Columbia College Rising Scholars Program

**As of 8/30/2024 the Rising Scholars Program has reached maximum capacity for fall 2024. Please check back in December 2024 for participant availability in spring 2025. We apologize for any inconveneince.**

The Rising Scholars Program (RSP) at Columbia College, formerly known as ISP, exists to serve justice impacted students with targeted resources and provides a supportive and inclusive community. We serve juveniles and adults who have ever experienced an arrest, detainment, probation, or incarceration in our on-campus Rising Scholars Center. In addition, we also provide college courses and services to students currently residing at Sierra Conservation Center (SCC), Vallecito Conservation Camp, Pine Grove Youth Conservation Camp, and Mother Lode Regional Juvenile Detention Facility. Our services are confidential, tailored to the needs of individuals, and are guided by the belief that every person has a right to quality education regardless of their personal background.

Targeted Student Support

Together we rise

Our goal is to meet students where they are and provide meaningful, targeted supports to help them to be successful in their academic journey.

We offer:

Application and registration assistance
Textbook, grocery, and gas vouchers
Assistance with course materials
Dorm housing assistance and emergency aid
Dorm room welcome package
Snack pantry
School supplies
Workshops on various topics
Referrals to on-campus support services
Referrals to community agencies
Community art and healing circles
Group field trips and campus tours
Program events
A safe and supportive environment for students to co-create space

Teaching and Workshop Facilitation Opportunities

RSP is always looking for new faculty to teach on-site for our program. We offer a wide variety of courses that meet both GE and degree requirements.

The following degrees are offered at SCC:
Beginning Social Work SAC
Business Management AS
History AA-T
Social and Behavioral Sciences AA
Sociology AA-T

We als offer numerous foundational college skills workshops each term and are always looking for individuals who would like to facilitate workshops as well.

If you are interested in becoming a faculty member for the Rising Scholars Program, please apply to our RSP part-time faculty pool.

If you would like to discuss an idea for a workshop you would like to facilitate, please email Michelle Walker.

First Person Language Guide

Columbia College's Rising Scholars Program strives to use best practices in the way we interact with students who have been impacted by the legal system. One of those best practices is adapting the way we refer to our students. Below is a language guide provided by the Formerly Incarcerated College Graduates Network that our program has adopted.

Do Say	Don't Say
Formerly incarcerated person or system impacted person	Ex-or former: Offender, inmate, convicted felon
Person in recovery or who has overcome addiction	Former drug addict
Incarcerated person	Inmate, offender, prisoner
Criminal Legal System or Penal System	Criminal Justice System
Person on parole or person under community supervision	Parolee
Person recently released from prison	Returning citizen
Students who are incarcerated	Prisoner students

Rising Scholars Network - Inside CDCR Video

Rising Scholars Graduation 2024

Faculty Resources

Underground Scholars Language Guide

An Educator's Guide to Prison

Summer 2021 ISP Correspondence Faculty Training

Fall 2022 ISP Faculty Training

Spring 2023 ISP Faculty Training

Summer 2023 ISP Faculty Training

Carrying Hope blog post

CDCR Canvas

Rising Scholars at Sierra Conservation Center now have laptops and have access to a CDCR version of Canvas. Please inquire with Kelsey about the process for getting cleared to start, restrictions of the CDCR Canvas instance, and course vetting to get started.

CDCR Canvas Login

Rising Scholars Newsletters

Fall 2022 Rising Scholars Newsletter