Tennessee Higher Education Initiative

We’re thrilled to announce that THEI has been awarded a generous $30,000 grant from the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee to expand mental health support for our community. Thanks to this grant, we’re launching a new partnership with Insight Counseling Centers to provide consistent, high-quality mental health counseling to students reentering society. With increased access and extended support, we’re taking an essential step in fostering lasting wellness, stability, and community for our alumni. A huge thank you to CFMT for making this vital work possible! #MentalHealthMatters #ThankYouCFMT #THEICommunity #SupportAndStability #ReentrySupport #MentalWellness #MentalHealth #BuildingBetterFutures #CFMTGrant

Building Bridges and Reimagining Workforce, Reentry, and Higher Education is what occurred at Persevere's Employer Engagement event today. Pathways of mobility were discussed and more importantly, how Justice Involved Individuals can impact Tennessee's workforce. Stacey Books (she/her), Anthony B. Glover Jr., thank you for inviting the Tennessee Office of Reentry (TOOR) and allowing Labor and Workforce Development to participate in the panel discussion. Also, Andre P., Mary McCrary, and the Coursera Team, it was an honor to sit with you all today and engage in a healthy conversation about the value returning citizens bring to Tennessee Businesses 💯. Also, I would like to thank the Workforce Essentials Northern Middle Workforce Board, Carla Garrett, and all the Community Partners in attendance: Project Return Tennessee, TPOM - Tennessee Prison Outreach Ministry, Tennessee Higher Education Initiative, Hanna Naum-Stoian, M.Ed., Persevere, Free Hearts, Raul Lopez (Please thank Mike) and all the Employers and Nashville Chamber Staff in attendance. #reentrymatters #Jobs4TNmatters

Team THEI is proud to be in West Tennessee this week, celebrating the incredible achievements of 15 graduates from Lane College and 12 from Dyersburg State Community College at Northwest Correctional Complex. Last year, our graduates made history as Lane College’s first graduating class of 6 at NWCX—the first men to earn bachelor’s degrees behind the wall at a Historically Black College in Tennessee. A year later, we’re thrilled to see that number nearly triple with this second graduating cohort, reflecting our students' continued commitment to their education. We’re so proud of these scholars—more information and photos to follow! #TeamTHEI #GraduationDay #BreakingBarriers

Tuesday night, we gathered with our incredible community of supporters, donors, alumni, and staff for THEI's first-ever Donor Gratitude Open House. The evening was filled with great conversations, reflections on our "season of growth," and powerful stories from two recent alumni who joined us to share their experiences of reentry, including our first resident of Busby House! Thank you to everyone who attended and continues to support THEI’s mission. Your generosity fuels the vital work we do and is truly making an impact in the lives of justice-impacted individuals. Learn more about the event and scroll through more photos here: https://lnkd.in/e-28URgv #THEICommunity #Gratitude #DonorAppreciation #SeasonOfGrowth #ReentrySupport #ThankYou

Last Friday, we celebrated our two newest additions to THEI's Housing Network with interfaith community blessing ceremonies at Busby House for men and Doochin House for women. These homes mark a major milestone in our mission to provide safe, supportive housing for our alumni returning home. As part of our holistic approach to reentry, these homes offer stability and encouragement, symbolizing fresh starts, resilience, and new beginnings. We’re excited for this step forward as we stay committed to helping individuals thrive after incarceration. Learn more about THEI's Housing Network here: https://lnkd.in/eBetNCxV #ReentrySupport #NewBeginnings #HousingForAll #FreshStart #THEICommunity

Join THEI's Impact Circle, a community of dedicated supporters making a lasting difference for our students, alumni, and justice-impacted individuals. By setting up a recurring donation, you help disrupt systems of harm and create new opportunities. Click the link to get started and choose the donation frequency that works for you! https://ow.ly/3ujw50TAGO9 #ImpactCircle #SupportJustice #DisruptSystemsOfHarm #CommunitySupport #DonateForChange #MakeADifference

Meet Matthew Cushing, THEI's Reentry Services Intern. Currently working toward his degree at the University of Maine while incarcerated, Matthew has become an integral part of our Transitional Programs team. In this article, we explore his role at THEI, his educational aspirations, and the gaps that still exist in the reentry process. Discover how Matthew is making an impact and learn more about the challenges and opportunities within the legal system: https://lnkd.in/emA8burv #ReentryServices #THEIImpact #ReentryJourney #TransitionalPrograms #StudentSuccess #HigherEdInPrison

A huge thank you to the Vanderbilt Prison Project and the Eta Beta Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and the Kappa Theta Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. for their incredible support last week in collecting school supplies for our students and alumni! These supplies will be distributed to our students inside and alumni living in THEI's Housing Network, helping them stay equipped and focused on their academic journeys. If you'd like to join in supporting our students, check out our Amazon wishlist and consider donating! https://ow.ly/bUpm50ToImI #SupportOurStudents #SchoolSupplies #CommunitySupport #HigherEdInPrison #MakingADifference

A week ago today I had the pleasure of participating in a panel discussion about economic justice. Sondrea Tolbert and her entire team did a phenomenal job organizing and executing the Transformative Global Leadership Conference. Scarritt Bennett continues to lead the way in disrupting systems of harm.

Join us in celebrating THEI's recent staff member hires! Sandy Wilson joins our team as an Academic Coordinator, and Tristan Slough joins our Student Resources Initiative team as the Student Resources Coordinator. We’re thrilled to have them on board as we continue supporting our students and their academic journeys. #SupportingSuccess #NewBeginnings #HigherEdInPrison #TeamGrowth