SAN DIEGO (Border Report) — The Department of Health and Human Services is seeking out teachers to work with the migrant teenage girls staying at the San Diego Convention Center.
The agency has enlisted the help of the San Diego County Office of Education, which is now seeking educators to support the educational program for the unaccompanied migrant children.
HHS designated the convention center as an emergency intake site to help transition the children out of the custody of U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
An estimated 1,450 girls aged 13-17 will be housed at the site for about 14 to 30 days, until they can be placed with a sponsor or a relative currently living in the United States.
The young women already have access to medical services, laundry, toiletries, meals, and a place to sleep.
SDCOE is providing the educational program, which will require additional certified and classified school staff to support the students.
“All children in California, regardless of immigration status, have a constitutional right to education. We also have a moral obligation to ensure a bright future for our children,” said San Diego County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Paul Gothold. “School employees have already been asked to go above and beyond during the pandemic, and we are committed to ensuring every student has access to a quality education while they are in our region.”
According to the SDCOE, the in-person educational program may not have traditional hours, so there will be opportunities for the county’s educator workforce to teach at the convention center after regular work hours.
“We want to instill hope, instill joy, and show care for our students while they are with us, no matter if that’s for a few days or a few months,” Gothold said.
Interested educators are being asked to visit a website set up by administrators for more information.
