SAN MARCOS — Palomar College will host Black Student Success Week featuring a series of in-person and online workshops and events.
The annual event, established by leaders and supporters of California Community Colleges, is held during the final week of April. The week highlights the academic achievements of historically disadvantaged students, focusing on Black and African American learners.
This year’s theme, “Lift Up, Level Up: The Rise of Black-Serving Institutions,” emphasizes the efforts made to support students in community colleges and beyond. Events will take place from April 21 to 25.
The week will kick off with a welcome event on Monday, April 21 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in LRC-438 at the San Marcos Campus. The session will explore the importance of Black-serving institutions, and lunch will be provided.
“The overall message is to understand how in Black and Brown communities, having a sense of belonging is very important, and having a sense of connection to your environment is very important for your success,” Umoja Coordinator Richard Carr said.
On Wednesday, April 23, from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. in MD-103, there will be a student panel featuring Umoja members sharing their experiences visiting Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
All events are open to Palomar College students, faculty, and staff. Registered participants may also join the online webinars.
In an email interview, Nancy Browne, manager of the Office for Student Success at Palomar, noted that the webinars offer tools to help students succeed, while the in-person workshops focus on programs and resources specific to Palomar students.
“We want students to leave feeling empowered and inspired, with a clear vision of their success at Palomar and beyond. Our hope is that they’ll discover the resources and community available to them, especially through programs like Umoja and the Black Student Success Team—both of which reflect Palomar’s commitment to supporting Black student success,” Browne said.
For a full schedule, visit the Student Success Week event page on the Palomar website.
