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ASU College Program for Incarcerated Women Wins 2016 Hon Kachina Volunteer Award
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Phoenix, Ariz. (May 3, 2016) – Arizona State University’s unique educational partnership with and for incarcerated women, The College Program, and its founder, Dr. Peg Bortner, are recipients of the 2016 Hon Kachina Volunteer Award. They will be honored at an awards reception and dinner on May 7. "Philanthropy is sometimes only associated with charitable gifts of money, but it's really about voluntary action for the common good through the giving of time and know-how, as well, in ways that improve community well-being," said Dr. Robert Ashcraft, Executive Director of the ASU Lodestar Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Innovation and professor of nopnrofit studies. "I can think of no one more deserving than Peg Bortner in receiving the Hon Kachina Award, as she evinces most highly the philanthropic act of giving unselfishly of her time, talents and treasures, resulting in true impact through The College Program," he added.
Founded in 1997, The College Program is an educational partnership involving: faculty and student volunteers from Arizona State University; incarcerated women and education staff members at the Federal Prison Camp – Phoenix; the Incarcerated Re-Entry Program at Rio Salado College; and a volunteer faculty member from GateWay Community College. During the current academic year, the program has served 80 incarcerated students enrolled in 138 for-credit college courses. Rio Salado College’s Incarceration Re-entry Program provided the majority of the scholarships, with additional funding by Native American nations, the Asian American Student Scholarship Association, College Program donors, and students’ families.
The College Program is affiliated with the ASU Lodestar Center for Philanthropy & Nonprofit Innovation and housed in the School of Community Resources and Development within the College of Public Service and Community Solutions. To provide comprehensive services for the incarcerated students, the volunteers administer assessment tests and provide academic counseling for new students; mentor and tutor students enrolled in college courses; coordinate and submit enrollment requests; deliver books and course materials; proctor midterm and final examinations; copy and deliver weekly course assignments; print and deliver final grades; and serve as the liaison between the incarcerated students and their instructors. The volunteers also teach refresher math and English classes for those preparing for college courses, facilitate creative writing classes, and conduct financial aid workshops for individuals returning to the community.
Although once they are released from prison the students’ lives become extremely busy with family responsibilities and the challenges of finding work and establishing themselves within the community, many send unsolicited words of thanks to the volunteers. These are representative: “You had such an impact on my life!”; “Thank you for all your encouragement.”; “Thank you for your dedication. My time would not have been the same without you.”; “Thank you so much for all your help with my class. I greatly appreciate everything that you have done for me.”; and, “I would like to say thank you, because without you I would have had to put my college classes on hold. So I would really like to thank you from the bottom of my heart and my children will thank you also.”
Kristin Bervig Valentine, Professor Emerita of Communication at ASU, is a long-time volunteer for The College Program. She observes that “while prison education may lead to positive post-release outcomes, it may be even more valuable for the contribution it makes in the lives of incarcerated persons inside right now.” She additionally points out how much the volunteers “appreciate what our students have taught us, and have good reasons to hope that none of them will ever be incarcerated again.”
Over the eighteen years it has existed, the program has engaged students and faculty throughout Arizona State University. The Spring 2016 College Program Team includes: Dr. Peg Bortner, Lead Volunteer and ASU retired faculty member; Ms. Jesse Davenport, Program Coordinator and ASU Justice Studies graduate; Dr. HLT Quan, ASU Associate Professor of Justice and Social Inquiry in the School of Social Transformation; Dr. Kristin Valentine, ASU Professor Emerita of Communication; Dr. Martha Bienert, GateWay Community College Faculty of Communication and Sociology; Ms. Crystal Griffith, ASU Associate Professor of Film in the School of Film, Theater and Dance, Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts; and Ms. Alyssia Brady, ASU Psychology/Criminology major.
For further information regarding the Hon Kachina Volunteer Awards nonprofit, and to attend the awards event, contact event co-chairs Colby Hunter and Chris Gladney at info@honkachina.org or call 480-788-9792. To contact The College Program volunteers, email Bortner@asu.edu or Jessica.Davenport@asu.edu.
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ASU Lodestar Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Innovation
The ASU Lodestar Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Innovation is recognized as a national leader in undergraduate, graduate and professional nonprofit education, research and technical assistance. The ASU Lodestar Center exists to enhance the quality of life in communities through the advancement of nonprofit leadership practices. It provides knowledge and tools to build the capacity of nonprofit organizations, professionals, board members, donors and volunteers by offering a selection of capacity building workshops, conferences, classes, and programs. For more information, please visit: lodestar.asu.edu.