The Wesleyan Center for Prison Education

Jodi Anderson Jr. is lighting the way in the justice tech space, bringing down barriers to employment for the one in four Americans with conviction histories. To have an entrepreneur of Jodi’s genius and unstoppability present to CPE students at our two prison sites last week was a true inspiration. Jodi also met with CPE alums and campus partners while in town, taking questions on his vision and digital tactics for building a more inclusive future!

Spring break brought Wesleyan Vice President for Equity and Inclusion Willette Burnham-Williams, Ph.D., M. Ed., B.A. and Director of Intercultural Learning Anita Deeg-Carlin to our classrooms last week, where they facilitated a workshop for CPE students on listening across difference and opening up to perspectives other than one's own. Thank you for joining this work, Anita and Willette, and for opening your own ears (minds, hearts) to what learners new to this liberal arts journey had to share.

We've heard from professors, but have you ever wondered what it’s like to be a Teaching Assistant for the CPE? We chatted with some of our incredible TAs to hear about their experiences working with the CPE and how it has shaped their personal and professional growth.📚📝

Viva the National Prison Debate League!

We’re back! 📚 This week marks the launch of our largest academic program yet, with 11 classes running including “Developmental Psychology,” “Richard Wright & Co.,” “Democracy and its Discontents,” “Cities of Islam,” and “Public Speaking.” We wish our 75 enrolled students, faculty, and TAs the very best in kicking off the semester!

“Working with the Wesleyan Center for Prison Education (CPE) has pushed me to grow in ways I didn’t expect. Connecting with students who are incarcerated made me rethink how I approach teaching and communication. I realized it wasn’t just about understanding the material I was helping with, it was about meeting students where they are, being patient, and understanding the challenges they face, like limited access to resources and the emotional toll of incarceration. This experience has helped me become a better communicator. I’ve learned how to explain tough concepts in ways that make sense to different people from different educational backgrounds, and I’ve gotten better at adjusting my approach based on what each student needs. It’s also deepened my understanding of how systemic barriers, like incarceration, make education harder to access. This insight has fueled my desire to work as an attorney, where I can fight to remove those barriers and advocate for those who have been affected by the system.” https://lnkd.in/e5KB8TSn We appreciate you Desaree Edwards 🤩 for such thoughtfulness on your experience working with us, and on the two-way learning and growth that happen in the CPE classroom. Here’s to your leadership in seeding this CPE-Posse Veteran Scholars partnership; let’s make it part of your powerful legacy at Wesleyan! 

Last Saturday we kicked off the holiday season with a gathering of CPE alums, faculty, and student partners! It was wonderful to be in such inspiring company, watching classmates reunite and sharing ideas about the work ahead . A big shoutout to alumnus, emcee, and event mastermind, Troy G! 🎊

On this Giving Tuesday, we are full of gratitude for all those who continue to create the CPE with us -- who have worked together to realize a diverse, inclusive, and equitable University from the program's inception to its 15th year and beyond. Your generous gifts are the wind at our back! Search "Center for Prison Education" in the designation line here https://lnkd.in/efTYjW78 to contribute today to continued college access for students at Cheshire and York. Hear from three of our wonderful faculty members as they discuss their courses, what the CPE’s mission means to them, and their rewarding interactions with their students.

So grateful to CPE alums Tracie and james jeter for enriching this campus conversation with their expertise & inspiring us to action to create a more inclusive Connecticut: https://lnkd.in/eCqHpVbU

Two weekends ago, October 5-6, we were reminded of the power of community in this work as the team attended the second Consortium for the Liberal Arts in Prison in Albany, NY – an organization that now includes 18 colleges across 13 states. We were ecstatic to be represented on stage by a number of our alumni who shared the brilliant work that they are doing in their communities as lifelong learners advocating for profound change. Folks in the room forefronted the challenges and joys of expanding access to bold and rigorous education and the CPE team has returned to Middletown, reinvigorated, eager to continue this work in redefining college access. Thank you, Bard Prison Initiative for hosting such a fantastic event – here’s to many more!