Harvesting Hope Inc.

Rachel Salinas Bueno was a former migrant farm worker student, and a successful product of the Miami-Dade Public School System. One of nine siblings, she grew up with little resources, doing harsh back-breaking work, while migrating the eastern stream to South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia. Weekends, holidays, and summers were spent in the fields or packing houses. Rachel came to love school and realized that education was her ticket out of the vicious migration cycle that permeated her community. She graduated with honors from South Dade High School and went on to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Education/Psychology, a master’s degree in Guidance and Counseling, and recently, completed a specialist degree in Educational Leadership.

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Ms. Salinas Bueno began her career with Miami Dade County Schools Title 1 Migrant Education Program over 35 years ago as a Peer Counselor. She has since worked her way up to Certified Teacher, School Guidance Counselor, and Educational Specialist, assisting the Executive Director as part of the administrative team. Her passion for teaching and advocating for children of migrant farmworkers was fostered during her initial years helping her students with homework, counseling them with issues she could relate to, speaking with teachers and administrators on her student’s behalf, and visiting homes at night to communicate with parents.

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Since then, Ms. Salinas Bueno has worked with thousands of migrant children and families and has volunteered for migrant education and non-profit agencies in many capacities. Her achievements include the effective identification and recruitment of migrant children in Miami-Dade County, employing educational strategies and techniques to improve progress and test scores of low achieving migrant students, facilitating meetings and conferences with stakeholders on behalf of her students, and empowering students with knowledge, self-awareness, and the belief that anything is possible with effort and positive self-efficacy!

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Rachel has been an active advocate in her community taking on various roles. She currently serves as a board member/commissioner for the Homestead Housing Authority, and has previously served on the Homestead Education Advisory Committee under the leadership of Councilwoman Patricia Fairclough-Staggers. She is also a former member of the Soroptimist of Homestead and has volunteered for la Asociación Campesina and The National Farmworkers Association in support of the DREAM Act, DACA, and other issues affecting migrant farmworker children. Ms. Salinas Bueno believes that we can accomplish the unexpected and transcend barriers through education, empathy and civic engagement. Her devotion to the migrant farm worker community and the Migrant Education Program is untiring and resolute.