Middlesex College Center for Justice-Impacted Students Receives Grant to Launch Rising Scholars Program

The Center for Justice-Impacted Students (CJIS) at Middlesex College has been awarded a $39,137.90 grant from the Middlesex County Office of Human Services, Division of Children’s Services, to launch a Rising Scholars Program for at-risk high school students.

The Program launched at the start of the fall 2024 semester and offers a first-hand college experience for juvenile probationers across Middlesex County. Students are recruited through local community organizations that serve court-involved youth and juvenile probation officers.

The Rising Scholars Program provides students the opportunity to re-envision their futures by empowering them to create new pathways forward, says CJIS Academic Director Alexandra Fields, professor of English at Middlesex College.

“Specifically, through exposure to trauma-informed curriculum that includes psychoeducation, goal-setting strategies, and mentorship from formerly incarcerated individuals who have transformed their lives, our students engage in critical reflection and dialogue that helps them identify healthy coping strategies when faced with life challenges,” Fields said. 

Students meet weekly for a success course at the New Brunswick Center, which includes personalized support for academic, personal, and professional growth. The program also includes two weekend trips to New York City and Philadelphia during the semester to visit college campuses and participate in cultural excursions including museum visits, sporting events, and performances. 

Nearly all of the participants have no immediate family members who attended college, making the Rising Scholars Program “pivotal in helping [students] see college as an obtainable and realistic goal,” said Fields.

“Students are not only earning college credits for their participation in this course, but they are also exposed to new cities and college tours that can help them imagine a future for themselves that includes academic and professional success,” Fields said.

The Rising Scholars Program is modeled after the CJIS Justice Scholars Program, which provides support and resources to justice-impacted students at Middlesex College’s Edison campus and centers in New Brunswick and Perth Amboy.

“This generous grant from the Middlesex County Office of Human Services, Division of Children’s Services, allows Middlesex College and the Center for Justice-Impacted Students to expand the ways we reach and engage with justice-impacted students in our community,” said Middlesex College President Mark McCormick. “The Rising Scholars Program is another way we can empower students to continue their journey in higher education and see first-hand the value of personal and professional exploration.”