TIFTON, Ga. — AT&T Georgia recently made a $25,000 contribution to the Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College Foundation, Inc., to support Multicultural Programs at ABAC.

“At AT&T, we understand the importance of closing the digital divide,” AT&T Georgia Director of External Affairs Gary Sanchez said. “We are proud to support Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College’s Multicultural Educational Program, helping equip traditionally underserved students with resources to reach their academic dreams. When our students succeed, we all succeed.”

Olga Contreras-Martinez, director of ABAC’s Multicultural Education Programs, said four programs in her area touch the lives of students every day.

The Migrant Education Program (MEP) Consortium serves over 400 migrant and seasonal farmworker students and their families in 70 school districts. MEP is a federally funded program designed to support comprehensive educational programs for migrant children to help reduce the educational disruption and other problems that result from repeated moves. 

The High School Equivalency Program (HEP) has been a part of ABAC’s multicultural education efforts since 2001. Designed to serve students from migrant or seasonal farm-worker backgrounds, HEP assists students in their academic preparation to obtain a General Education Diploma (GED) and subsequently to obtain better employment, enroll in an institution of higher education, or join the military. 

The College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP) supports migrant and seasonal farmworker students so they can enroll and successfully complete their first academic year of college and offers resources for their retention in higher education at ABAC. The program primarily targets the agriculturally dependent South Georgia counties of Appling, Colquitt, Coffee, Tattnall, Tift, and Toombs.

ABAC Upward Bound is a federally funded college preparatory program. The program provides service to high school students grades 9-12 from low-income families that will be first-generation college students. The goal of Upward Bound is to increase the rate at which participants complete secondary education and enroll in and graduate from institutions of postsecondary education. 

Target schools in Upward Bound Classic include Berrien, Colquitt, Cook, Irwin, Tift, and Turner County High School.  Tiftarea Upward Bound serves students from Atkinson County, Ben Hill County (Fitzgerald), and Worth County.

“We are so appreciative of this generous donation,” Contreras-Martinez said.  “Thanks to AT&T, we can enrich our students’ experience in these critical programs in areas not funded by our current grants. Our mission and passion are to be effective advocates for the academic success of underrepresented students. 

“In addition, during a recent visit our students received great advice from Mr. Sanchez about communication in the corporate world. Having partners who invest in our students really makes a difference in helping them achieve their dreams of being a college graduate.”