Laney CalWORKs

The Laney CalWORKs office has been busy advancing our mission of providing opportunities for our students. Early last year, the CalWORKs Association received a large grant from Blue Shield of California to provide training and coaching for students to partake in redesigning policy that affects CalWORKs families across the state. We call these students SPARC (Student Parents Reimagining CalWORKs).

This year marked the culmination of this preparation, and our very own student Joy Perrin has led the effort in conjunction with the Western Center on Law and Poverty, and she has been in weekly meetings with our state senators' offices to stop the proposed 1 billion budget cuts to the family stabilization program for CalWORKs families. We can refer our students to the family stabilization program when they have housing insecurities. This program is designed to match participants with housing vouchers and more stable options. The proposed cut will eliminate this service; our CalWORKs students nationwide have been working hard to stop that.

Mid-Semester Bounce-Back Workshop

This Friday, April 5th, from 11 AM to 1 PM, there will be a mid-semester bounce-back workshop in Room A- 105. Learn more about how to bounce back in your studies after your spring break with practical study skills and resources. Join our space to build community and connect with other peers and staff! We are always open to suggestions and eager to enrich our community with workshops and tutoring support. Please share your great ideas or partner with us to present something yourself!

Book Talk – Nature Swagger

African American Studies Book Club! Are you interested in nature and outdoor activities? This book club will feature a book by Rue Mapp, Nature Swagger. This book combines beautiful photography and stories that celebrate Black joy in nature! Rue is also the founder of Outdoor Afro, a nonprofit with a mission to reconnect Black people with the great outdoors. Student book discussion on Wednesday, April 3, at 1:30 pm. RSVP for more information! All students will receive a copy of the book. Rue Mapp will host a book discussion on Tuesday, April 9, at 1:30 pm in EV-7. Let’s read the book together and discuss what inspires us to get outside!

In-Person 4-Year Representative Visits

Laney College’s Transfer Center presents several in-person 4-year representative visits with the following colleges:

• UC Berkeley
• Saint Mary’s College
• Cal State East Bay
• Dominican University of CA

African American Male Achievement (AAMA) Laney College Trip

The Office of African American Male Achievement (AAMA) creates the structures and spaces to guarantee success for all African-American male students in OUSD. Through King Care, AAMA dramatically improves academic and ultimately life outcomes for African-American male students. King Care espouses independence with integrity through a comprehensive system of support. AAMA serves to empower Kings and their families through a strong focus on academics, literacy, and transformative social-emotional learning.

Peralta Citizen Reporter Selected For Prestigious Internship

Laney College’s only student-run publication of the Peralta Community College District is The Citizen. Our reporter, Desmond Meagley, was selected for a prestigious internship with the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists’ Association!

CONNECT is NLGJA's multimedia journalism training program for college students and recent grads. It aims to serve students as an innovative leadership program for emerging journalists as well.

Desmond and nine other students will attend the National Convention in Los Angeles, produce portfolio-quality journalism, network with media professionals, and receive feedback on their resumes and career plans. Desmond will work with mentors from organizations like NPR, the Associated Press, and The New York Times to report, edit, photograph, design, and produce the news of the NLGJA National Convention and the host city while helping to ensure fair and accurate coverage of LGBTQ issues at the event. Upon conclusion of the program, Desmond’s reporting will be published on the CONNECT website and presented during the convention. Complimentary registration for the convention, travel, and lodging expenses will be covered by the association!