way than was originally outlined in the project proposal. In the original proposal, it was estimated that 50 of the 150 participating farmworkers would engage entirely asynchronously with online Hub classes -- creating their own online accounts and moving through courses independent of a relationship with an instructor. This proved to not work at all with the farmworker population we are serving. Zero farmworkers engaged entirely asynchronously with materials. The process to create and activate a Brightspace account required multiple emails; the students we work with rarely use emails, and many did not have an email account at the time of enrollment in the Hub. For students who did successfully activate an account, it did not become a regular part of their engagement with the Hub; few students logged into the system a second time, and those who did, did so only when prompted multiple times by their instructor or the Hub Coordinator.
This taught us the important lesson that relationships are key with this population. While only 51 farmers engaged meaningfully, many of these 51 farmers have developed strong relationships with their instructors (and with each other). An unexpected success of the project has been the rapport between students and their instructors and each other -- many of the class groups have been consistent for 2+ years now, and the WhatsApp chats where students communicate with one another and their instructors are full of support, encouragement, jokes, and information about accessing resources. In many ways, we have ended up going deeper with fewer farmer students. 35 students have demonstrated proficiency in the material they've studied; several have earned promotions at work as a direct result of their engagement with Hub learning opportunities; 90% of these 35 students have reported direct improvements to their quality of life as a result of participation in Hub classes.
Additionally, the Hub classes have served to mitigate the extreme social isolation that many farmworkers face, especially now. We have been able to share critical resources for navigating a time of increased thread for farmworkers, and the Hub Coordinator and instructors have become trusted allies. The Hub has co-presented webinars with the Vermont Migrant Education Program in response to farmworker students' emergent needs; this was not planned for in the original proposal but has proved successful. Webinars included "Educational Opportunities in Vermont", "Financial Empowerment and Management for Farmworkers", "Know Your Rights", and "Goal Setting and Time Management" and were all well-attended by Hub students. Following each of the webinars, at least 3 students followed up with the Hub Coordinator for support in taking next steps (e.g. creating a bank account, pursuing a GED, getting their driver's license, etc.).
Furthermore, the Hub Coordinator has forged partnerships with people working in farmworker education in Vermont, New York, Maine, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, and we continue to plan further collaborations. In 2025, the Hub Coordinator presented the Hub's newly developed 2-hour training called the Agricultural Workplace Orientation to the Milk with Dignity Standards Council; the Council gained understanding and shared their feedback on the orientation.
Additional Project Outcomes
We received two grants to build upon the work of this project -- one from the Extension Foundation's AgriProspects program and the other from Northeast Extension Risk Management. Additional unanticipated outcomes from this project include the expansion of Hub programming to include on-farm classes and the Agricultural Workplace Orientation, both of which were made possible by additional funding. These projects have helped us to continue to build relationships with farmworkers and their employers, which are facilitated by in-person contact. These in-person relationships serve to bolster our online programming and vice versa.
A major outcome of our project has been the relationships built between instructors and farmworker students and the workplace and life outcomes that have occurred for students as a result of their participation in the classes. In the following quotes from students, from the beginning of the project in 2023 through to the present, an increased depth of engagement is notable. When we first began asking for statements of impact from students, answers were generalized and more distant. Over time, answers became more detailed, and the impact of participation on students' lives more significant.
Year 3
Student feedback on the Program Evaluation Survey in 2025 (translated from Spanish):
Hello. I am a student with the University of Vermont Farmworker Education Hub. The English I have been learning there has been very helpful for me in my day-to-day work. It’s helped me a lot. I work on a dairy farm and at first, I was just milking cows. Then, with time, my manager noticed that I was learning more English and I was learning new skills, and he promoted me to a new job. Now, I work in cow insemination. I can speak more English with my coworkers who speak English and have been successful in my new job, thanks to everything I’ve learned in my English class with the university. - farmworker at a Franklin County, VT dairy farm
I would like to share a bit about my experience in the English classes with UVM. There have been times in the past when I have not wanted to go to my son’s school, to the doctor, to the dentist, to the store, or even to ask my boss something, because I didn’t know English. So, these classes have helped me a lot, because now I have the language to at least communicate something. This has a big impact on us. The teachers have been very good, especially the English teachers. With this support, we’ve been able to go out more in the community and ask for the things we need. farmworker at a Franklin County, VT dairy farm
Hello, my name is Maribel, and I am very grateful for the UVM English classes. The staff has helped me very much to be able to communicate better in my job, at the doctor’s office, in the grocery store, everywhere. It’s very important to be able to communicate and this program has helped me so much. I’ve learned so much from my teacher and it’s been very impactful for me. I didn’t speak any English at all when I started, and now I am much more confident in my ability to communicate in English when I need to. - farmworker at a Franklin County, VT dairy farm
The classes have been very useful to me. I am grateful to the program for putting in the time to teach us, thinking of us and our needs, and helping us learn English better. - farmworker at an Addison County, VT dairy farm
I have learned a lot in the classes and overall, they have helped me have more confidence in myself. - farmworker at a Franklin County, VT dairy farm
Year 2
Student feedback on the Program Evaluation Survey in 2024:
Me ha ayudado muchísimo las clases me han servido para comunicarme mejor con el patrón y he visto la capacidad que tengo de aprender cosas nuevas, la computadora que me prestaron no puedo usarla por qué no tengo internet pero me gustaría usarla. The classes have helped me a lot. They’ve helped me to communicate better with my boss and I have seen the capacity that I have to learn new things. I can’t use the computer that they lent me because I don’t have internet, but I would like to use it. - farmworker at a Franklin County, VT dairy farm
Agradezco la atención que nos prestan y el aprendizaje de cada maestro. I appreciate that they pay attention to us and the teaching of each teacher. - farmworker at a Addison County, VT dairy farm
Me va muy bien, voy aprendiendo más poco a poco y voy perdiendo el miedo a decir frases cortas en ingles. It’s going very well for me, I am learning more little by little, and I’m starting to lose my fear by saying short sentences in English. - farmworker at a Rutland County, VT dairy farm
Ha mejorado porque tengo una visión más amplia de las clases y el contenido impartido. Es más optima en visión y audición. Estoy muy agradecida con la computadora prestada. It’s improved because I have a wider view of the classes and the content shared. It’s more optimal for seeing and hearing. I am very grateful for the loan of the computer. - farmworker at a Addison County, VT dairy farm
Si y la computadora ayuda mucho para ver vídeo y puede uno estudiar mejor. Yes, and the computer helps a lot to see the video, and one can study better. - farmworker at a Franklin County, VT dairy farm
Las clases y la atención de las maestras son excelentes. The classes and the care of the teachers are excellent. - farmworker at a Addison County, VT dairy farm
Hola buenas noches si muchas gracias por la gran ayuda que nos an brindado me ase mas facil poder siguier practicando y para entrar ala aplicacion de brightspace y gracias the university of vermont las clases me ayudado muchísimo y me siento que estoy aprendiendo mucho gracias. Hello, good evening, yes thank you very much for the great help that you have given me. It’s easier for me to keep practicing and to get into the Brightspace application, and thank you to the University of Vermont, the classes have helped me very much and I feel that I am learning a lot, thank you. - farmworker at a Addison County, VT dairy farm
Year 1
Below are students’ answers to the question “Do you think the classes you are taking with the Farmworker Education Hub will serve you in your job? If so, why?”:
Me urge el inglés porque los patrones no me entienden muy bien. It is urgent for me to learn English because my bosses don’t understand me very well. - farmworker student, Franklin County VT, August 2023
Si, mucho. No solamente en el trabajo sino también en la vida social y sentirme parte de la comunidad, poder saludar a la gente en la calle y cosas así. Yes, a lot. Not only at work but also in my social life and to feel like I’m part of the community... to be able to greet people in the street and things like that. - farmworker student, Franklin County VT, August 2023
Sí, porque aquí todos hablan inglés y a pesar de que entiendo mucho no me puedo comunicar bien. Yes, because everyone speaks English here and although I understand a lot, I can’t speak very well. - farmworker student, Lamoille County VT, October 2023
Si lo ocupo sí, me va a servir mucho, porque yo me dirijo solo con los patrones y esta complicado y difícil a veces... es difícil la comunicación, si les quiero contar de algo que ha pasado en el trabajo, esta difícil porque ellos tampoco no hablan español. Cuando entre a trabajar no tenía que comunicarme tanto en el trabajo, pero ahora que me subieron a otro tipo de trabajo con más responsabilidad, tengo que comunicarme más con ellos. ¡Necesito mucho hablar más ingles! Estoy muy motivado de aprender. If I use it, yes, it’s going to serve me a lot, because I engage directly with the farm owners here and sometimes it’s complicated and challenging... the communication is difficult – if I want to tell them something that happened on the farm, it’s hard, because I don’t speak English and they don’t speak Spanish either. When I started to work here [three years ago], I didn’t have to talk with them very much. But now that they promoted me to a different position with more responsibility, I have to communicate with them much more. I really need to speak more English! I am very motivated to learn. -- farmworker student, Addison County, VT, November 2023
Si porque mis patrones todos hablan inglés y muchas veces no comprendo lo que me dicen. Dependo de otros compañeros que me traducen lo que dicen o el usa el internet para buscar la traducción. También cuando uno va a hacer la dispensa, se hace muy difícil la comunicación y sería mucho mejor poder comunicarme en inglés. Yes, because all of my bosses speak English and a lot of the time, I can’t understand what they’re saying to me. I depend on other farmworkers to translate for me or on the internet to find the translation. Also, sometimes communication is really hard when I go to the store in town, and it’d be a lot better if I could communicate in English. - farmworker student, Addison County VT, June 2023
Below are students' messages to the Hub Coordinator upon successful completion of a module:
Muchas gracias a ustedes por apoyarnos. Ha sido siempre de gran ayuda y deseo seguir aprendiendo. Thank you for supporting us. The program has been a great help and I want to keep learning. - text message from farmworker student, Addison County VT, November 2023
Hola, muchas gracias por pensar en todos nosotros y tomarse el tiempo para enseñarnos. Hi, thank you so much for thinking of all of us and for taking the time to teach us. - text message from farmworker student, Lamoille County, VT, September 2023
As we conclude this project and hope to continue the work it initiated, we reflect on the balance of educational approaches that works best with the student population the Farmworker Education Hub serves. Through our work over the course of the project, we have learned that a relational approach that utilizes participatory education methods works best to engage our students. While we attempted to utilize the UVM Learning Management System to make course materials available to students asynchronously, student engagement with Brightspace was extraordinarily low. The process to create and activate an account required multiple emails; the students we work with rarely use emails, and many did not have an email account at the time of enrollment in the Hub. While learning to use an LMS is a useful tool for pursuing post-secondary education, it proved too big a leap for the majority of our students. Instead, relationships built between the Hub Coordinator/instructors and students have proved the most fruitful for spurring student success. We have been able to tailor synchronous classes to the needs of the 51 most consistent students in our 6 weekly English classes and many of them have demonstrated great progress in their learning. We have also been able, with the additional funding received from the Extension Foundation and Northeast Extension Risk Management Education, to build out educational offerings that were not planned for in the original SARE proposal for the Hub, but for which our students expressed need. These include 90-minute online workshops focused on Financial Empowerment, Educational Opportunities in Vermont, Know Your Rights, and Goal Setting and Time Management, as well as the 2.5 hour Agricultural Workplace Orientation training that is currently in its pilot stage. With this funding, we have also been able to begin offering biweekly on-farm English classes at 3 dairy farms in the state; we have found that the combination of online and in-person offerings allows us to build relationships with and meet the needs of farmworkers more thoroughly. Moving forward, we hope to continue offering online and on-farm workshops in response to farmworker needs and, specifically, to expand our educational and support resources regarding the process of obtaining a driver's license, for which there has been significant demand from our students. We will also seek web development funding to transition our online courses to a simpler, more accessible format on our website, where students would be able to view course content, access learning activities, and complete assessments without the barriers that hindered access to content in Brightspace. We continue to be motivated to build on the relationships we've built with Hub students and serve the farmworker community with high quality, relevant, and responsive educational opportunities that build farmworkers' sense of possibility for their lives and careers in agriculture.