Dorn (Arlene) papers, 1970-2000 (bulk 1978-1985), bulk 1978-1985

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Summary

Title:
Arlene Dorn papers
Dates:
1970-2000 (bulk 1978-1985), bulk 1978-1985
Creators:
Dorn, Arlene R., 1919-2013
Abstract:
This collection contains materials relating to Arlene Dorn's work with migrant students, teachers and education officials in helping to develop the Binational Education Program. Dorn played a key role in developing a standardized student progress form that is recognized as an official transfer document by schools in both the U.S. and Mexico.
Extent:
4.75 Linear Feet 7 half cartons
Language:
English .
Preferred citation:

Arlene Dorn Papers. MS 192. Special Collections and Archives, University Library, University of California, Santa Cruz.

Background

Scope and content:

The collection contains correspondence, much of it in Spanish, between and among Dorn and other educators, administrators, and politicians involved in the effort to standardize information about binational migrant students. Also included are office files documenting some of the day to day activities, survey forms of school districts, newspaper clippings covering Dorn's activities, and some related writings and publications.

Biographical / historical:

When Arlene Dorn-Trowbridge transferred to UCSC from Cabrillo College in 1966, she was in her early 40's, which makes her one of UCSC's most senior alumni. She went on to teach in Watsonville's public schools, where many of her students were from migrant farm worker families. She noticed that each year several students left for Mexico in November, not returning until the following spring. "They were at a great disadvantage," she says, "because they arrived in Mexico too late to enroll in schools there."

Working with education officials, teachers, and parents on both sides of the border, Dorn soon occupied a key role in developing a standardized student progress form that is recognized as an official transfer document by schools in the U.S. and Mexico. In 1975, concerned with the impact on her students that the annual moves between Mexico and California were having during the school year, she initiated a needs study of the parents of international migrant children. She then took a sabbatical leave the following year to pursue her Masters degree in Intercultural Education in Mexico, where she met Señora Irene AnzaldĂșa, principal of the American School in Mexico City. AnzaldĂșa put her in touch with officals in the centalized educational system of Mexico. Together, they brought to the California State Migrant Education Department a commitment made by the Mexican Ministry of Education to aid international migrant children jointly with California schools.

This commitment became the basis for the GĂłmez-FarĂ­as Project, a pilot project (designed for replication) that Dorn originated, developed, organized, and promoted. The project was funded for a two-year initial period (fiscal years 1978-79 and 1979-80) by the Department of Education. A process to communicate academic data for the students was jointly developed by the SectarĂ­a de EducaciĂłn PĂșblica (SEP) of Mexico, and California. Irene AnzaldĂșa became the coordinator in Mexico, working directly with Dorn.

In January 1980, Dorn solicited aid from various private foundations. The David and Lucille Packard Foundation in Los Altos, California offered a grant toward phase two of the project, now to be referred to as Project MEDIR [Spanish = to measure], for Migrant Education Data International Record. Identification of migrant children took place through the use of a Migrant Student Record Transfer System (MSRTS) among other agencies. In November, 1980, Dorn became full-time coordinator for the remainder of the school year, and the project was placed within the non-profit organization California Mini-Corps, part of the State Department of Migrant Education (in the County Office of Education in Butte County). This office was approved by the State Department of Education to be the fiscal agent for the M.E.D.I.R. project in January, 1981. The Packard Foundation again funded the second year. Districts in which Project MEDIR was implemented were Lodi (San Joaquin County), Planada (Merced County), Cutler-Orosi (Tulare County), Delano (Kern County), Greenfield (Monterey County), Gonzales (Monterey County), Cabrillo (San Mateo County), and Desert Sands (Riverside County). Sites were selected because groups of students were returning annually to the same village. During this time Dorn succeeded in changing the fall-only enrollment policy of Mexican schools, greatly enhancing the possibility of success for the program.

In 1997 Arlene Dorn-Trowbridge was honored by the Mexican government for her work. She died in 2013 at the age of 93.

Acquisition information:
Gift of Arlene Dorn.
Arrangement:

The original order has been maintained where ever possible. Please note that some correspondence remains with the project files. Both the correspondence files and project files have been sorted chronologically.

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

About this collection guide

Collection Guide Author:
UCSC OAC Unit
Date Encoded:
This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2026-03-16 12:18:27 -0700 .

Access and use

Restrictions:

Collection open for research.

Terms of access:

Copyright for the items in this collection is owned by the creators and their heirs. Reproduction or distribution of any work protected by copyright beyond that allowed by fair use requires permission from the copyright owner. It is the responsibility of the user to determine whether a use is fair use, and to obtain any necessary permissions. For more information see UCSC Special Collections and Archives policy on Reproduction and Use.

Preferred citation:

Arlene Dorn Papers. MS 192. Special Collections and Archives, University Library, University of California, Santa Cruz.

Location of this collection:
Special Collections and Archives, University Library
1156 High Street
Santa Cruz, CA 95064, US
Contact:
(831) 459-2547
speccoll@library.ucsc.edu
Website