Philanthropy in Action
Join the Great Alumni Hunt
This fall, College of the Desert (COD) students have the incredible opportunity to win valuable scholarships during The Great Alumni Hunt as they hunt for COD alumni throughout the Coachella Valley and beyond. Each student will earn points for the greatest number of alumni that they add to their [...]
COD Foundation Celebrates 40 Years!
I am deeply inspired by the progress of College of the Desert Foundation and its support of the college and its students over the past 40 years. In my six-year journey with the COD Foundation, I have personally witnessed us provide valuable programs and resources that significantly changed students’ [...]
NASA Program Brings Stem & Stars to Students
The great beyond is within reach for students right here in the Coachella Valley. College of the Desert is one of five colleges in the country to receive a special grant from NASA to develop their STEM classes and engage minority students. In the Summer of 2022, COD and [...]
Childcare Empowers Single Parents to Pursue Higher Education
When Natalie Holland arrived at College of the Desert, she was a newly single mother who had just left a bad relationship. Worrying about how she and her one-year-old were going to survive, she remembers seeing various COD signs and knew this was an opportunity to build her future. [...]
COD’s Music Professor Hits All the Right Notes
Classical Guitar and Music Theory Adjunct Professor, Jesus Palominos has a love for music stems back to the cartoons he listened to as a young boy. As a visually impaired child, the animated music told a story that fascinated him. “I have a difficult time articulating how I feel, [...]
Barry Manilow Gifts $50,000 to COD’s Music Program
Music icon and Grammy award winner Barry Manilow believes in the gift of music and has graciously donated $50,000 to enhance COD’s musical education program. But the gift of music is not new to him; he has donated instruments and equipment for over 34 years, giving disadvantaged young people [...]
COD’s TASC Center Fosters Academic & Skill-Centered Growth
Considered a critical resource for COD students seeking to improve their academic performance, the Tutoring and Academic Skills Center (TASC) offers a variety of services and programs designed to help students reach their full potential and achieve their academic goals. At TASC, students can receive one-on-one tutoring in math, [...]
COD Veterans Find Purpose & A New Path to Thrive
When Coachella Valley native Cindy Curiel was 17 years old, she enlisted in the Navy. “I was so young that I needed my parents’ permission,” she recalls. “But after a lot of convincing, I got their signatures.” Two weeks after she graduated from Coachella Valley High School, she arrived [...]
