Street Scholars / COSER | Merritt College

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.

SAS NEEDS NOTE TAKERS!

If you are interested in assisting and being paid a $100 campus store voucher, or have questions, please contact Soledad Leung at sleung@peralta.edu or call (510) 436-2429. They will explain what to do.

Please include the course number and instructor name in your message, for example: “COSER 22 Instructor Parazo”.

note takers

County of Alameda Community Outreach Worker

Under general supervision, performs casework and a variety of community and educational outreach activities in health care, public safety, or social services programs; acts as a liaison between communities, agencies, other resources and services, and program staff; and performs related work as required. Find out more and apply here

Youth Outpatient SUD Counselor I, II, or III

Horizon Services is seeking a bilingual Youth SUD Counselor who is fluent in one or more of BHSD’s five threshold languages: Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Tagalog. The ideal candidate will have a passion for serving diverse communities, excellent communication skills, and the ability to deliver culturally competent services. Find out more and apply here

Internship opportunities coming soon

Scholarship opportunities coming soon

Eligibility

This checklist is used to verify whether a student qualifies for the Street Scholars Emergency Needs Grant. All criteria must be reviewed prior to approval.

1. Enrollment and Campus Eligibility

Student is currently enrolled at Merritt College
Merritt College is listed as the student’s Home Campus in Peralta student records

2. Program Participation

Student is an active participant in the Street Scholars Program
Student has completed the Street Scholars intake process (if applicable)

3. System-Impacted Eligibility

Student must meet at least one of the following:

Student is juvenile-justice impacted
Student was formerly incarcerated as a juvenile

4. Documentation of Hardship or Emergency Need

Student must provide at least one form of verifiable documentation. Acceptable examples include but are not limited to:

Copies of unpaid bills or account balances
PG&E shut-off or disconnection notice
Eviction notice or notice to vacate
Notice of Action showing CalWORKs benefits reduced or discontinued
Notice of Action showing CalFresh benefits reduced or discontinued
Other supporting documentation relevant to the emergency need

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SAS NEEDS NOTE TAKERS!

County of Alameda Community Outreach Worker

Youth Outpatient SUD Counselor I, II, or III

Street Scholars Emergency Need Application

2. Program Participation

3. System-Impacted Eligibility

4. Documentation of Hardship or Emergency Need

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