Spring 2024 Open Enrollment, Upward Scholars Stands United Against Hate, Holiday Toy & Book Drive, & more

Dear Upward,

We hope you are having a good semester. Just a few more weeks, and you will be done with Fall 2023. Your Upward Scholars family believes in you, and we know you will do great!

Please read through this newsletter, which includes Spring 2024 Open Enrollment, United Against Hate Week events, the 2023 Holiday Toy & Book Drive, and many community events and resources.

Upward Scholars Announcements

Spring 2024 Community College Enrollment

SMCCD Students: Open enrollment for Spring 2024 begins November 15, 2023.

PCCD Students: Open enrollment for Spring 2024 begins November 15, 2023.

Enroll for Spring classes now.

Spiritual Counseling with Reverend Gerardo García Palacios

Upward Scholars offers all students and their families free spiritual and emotional counseling with Rev. Gerardo García Palacios. People of all beliefs are welcome, and Rev. Gerardo is English-Spanish bilingual.

Schedule a session with Rev. Gerardo by emailing him at pastorgarcia1679@outlook.com or calling/texting him at (650) 387-9174.

Community Opportunities

United Against Hate Week, Nov 12–18

Upward Scholars stands united against hate!

United Against Hate Week is November 12–18, and it is a call for local civic action to stop the hate and implicit biases that are a dangerous threat to the safety and civility of our neighborhoods, towns, and cities.

Programs include Meet Your Neighbors, mindfulness sessions, storytimes, and more. Learn more and register for events here.

2023 Holiday Toy and Book Drive

Santa is gearing up to spread joy by delivering toys at this year's distribution event! Details will be shared upon successful completion of your application. All sign-ups must be done in person at the Fair Oaks Community Center at 2600 Middlefield Rd in Redwood City. Sign up from October 18 through November 30, 2023. (No sign-ups on November 10, 23, & 24.)

Program Requirements:

You must live in Redwood City, North Fair Oaks, Portola Valley, Woodside or Atherton
Must be a household with at least ONE child 12 years and under
Must be considered a low-income household

You must present the following to qualify:

Proof of all parent(s) or guardian(s) who live in the home (i.e., Official Photo I.D.)
Proof of the number of children who live in the home (i.e., Birth Certificates)
Proof of residence within the last 30 days (i.e., PG&E bill, telephone bill, any official document with your name, address, and date)

Project Onramp Summer Internship 2024

Want a paid summer 2024 internship at a life science company? Project Onramp has joined forces with leading life science organizations from all over the Bay Area to connect passionate, high-achieving college students with paid internships of up to 12 weeks.

Participants do not have to be interested in a career in the life sciences; however, all partner companies are in this industry. For example, if you're interested in and studying accounting, you might be chosen to be an accounting intern at a life sciences company in the Bay Area.

November 7, 2023, from 10-11 AM

Parent Power: Early Childhood Safety Workshop

Join Family Connections on Wednesday, November 8, from 6 to 7 pm to learn skills on how to protect young children from harm. This workshop is geared towards families with children from birth through five years of age and will be offered for FREE in English and Spanish. All are welcome, regardless of where you live!

Learn more here.

Vietnamese American Community Center of the East Bay (VACCEB) Job Support

VACCEB is a new Upward Scholars partner serving Southeast Asians and other immigrants and refugees across the Bay Area through educational, cultural, and social services, promoting economic self-sufficiency in these communities. Their programs include food security, employment services, ESL, digital literacy and citizenship classes, senior social activities, and health and wellness.

Learn more about VACCEB here.

VACCEB started their Employment Program to help people like you get the jobs they want. The workshops will be every month on the second Thursday at 10 am and again at 2 pm.

To sign up, contact Annalise at ainamine@vacceb.org, Linah at Isofi@vacceb.org, or Brett at bzhang@vacceb.org.

Bay Area Community Resources SEED Entrepreneurship Program

BACR offers the SEED Entrepreneurship Program in San Francisco, Alameda, and Contra Costa counties to help undocumented young adults gain financial through entrepreneurship. They provide business development training, technical assistance, and incubation support. Participants who complete their business plans and engage in program events can apply for a micro-grant of $2.5K–5K to launch or accelerate their business.

Qualifications:

Resident of San Francisco, Alameda, or Contra Costa counties
Undocumented
18-30 years old
Interested in entrepreneurship

Benefits:

Free Business Plan Development Training
Mentorship
Access to SEED Funding

Learn more and apply here.

¡Conectémonos! Technology Help Desk

Learn new skills or sharpen old ones! Get help with your technology needs, including assistance with emails, installing software, and more. The staff can help in English or Spanish.

Where: North Fair Oaks Library, 2510 Middlefield Rd, Redwood City

When: Every Monday, 6–7:30 pm

Free Immigration Legal Services by IIBA

The Immigration Institute of the Bay Area (IIBA) offers free immigration legal services to all California Community College students—including you—such as comprehensive immigration consultations and DACA renewals, and right now, they even have funding to cover the DACA filing fees.

Book your consultation here or call (650) 587-1502.

Housing Navigation Workshops by the Unity Council

The Unity Council is hosting free workshops on navigating rental websites, what to do when you have a housing opportunity, affordable housing, fair housing, and tenant rights. Join them virtually or in person. Some sessions are also offered in Spanish. Attendees will receive $25 gift cards while supplies last.

Employment Opportunities

Sequoia District Adult School (SAS) Job Board

SAS has a job board to help students like you find jobs. There are a variety of positions in various industries. Visit their website to learn more.

If you hear of any employment opportunities, please contact Jessica at jessica@upwardscholars.org, and she will share them with all Upward Scholars students.

Scholarship Opportunities

The following is a list of external scholarships with upcoming deadlines. Click on the links to learn more about each scholarship.

NOTE: If you need help applying to any of these, contact Jessica at jessica@upwardscholars.org to be paired with a volunteer who can work with you one-on-one.

Live Your Dream Award

Application Deadline: November 15, 2023
Some qualifications: identify as a woman; primary breadwinner for family

Immigrants Rising List of Scholarships and Fellowships

Immigrants Rising has curated this list of scholarships and fellowships that don't require proof of U.S. citizenship. The list has general application eligibility requirements, including education level, region/state, and immigration status (e.g., DACA, TPS, and in-state tuition eligibility). Only opportunities with due dates within the next 180 days appear on the list. Use the filters to find scholarships that could be right for you, and click on the scholarship to learn more and apply!

Click here to find an array of scholarships specific to your major or area of study.

If you know of any other scholarship opportunities with deadlines in the next few weeks or months, please email me at jessica@upwardscholars.org, and I will share them with all Upward Scholars students.

Thank you for reading through this newsletter. I hope it was helpful to you. If you have any further questions or want help with anything you read here, please contact me.

Onward & upward,

Jessica

Upward Scholars provides adult immigrants the boost they need to move up the economic ladder through education and career development support.