Program Overview and Eligibility

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The College of Alameda is accepting students for EOPS, CARE, CalWORKs, NextUp & SALAAM Learning Communities. If you are interested in applying for EOPS, CARE, CalWORKs, NextUp and SALAAM, complete our online application, EOPS/CARE/CalWORKs/NextUp/Salaam – Common Application and be matched with the program that best serves your needs.

OUr mission

Extended Opportunity Programs and Services (EOPS), Cooperative Agencies Resources for Education (CARE), California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs), NextUp (formerly Cooperating Agencies Foster Youth Education Support Program, CAFYES) and SALAAM provides above and beyond academic and career counseling that serves the vulnerable and underrepresented students at College of Alameda. Faculty and staff strive to provide culturally relevant and transformative experiences that support students’ goals and learning outcomes. We learn of the values of equity and social justice that are in direct correlation with the civil rights movement.

OVERVIEW

SALAAM LEARNING COMMUNITY BENEFITS

The SALAAM Learning Community provides integrated academic, financial, and student support services to South West Asian and North African (SWANA)  and Arab – American students’ journeys toward attainment of a certificate, degree, or transfer to a university within two to three years.

SALAAM Learning Community is part of the larger umbrella of student support programs that includes EOPS/CARE/CalWORKs & Next Up.

SALAAM students receive:

  • Counseling & Transfer Planning – Dedicated EOPS/CARE/SALAAM Counselor
  • Career Coaching – Connecting students to job opportunities
  • Tutoring – Peer tutoring and mentoring
  • SALAAM Workshop Series – Preparing students to succeed at CoA and beyond
  • Textbook Voucher
  • Program Laptop
  • Campus-wide cultural events
  • A SALAAM FAMILY at CoA

THE SALAAM LEARNING COMMUNITY

The SALAAM Learning Community  is a comfortable and accessible space on campus where South West Asian and North African (SWANA)  and Arab – American students and friends gather; participate in academic tutoring and workshops; attend events offered by community-based organizations on topics such as legal rights, health and wellness, employment, and arts and culture; access academic and community resources; or meet with a counselor, instructor (during office hours scheduled at the SALAAM Center) or peer mentor.

The SALAAM Learning Community offers workshops and integrated instruction on:

  • Academic Success
  • Study skills
  • Time management
  • Professional development
  • Budgeting and college financing
  • Career coaching and employment assistance

SALAAM Three integrated joint components

English Instruction

SALAAM students take two consecutive writing classes, English 1AS (Composition & Reading) fall semester and English 5 (Critical Thinking in Reading and Writing) spring semester. These classes provide a supportive and stimulating environment for SALAAM students with an emphasis on developing writing skills through an exploration of the SWANA/Arab-American experience.

Counseling Support

SALAAM students work closely with their SALAAM counselor to explore career options, develop an academic educational plan and identify their goals through the SALAAM Development courses, Counseling 24 (College Success Skills) and Counseling 57 (Career and Life Planning), as well as individual counseling sessions.  Students visit campuses of the University of California and other four-year colleges and attend an annual SALAAM student transfer conference.

Peer Mentoring

SALAAM students are matched with an academically and professionally successful mentor from the community. Mentors share with the students how they managed to succeed in the educational system, how they succeed as professionals while maintaining their cultural identity, and how they now balance family, career and community related activities, and provide resources for student assignments and projects.

The Salaam Club (Coming in Academic Year 2022-2023)

The SALAAM Club is a new student-led leadership group that organizes and advocates for CoA’s South West Asian and North African (SWANA) and Arab – American student body.