In early January, Las Positas began its collaborative Dual Enrollment program with the Tri-Valley school district for Spring 2026. Dual Enrollment offers all high school students a taste of college courses during and after the high school day.
“We partner with high school districts in Dublin, Livermore, and Pleasanton, including Tri-Valley ROP, to promote educational equity by offering empowering, transformative educational experiences to local high school students,” said Las Positas College in a statement on their website
Applications for the Spring 2026 Dual Enrollment program began in early October, when students could apply online. The accepted students were then guided by Dual Enrollment counselor Madelyn Bartolome. She met with them through one-on-one meetings or during access periods shortly before courses began.
Behind the Courses
One class option for dual enrollment students is Introduction to Social Psychology, a fully online, asynchronous course. Led by Ray Faulkenberry, the course introduces students to concepts explaining an individual’s behavior in social settings through discussions, activities, and assignments.
“I chose Intro to Social Psychology because I’m currently in AP psychology, which I feel is very interesting, so I wanted to learn more about it through this class,” said Dual Enrollment student Apoorvaa Muruganathan (‘27).
The fully in-person course, Introduction to Debate, was the choice for many other students. In this course, students learn important debate skills through practice debates and lessons.
“I chose this class because I’m currently in AP psychology, which I feel like the conference is very interesting, so I wanted to learn more about it,” said Muruganathan.
Dual Enrollment also offers Introduction to Film Studies. It is a hybrid course for students interested in a mix of both online and in-person classes. Led by Tony Alfaro, this course introduces diverse forms of cinema to teach about film styles and analysis.
“I want to have this class be a place where we are not going along with the norm, rather we’re making our own opinions…I think by analyzing different films and by talking about them and talking about perspectives, we not only learn more about other people and other people’s experiences, but we can also learn more about ourselves,” said Introduction to Film Studies teacher Tony Alfaro.
The Impact of Dual Enrollment
From social psychology to film studies to debate, Las Positas offers a wide range of curated college courses that provide students with various opportunities to grow their knowledge in particular fields.
“I hope I can translate these classes to the real world. So, let’s just say I have an interview or I have to do a pitch in front of other people. These classes would help a lot. I also just want to learn more about it, “ said Muruganathan.
