Cong. Cuellar Announces Two TAMIU Grants Totaling Over $3.6M to Support S.A.N.E. and C.A.M.P. Programs
In ceremonies Friday at Texas A&M International University (TAMIU) Congressman Henry Cuellar announced the awarding of two competitive grants totaling $3,658,832 to TAMIU.
The grants will sustain the critical Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) program through funding of $1,473,960 from Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) and the College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP) funded at $2,184,872 by the U.S. Department of Education.
In making the announcement, Congressman Cuellar noted the grants transformative impact.
“Our students are the most important investment in our country. These transformative grants will ensure TAMIU students are set up for success,” said Dr. Cuellar, “The SANE grant will train registered nurses to become sexual assault nurse examiners. Meanwhile, the CAMP grant will provide academic advising and career readiness resources for students. In Congress, I’ll keep fighting for more educational resources so our students can get a quality education at home and be prepared to enter the workforce. I would like to thank TAMIU President Dr. Pablo Arenaz and TAMIU educators for working with me to deliver for our students.”
TAMIU president Dr. Pablo Arenaz concurred and said funding of these programs truly underscores the University’s mission of service.
“We are grateful to Congressman Cuellar for once again helping us to secure these two competitive grants which underscore and expand upon our University’s cherished mission of service. In the greatest of research traditions, our TAMIU SANE III continuation identified a critical community need and developed programming and resources to address that need and elevate our community’s response capability. Likewise, the TAMIU CAMP grant affirms our mission to provide an accessible education to our students that empowers them to succeed. Both programs are stellar examples of collaboration and service,” Dr. Arenaz observed.
About TAMIU SANE III
TAMIU’s SANE III funding is a competitive continuation grant from HRSA providing a three-year project focused on advanced nurse education through the SANE program delivered by TAMIU’s College of Nursing and Health Sciences Dr. F. M. Canseco School of Nursing. Principal investigator for the project is Robert Moran, TAMIU clinical assistant professor of Nursing, and managed by Rosario Benavides.
Initially funded in 2018, this TAMIU SANE III continuation award increases the capacity of SANEs to address the needs of sexual assault victims in a medically underserved region -- the U.S.-México border. Prior to TAMIU SANE, local victims of violent sex crimes were transferred to neighboring facilities as much as 160 miles away as enough SANEs were not available locally.
Dr. Marivic Torregosa, Dean of the College of Nursing and Health Sciences, explained what the HRSA funding will make possible.
“This funding makes it possible to provide medical forensic examinations right here in our community,” Dr. Torregosa said, “Additional help from this program includes medical forensic examination equipment and increased support for SANE services.”
Program director Moran said that the TAMIU SANE III grant is targeting a record number of nurses to be a part of the continuation grant’s new and renewal training.
“We will train 54 registered nurses throughout this three-year project with 18 to be certified as SANE for pediatric populations; 18 to be certified as SANE for adult and adolescent populations, and for 18 current SANES to renew their certification. In addition, we’ll expand existing and create new partnerships for clinical placements, preceptorship, training, and education opportunities and mentor SANE trainees through a peer-group support network,” Moran noted.
The TAMIU SANE III Program (Award # 2T96HP32498-07) is among 28 grantees to receive funding to increase the supply, distribution, and quality of the SANE Workforce.
For more information on enrolling in the TAMIU-SANE Program, reach out to TAMIU-SANE program manager Benavides at maria.benavides@tamiu.edu, call 956.326.2575, or click on https://go.tamiu.edu/sane
About TAMIU CAMP
The second grant awarded is a competitive five-year grant for TAMIU’s College Assistance Migrant Program directed by TAMIU’s Outreach and PreCollege Programs under the Office of the Vice President for Enrollment Management.
Principal investigators are Juan Gilberto García, TAMIU vice president for Enrollment Management and Scheiby González Fisher, associate vice president for Enrollment Management with Vanessa Martínez,CAMP grant writer.
García said that the CAMP program’s history at TAMIU is one of substance and legacy.
“For over 20 years, over 350 TAMIU CAMP program students have been provided with the resources they need to succeed through services finely attuned to their unique needs and experiences. We’re tremendously proud of our CAMP students and know this grant’s support will help future program students to thrive, succeed, and be empowered to forge their own powerful legacy,” García observed.
TAMIU's CAMP will annually recruit and enroll 28 migrant and seasonal farmworkers as full
time students focusing on the nine counties in the South Texas Plains with the highest concentration of migrant families.
CAMP students will be provided comprehensive advising services including tutoring, mentoring, and academic advising. Additionally, CAMP will offer wrap-around services that address academics, career awareness, mental and physical health, and financial guidance, complemented by essential scholarships. The TAMIU CAMP program aims not only to ensure the individual success of its participants but also to contribute significantly to the broader socio-economic development of the region and beyond.
In addition, the TAMIU CAMP program will provide participants with an individualized educational plan, study resources, time management and organization, and progress tracking. Recruiters will meet with students and their families at community locations and will offer an on-site campus tour for families of students with free meals and bus travel provided.
“We will be providing a holistic, student-centered approach that is predicated on success for all our CAMP participants. We’re partners in their success and eager to work with them to ensure that success,” said Fisher, CAMP co-principal investigator.
CAMP will also collaborate in marketing and student support with an array of local nonprofits including the South Texas Food Bank, TEA – Regional Education Service Centers, Targeted School Districts, Local and Regional Media, the Laredo Health Department, Gateway Community Health Center, MET, Inc., and the Association of Migrant Educators – TX.
For additional information about the TAMIU CAMP program, contact Scheiby González Fisher at the TAMIU Office of Enrollment Management at 956.326.2720, email camp@tamiu.edu, or visit offices in Senator Judith Zaffirini Student Success Center Room 224.
Fall Semester Just Ahead at TAMIU
The first day of classes for the Fall 2024 semester is Monday, Aug. 26, 2024.
To further explore this Fall at TAMIU, visit the dedicated 2024 Fall TAMIU Preview website at https://go.tamiu.edu/fallpreview
To learn more about the University’s Registration processes for Fall, visit the dedicated Registration Hub at https://go.tamiu.edu/registration
To transfer to TAMIU, contact the Office of Recruitment and School Relations at enroll@tamiu.edu, phone 956.326.2270, or click on https://www.tamiu.edu/prospect/transfer.shtml
TAMIU regular office hours resume Monday, Aug. 12 with a daily schedule from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Monday-Friday.
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University news can also be found on its dedicated NewsHub.
U.S. Congressman Henry Cuellar joins City of Laredo Mayor Dr. Victor Treviño, TAMIU President Dr. Pablo Arenaz, University administration and community partners during the announcement of two federal grants supporting SANE Nurses and the University’s CAMP Program.
