Migrant summer school includes water fun — and safety

Catherine Dalbey, human resources director with HRCSD, introduced the nonprofit’s founder, Fiona Wylde, a Hood River local and world champion watersport athlete — who was unable to attend the meeting due to a prior commitment — and parents Ellen and MacRae Wylde to the board.

Patricia Ortega Cooper, migrant program director, appearing via Google Meets because she was at a conference, said she had Fiona in her Spanish classes when she was a teacher at Hood River Middle School. Of the nonprofit, she said, “Ellen is a visionary and Fiona is the founder of the Wylde, Wind & Water foundation,” noting it was Ellen who applied for the grant and worked with the district to offer the free classes to migrant students.

Ellen said that she found out they’d gotten the grant the third week of July — right as summer school was ending. But they were able to quickly pull together a program for migrant students, who participate in activities through August.

“Fiona is the driving force behind all of this,” she said. “She’s fluent in Spanish, and this program has been so much fun with English and Spanish the whole way through.”

“Fiona is sharing her love of wind with our students,” Ortega Cooper said. “It’s very motivating and powerful.”

MacRae said one of the most exciting parts of the camp for him has been seeing kids who had never been swimming before out and playing in the water. “The first day, we had six people who had never swum before; everybody was put in a wetsuit, and everybody had a lifejacket on. We moved slowly and by the end of the first day, everyone was in the water, playing and having fun — their comfort level keeps increasing, and as of today, some of the kids who were not really comfortable with the water at first were out on stand up paddleboards, paddling around like they’ve been doing it for years.”

Superintendent Rich Polkinghorn said students ranging in age from 8-16 participated in migrant summer school this month. The students have also been engaged in a variety of different camps put on by Hood River Valley Parks and Recreation, as well as access to the Hood River County Library.

For more information about Wylde Wind & Water, visit www.fionawylde.com/wyldewindandwaterprograms.