What
does "Daraja" mean?
The word "Daraja" (Dah-rah'-jah) is a Swahili word meaning step, set of
steps, or stepping stone.
What is the Daraja Program?
The Daraja Program is a learning community designed to promote transfer
and to increase academic and personal success. This program, based at the Chabot
College Hayward, California campus, addresses students' needs through academic
support services and a curriculum focused on African-American literature,
history, and issues facing the African-American community. Daraja is for
students who are: serious about getting a good education, willing to work hard,
and want to study the topics Daraja covers. Daraja students persist longer in
college with better grades and transfer to four-year colleges and universities
at a higher rate. The benefits from Daraja include:
- Fostering high self-confidence and pride in one's cultural heritage.
- Developing critical thinking, reading, and writing skills that are
needed for college and future career success.
- Researching occupational interest through various sources.
- Receiving individual and group access to counselors, college workshops,
guest speakers, professional mentors, and college tours.
How does the Daraja Program Work?
The Daraja Project couples the English 102 and the Psychology-Counseling 20
courses in the Fall semester and the transferable English 1A and the
Psychology-Counseling 7 courses in the Spring semester to prepare students for
their intended majors and to meet graduation and transfer requirements. The
English courses introduce students to African-American history and literary
works that include Claude Brown's Manchild in the Promised Land and Zora Neale
Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God, as well as other similar classics and
contemporary works by noted African-American authors. The Psychology-Counseling
courses may include topics on:
- Racial Identity Development
- Time Management/Goal Setting Skills
- African-American History
Daraja
students learn from each other through critical analysis of African-American
literature shared by fellow students.
What do Daraja Graduates say about the program?
- "It helped me organize my life and manage my time."
- "I was scared to death about college, but Daraja made me confident I
could make it."
- "My grades went up and I transferred within two years."
- "It helped me excel in college, most especially in writing essays, which
I used to dread."
- "In class, it was like being in a family. I have made friends who are
like brothers and sisters."
- "The occupational information I received was superb! I now know what it
takes to become a physician."
The Daraja Project is here to help you succeed one step at a time!
