College of Marin and the Canal Alliance Plan Special Event

Community Outreach Effort Designed to Provide Access to College.

In an outreach effort aimed at helping people of all ages realize their educational dreams, College of Marin is paying a neighborhood visit to the community served by the San Rafael-based Canal Alliance.

Information (Spanish):
Roxana Aguiar, Canal Alliance College & Career Coordinator
(415) 306-0447; RoxanaA@canalalliance.org
www.canalalliance.org

Information (English):
Anna L. Pilloton, College of Marin Outreach Coordinator
(415) 485-9663; Anna.Pilloton@marin.edu
www.marin.edu

College of Marin’s Superintendent/President David Wain Coon, Ed.D. and Canal Alliance Associate Director Omar Carrera will welcome attendees and their families. Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions and discuss their educational goals with instructors in various academic, technical and vocational programs as well in English-as-a-Second Language courses, tutoring services and certificate programs. Financial aid staff will highlight various grant and scholarship opportunities. The entire night will be translated in Spanish and COM Student Ambassadors equipped with laptops will be on hand to help people apply and register. Childcare will be provided for families and there will be refreshments and prizes. The event is open to the public free of charge.

“The people here are always looking for ways to increase their employability to provide for their families,” said Bob Jackson, director of Economic Development & IT at Canal Alliance. “They are looking to improve their workforce skills to increase their value to employers.”

The event, similar to College of Marin outreach events held last year in Marin City, is an opportunity for the college to more effectively serve all of Marin’s diverse communities.

“We’re hoping to raise awareness that College of Marin is accessible,” said Arnulfo Cedillo, director of College of Marin Student Affairs and the Health Center.

Currently about 17 percent of College of Marin’s student population is Latino and that number is growing. “It’s important that people know that there is financial and education support available as well as on-campus tutoring and childcare,” said Cedillo.

The event has drawn a broad base of supporters including the Associated Students College of Marin, which provided a grant, Tamalpais Adult School, member organizations in the Marin College Access Network, and 10,000 Degrees (formerly Marin Education Fund).

Canal Alliance provides a host of social, economic development and legal services including support for immigration issues, family services and educational programs. Last year, the nonprofit organization served more than 3,100 people.

“We’ve had a good relationship with the college in the past and are looking to enhance that,” Jackson said. “We are looking to create a pipeline for people coming through Canal Alliance to connect with College of Marin. We’d like to be the best bridge possible for helping people take the next step to college.”