New COD program offers opportunities to young adults following juvenile detention

College of the Desert (COD) is in the process of creating an educational initiative for young adults who have been through juvenile detention systems.

The initiative is made possible through a $1.5 million grant awarded to COD by the California Community Colleges' Rising Scholars Network, an expansive network of community colleges dedicated to building strong pathways from incarceration to higher education.

The Rising Scholars Network, which grew out of Corrections to College California, aims to increase public awareness of the benefits of career and education options for students who are and were formerly incarcerated. 

This program is another step in the right direction toward breaking cycles of recidivism, multigenerational poverty and disadvantaged communities.

“By investing in these students, we are empowering a society where everyone has access to learning opportunities for personal and professional growth,” states Amanda Phillips, Dean of Counseling. "The Rising Scholars program will inspire those who have experienced the criminal justice system by providing them with the tools they need to succeed.” 

This new dual enrollment program created by Rising Scholars Network will launch in the fall of 2024. 

College of the Desert's program will establish on-site classes for young adults who are incarcerated and more on-campus outreach and resources for students who have been incarcerated in the past.

The grant will cover a five-year period and will establish an inaugural program on campus.

“We’re pleased to announce that nearly 25 percent of youth enrolled or detained at Indio Juvenile Hall are eligible for college, while 80 percent of Indio’s Pathways to Success program participants are eligible to attend this year,” said Christopher H. Wright, Chief Probation Officer of the Riverside County Probation Department.