Merritt Street Scholars Program

On Wednesday, January 11, we came together for the relaunch of the Street Scholars Program, and suffice it to say it was an absolute success. Street Scholars is a program that focuses on peer mentoring and support services to promote the academic success of formerly incarcerated students. That evening the community presence was in full swing, as prospective students, those currently enrolled, and alumni learned the history of this tremendous program.

Laney College Awarded $1.4 million MESA Program Grant

Laney is honored to be selected to offer a Math, Engineering, and Science Achievement (MESA) program. With the funds received from the state totaling more than a million dollars, we will be able to provide tutoring and counseling services to many students in underrepresented communities, as well as others in these fields. Students will receive a strong foundation on which to build successful futures. We are proud to launch this initiative, which will be a collaboration with Merritt College under the terms of the grant. Special thanks to Dean of Math & Sciences Angel Fuentes Figueroa for his leadership in the successful application!

Puente Students Get Motivated at Regional Motivational Conference

During Fall semester 2022, CoA’s Puente students enthusiastically engaged in a number of meaningful extracurricular activities. On Friday, November 18, 2022, through Saturday November 19, 2022, College of Alameda’s Puente Project students participated in California State University East Bay's Transfer Friday, toured Fresno State University, and attended the Puente Transfer Motivational Conference at the University of California, Merced campus.

Spring to Success at BCC: Enrollment and Persistence Update

Berkeley City College’s Spring to Success program is building upon the success of Fall is Free with added benefits for students and a focus on persistence from semester to semester. BCC’s planned goals for the Spring semester are to increase persistence by 10% through outreach to Black, Latino/a/x, and AAPI populations, increase FTES through marketing campaigns designed with new and continuing students, and increase FAFSA completion for 2023-24.

Classes are back in full swing as Peralta celebrates Black History Month with a host of programming old and new highlighting African & African-American history and culture.

January 23, 2023

Dear Peralta Community,

Welcome to the Spring 2023 semester. Today should be a day of celebration for students returning to our colleges’ to continue their educational goals and to avail themselves of our outstanding instruction and support services. Today should also be an opportunity for us to celebrate the Lunar New Year – the Year of the Rabbit. And we do celebrate these events!

But this week, we also fly our flags at half-staff at the campuses in solidarity with US President Joe Biden and our federal government, in memory of the lives lost and people injured at the tragic shooting yesterday at Monterey Park in southern California.

In September 2022, Mark Johnson (Executive Director of Marketing, Communication & Public Relations at Peralta Community College District) had the great pleasure to interview Sheng Thao, soon to be elected Mayor of Oakland,  about her experiences as a graduate of Merritt College. We are proud to have a Merritt Valedictorian as the new mayor of Oakland. Congratulations Sheng Thao!

Congratulations to Richard Nguyen, who was awarded the Ozzie Day Scholarship for Fall 2022 at an award ceremony on December 7^th, 2022. Richard grew up in East Oakland and his dad, Duc Nguyen, took classes from the College of Alameda Automotive Technology (ATECH) program when Duc first immigrated to the USA thirty years ago. Richard decided to follow in his dad's footsteps after graduating from high school in Oakland. Ever since his first ATECH class, he's been a straight-A student in the COA ATECH program. He expects to graduate from the Auto program next June and get a job as a technician at a local dealership.