Puente at College of Alameda
Now Enrolling for Fall 2023!
The Puente Program is a national award-winning program that has helped tens of thousands of educationally disadvantaged students to enroll in four-year year colleges and universities, earn degrees, and return to the community as leaders and mentors to future generations.
Puente students, or Puentistas, enroll in two linked courses during the fall (English 1A & Counseling 24) and spring (English 5 & Counseling 57) semesters, and work closely with their counselor, English instructor, and mentor to prepare for transfer to four-year colleges and universities. The writing curriculum focuses on the development of college-level essay writing, reading, research, and critical thinking skills, a necessary foundation for educational success. All students welcome!
To join, please complete the Puente Program Interest Form.
The Puente Program will continue to accept students on a rolling basis until all slots are filled. We expect a high number of interest-forms this year; please complete the interest form early, as capacity is limited.
The Puente model is composed of three integrated joint components:
English Instruction
Puente 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 Puente students with an emphasis on developing writing skills through an exploration of the Latinx experience.
Counseling
Puente students work closely with their Puente counselor to explore career options, develop an academic educational plan and identify their goals through the Puente 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 Puente student transfer conference.
Mentoring
Puente 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.
our contacts
Alejandro Gonzalez, Student Services Specialist
Danna Chavez-Baquero, ACCESO/Puente Counselor
Horacio Corona Lira, Director