This silent film compiles raw footage produced for the 1981 educational film MAPP/ESTIMA: Only the Beginning. MAPP (Migrant Attrition Prevention Program) and ESTIMA (Educational Studies to Influence Migrant Advancement) were state government programs established to support the academic performance of high school students who were the children of migrant farm workers. Every summer, St. Edward's University welcomed participating students to its Austin campus to take general and special interest classes. Like the finished government film, this raw footage shows students in everyday classroom settings: learning polynomials in algebra, giving presentations to fellow students, and even polishing newly cast rings in jewelry-making. Unlike the finished product, however, the raw footage also captures extracurricular activities, from a dorm disco party and cook-outs on the quad to a trip to the AstroWorld amusement park in Houston.

St. Edward's University is a private Roman Catholic institution of higher learning located in Austin, Texas. It was established in 1877 by the Reverend Edward Sorin, CSC, Superior General of the Congregation of the Holy Cross. Sorin also founded the University of Notre Dame. The campus moved to its current location in 1889. Famed Galveston architect Nicholas Clayton built the university's Main Building, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. St. Edward's received its university charter in 1925, and became co-educational in 1970. Today, the university's enrollment exceeds 5,000 students rom 44 states and 51 countries.

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