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COSER / Street Scholars

Contact us

Streetscholars@peralta.edu
510-434-3700
Schedule an appointment with our team

For more info on our team

Hours

Monday 10am-6pm
Tuesday 10am-6pm
Wednesday 10am-6pm
Thursday 10am - 6pm
Friday APPOINTMENT ONLY

Location

12500 Campus Drive Oakland, CA 94619
1st floor of the P Building in Room P-112

At Merritt College, the Street Scholars offers a peer-mentoring and student services support program focused on the overall success of formerly incarcerated and systems impacted students. Street Scholars was designed with the input of the same students it endeavors to serve and ran by alumni that have benefited from its services. Street Scholars direct and facilitate our one-on-one and group mentoring processes, ensuring that formerly incarcerated and systems impacted people are understood and supported throughout their reentry and reintegration, experience.

Street Scholars serves people enrolled at Merritt College (or one of the other three Peralta Colleges) who have been impacted by systems either through their own police contact or due to a loved one’s ongoing involvement with the justice system and are facing challenges achieving long-term stability in their community. There is no minimum term or length of time that a person must have negative involvement with the justice system to get support.

Street Scholars’ impact in the academic community goes beyond its role as mentors, role models, and academic support specialists to Merritt College’s formerly incarcerated and systems impacted students. Since 2012, Street Scholars has participated as guest lecturers and content experts on perception and implicit bias with USF’s Master of Public Health and Nursing Programs.

Founded by the late COSER Professor Ron Moss, the Street Scholars continue to advocate for people who historically have been disregarded.

Our Team

Biancca

Street Scholars Adult/Juvenile Program Program Director
& COSER Faculty Lead

Biancca Parazo mparazo@peralta.edu 341-208-8070

Professor B's Appointment Schedule Link

Marlo

Outreach and Transition Liaison

COSER Faculty

Marlo Ornelas Oneill

mornelas@peralta.edu

510-723-4229

Biancca

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Peer Mentor

Al-Pierre El

510-467-9765

RubenPeer Mentor

Ruben Collins

510-434-3700

 

Alan

Peer Mentor

Alan Epps

510-372-4403

Thida

Peer Mentor

Thida Uk

510-434-3700

Country

Peer Mentor

Country Norton

510-434-3700

Our Services

Our program is peer-led and focused on overall success for students who are justice or system impacted. These services include:

  • On-campus referrals to student services
  • Computer & Internet Access & Printing
  • School Supplies
  • Homework Space
  • Academic Tutoring
  • Peer Mentoring
  • Group & Individual Check-Ins
  • Clean & Sober Social Events
  • 12 Step Meetings
  • Hot Food, Snacks & Coffee
  • Employment Readiness workshops
  • Assistance with applying and transferring to a 4-year University
  • Connection to other Formerly Incarcerated/systems-impacted groups at 4-year Universities such as Underground Scholars and Project Rebound
  • Referrals to community-based organizations
  • Support with Record Expungement
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Apply Today!

Completing your application takes less than 30 minutes! We’ve created an application guide to help you quickly and easily complete the steps to apply and enroll.