ASTI Graduates 29 Students, Many Earn Associate Degrees Together with Their High School Diplomas

The Alameda Science & Technology Institute (ASTI) celebrated the graduation of 29 students on June 6, 2024, at 4:30 p.m. Acting COA President Dr. Pamela Luster was invited by ASTI Principal Tracy Corbally to address the graduating class at the ceremony. ASTI graduates will continue their education at COA, Peralta Colleges, California State Universities, Universities of California, public universities in other states, private colleges across the country, join the military, or enter the workforce.

ASTI, an Early College High School, enables students to enroll as full-time community college students during their 11th and 12th grades. According to a recent Alameda Post article, this year, two-thirds of the graduates also earned their Associate of Arts degrees from the Peralta Community Colleges. Founded in 2004 through a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, ASTI is a partnership between Alameda Unified School District (AUSD) and the Peralta Community College District (PCCD), specifically the College of Alameda (COA).

The curriculum at ASTI is designed to prepare students for success at both the Early College and Four-Year University levels. Students complete significant college credits while earning their high school diplomas. These credits are transferable to the University of California and California State Universities and may be transferable to other institutions.

COA Community Concludes Semester with Celebratory Lunch

The College concluded the semester with a celebratory lunch held at noon in the F-Building on May 22, 2024. Acting President Pamela Luster hosted the well-attended event, which included classified professionals, faculty, administrators, and student workers.

COA Career & Employment Center News

Director of Workforce Systems at the College of Alameda Career & Employment Center Stefanie Bradshaw recently acted as a resource for the Alameda County Workforce Development Board Rapid Response Orientation (RRO) event at Golden Gate Fields. The employer is laying off over 200 people this month and shutting its doors. In her role as Director of Workforce Systems, Bradshaw manages a longstanding grant funded by the Alameda County Workforce Development Board. The COA Career Center serves as a mandated provider of free career services for dislocated workers in Alameda County.

The invitation to the event came from Javier S. Contreras, Business Services/Rapid Response Coordinator for the Alameda County Workforce Development Board. Golden Gate Fields, located at 1100 Eastshore Highway, held the orientations on Tuesday, May 28, 2024, from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. During the event, Bradshaw presented information to participants about taking classes at COA and the various services provided by the Career Center. She also shared a flyer detailing a partnership with Caltrans to help fill over 200 positions by this summer. She encouraged attendees to share the information with their networks. Bradshaw hopes her efforts will support increased campus-wide enrollment for both the summer and fall semesters and boost workforce development grant outcomes for the COA Career Center.

In additional Career Center news, Director Bradshaw also recently placed two student interns, Vicky Zhang and Taki Wilson, with BART under the college's Learning-Aligned Employment Program (LAEP) for spring 2024. The students successfully completed the internship, and one of them, Taki Wilson, performed so well that he received a job offer from BART for summer employment.

COA Student Services Programs Celebrate Student Success with First Joint In-Person Event Since Pandemic

The Office of Extended Opportunity Programs and Services (EOPS), Cooperative Agencies Resources for Education (CARE), CalWORKs, Next UP, and SALAAM Programs at the College of Alameda partnered with Adult Education and Veterans Programs to celebrate the end of the academic year. This marked the first face-to-face celebration for these programs in four years due to the COVID-19 pandemic and changes in student service delivery.

The year-end event invited students, their families, friends, and the community, drawing over 100 attendees who celebrated the students' achievements and the collaborative efforts at the College of Alameda. The traditional open mic session allowed students to share their successes and challenges from the school year, reflecting on overcoming academic and personal fears, celebrating their achievements, and expressing gratitude to their EOPS team, families, and community members.

The combined program services aim to expand their offerings and partnerships, learn from student feedback about potential new services, collaborate with existing resources on- and off-campus, and continue to innovate with student-centered services.

During the event, students shared experiences from university visits to campuses like San Jose State and UC Davis. The popular summer programming is set to return, offering support and orientation for new and continuing students in the EOPS and SALAAM Programs. The EOPS and SALAAM Summer Orientation will welcome new students in June, with continued services for existing students in EOPS, CARE, CalWORKs, Next UP, and SALAAM Programs.

The event also announced Fall 2024 activities, including university visits to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in the Washington, D.C. area, UC and CSU campuses, and small independent private universities in the Bay Area. Plans are underway for visits to Southern California UCs and CSUs and HBCU colleges in the South.

Key individuals contributing to the success of these programs include: Lashawn Brumfield, Veterans Coordinator, Brian Donato, Staff Assistant, Shalamon Duke, Dean of Counseling & Special Programs, Louie Martirez y McFarland, Project Manager, Fathia Mohamed, EOPS/Next UP and SALAAM Academic Counselor, Marissa Nakano, EOPS/CalWORKs Academic Counselor, Jeremiah Poti, Clerk, and Kawanna Rollins, Adult Education Project Manager. Their excellent leadership has been instrumental in guiding these efforts and ensuring the programs' success.

Strengthening Community Bonds: COA Programs Join Oakland Unified's Pacific Islander Spring Celebration

The College of Alameda's EOPS, CARE, CalWORKs, Next Up, and SALAAM programs were invited to the Oakland Unified School District Pacific Islander Spring Celebration on Thursday, May 9, 2024, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. More than 500 students, friends, and families attended the event. COA representatives were on hand to provide information

During the celebration, participants engaged with students, friends, and family through "passport" activities. Before the event began, all students and their families visited various tables. Each family received a passport that was stamped after speaking with community vendors, including College of Alameda. They received a raffle ticket for some fun prizes at the end of the night for engaging with each community group.

The EOPS team was delighted to witness the strong community support for their youth. One of the more heartwarming scenes occurred during the event setup, when staff and their families worked hard to decorate, organize, and pitch in to prepare everything for the students. The evening was a great reminder that a strong community is vital for youth success.