The Role of Technical Assistant Providers in Higher Education in Prison
On May 24-25, Ithaka S+R’s Managing Director, Catharine Bond Hill, and Senior Program Manager for Justice Initiatives, Kurtis Tanaka, took part in a summit in Nashville, hosted by the Alliance for Higher Education in Prisons with support from Ascendium Education Group, on the role of technical assistance (TA) providers in the field of higher education in prisons (HEP). With the restoration of Pell grants for incarcerated students right around the corner, there is urgent need to convene intermediaries to discuss the landscape of training, support, and resource development for students, schools, and state agencies working to expand access to high-quality higher education in prison. The first day was dedicated to organizations and practitioners mapping out the landscape of current TA offerings and surfacing the gaps in support that currently exist, the second day was an opportunity for the group to meet with members of the HEP philanthropic community (via Zoom and in person), so that they too could hear experts discuss the TA supports that exist and the gaps as the field continues to grow.