CAMP program receives $164K for summer Dare to Dream academy

The College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP) is a U.S. Department of Education initiative designed to help the children of migrant seasonal farm workers reach their goals in higher education through outreach efforts and on-campus support.

A vital part of this process involves showing high school students from farmworker families what college can be like, partly through a series of summer programs called the Dare to Dream Exploring Your Future academies, held at higher education institutions across the state.

Hosted at CWU annually since 2012, Dare to Dream invites high school students to college campuses for a week of classes, activities, and exploration led by CAMP staff. At Central Washington University, the programming also features appearances from CAMP’s faculty and staff partners, according to CWU CAMP Director Miriam Bocchetti.

“We want to expose them to as many elements of higher education as we can without overwhelming them,” she said. “In trying to make it as interactive as we can, we often lean on our partners across campus to contribute their knowledge and talents, making it a nice and varied week for our students.”

After returning last year following a brief hiatus in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, CWU’s Dare to Dream session for 2026 has received $164,775 in funding from the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction’s Migrant Education Program (MEP). The allotted funds cover room and board for the visiting students, as well as the half college credit they earn through their work that week.

While running the academy involves coordinating everything between MEP, local high schools, and CWU campus partners, Bocchetti finds inspiration in what the program has the power to achieve.

“We love contributing to the shared college-going mindset of the population in general, whether that’s here or at another university,” she said. “Having a student recognize me on campus from their time at Dare to Dream always makes me happy to have put in the work.”

CWU students also get involved through the Dare to Dream mentorship program staffed with students who came to Central via CAMP.

“We get to engage current CAMP students through Dare to Dream, too, as mentors,” Bocchetti said. “They stay with the visiting high school students for the whole week and help guide them through the activities.”

Bocchetti has been with the program since its inception in 2012, and as it has grown, she has personally witnessed the shift in attitude toward college-going that it can instill.

“At the end of the week, we give them the opportunity to talk about their experiences and reflect on what they’ve learned,” she said. “A lot of students leave here talking about how amazing the experience was, and how much they look forward to telling their friends about it.”

As the face of higher education continues to adapt to a changing world, Bocchetti and her fellow CAMP directors across the state know that collaborative initiatives like Dare to Dream will continue to be crucial in providing a path to college for everyone who would like one.

“As an agency serving migrant students, we don’t want to exist in our own little silo,” she said. “Continuing our partnership with MEP is very valuable to us, and Dare to Dream is a great showcase of the kinds of experiences that partnership can produce.”