COC Rising Scholars program wins statewide honor

The College of the Canyons Rising Scholars program has been named the 2025-26 Exemplary Program Award winner by the California Community Colleges board of governors. 

The award was presented at the board’s meeting on Jan. 13 in Sacramento. Sponsored by the Foundation for California Community Colleges, the award was established in 1991 to honor outstanding community college programs across the state. 

“We are deeply honored to receive this recognition,” Dianne Avery, dean of academic innovation and continuing education at the college, said in a COC news release. “We are committed to continue promoting equity, diversity, and in providing opportunities for students who have been underserved in the past.”  

The theme for the 2025-26 Exemplary Program Award was “Voices of Resilience,” highlighting programs that uplift student voices and integrate lived experiences into education.  

Launched in 2015, the Rising Scholars program at COC supports incarcerated and formerly incarcerated students in achieving their academic goals. The college offers on-campus programming for justice-impacted students, complementing existing programs at county jails, including Pitchess Detention Center and Century Regional Detention Facility. 

Since its inception, the college’s program has served more than 7,290 justice-impacted students, with 1,249 earning noncredit certificates between 2022 and 2025. 

“Our Rising Scholars program perfectly exemplifies our mission,” Garrett Rieck, Rising Scholars faculty coordinator at COC, said in the release. “Beyond academics, the program helps students develop life skills essential for a successful transition back into society, while providing a clear pathway to their educational and career goals.” 

Initially offering credit courses at Pitchess, the college expanded to noncredit courses focused on vocational training, life skills and transitional support for students returning to the community. Students also have on-campus access to a dedicated space through the School of Personal and Professional Learning, where they can study, meet with counselors and connect with peers. 

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department supports the program by awarding milestones for every 60 hours of coursework completed, which can contribute to early release. Many students also present their Life Skills course certificates during court or parole hearings, positively influencing outcomes and family reunification.  

With an established partnership with LASD, COC has expanded noncredit offerings inside county jails to include vocational training, further increasing enrollment and certificate completion. 

“COC is successfully helping justice-impacted individuals rebuild their lives by creating a program to meet their unique needs,” CCC board President Hildegarde B. Aguinaldo in a news release. “Not only does this program provide these individuals with workforce and personal development training, but it establishes a space for students to build community. We’re proud of the work being done at COC and excited to see how this program continues to progress and grow.” 

COC is part of the California Community Colleges’ Rising Scholars Network, founded in 2014 to serve nearly 20,000 justice-involved students in prisons, jails, juvenile detention centers, and on campuses statewide. 

For more information about the Rising Scholars program, go to www.canyons.edu/administration/instruction/risingscholars/index.php. 

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