Education Justice Project: Motivating Prison Scholars for Change

Rebecca Ginsburg, center, during an EJP event at the Danville Prison
Rebecca Ginsburg (at the podium) speaks to the EJP students at the Danville Prison.

May 24, 2013

Every Friday evening, four or five educators car pool from campus over to the Danville Correctional Center to teach at the medium- to high-security prison for men. Part of the Education Justice Project (EJP), between 60–70 professors, graduate students, and others from a variety of disciplines volunteer their time to teach workshops on topics ranging from STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, & Mathematics) to Shakespeare.

Housed in the College of Education, EJP, now in its sixth year, has something going on practically every night. According to Co-Founder and Director Rebecca Ginsburg, students can study "everything a good liberal arts education provides." Programs range from remedial, such as tutoring; an ESL program where EJP students themselves mentor their peers; reading or writing; to STEM workshops like advanced statistics, robotics, and evolution. A course on creating websites is also in the works.

EJP students in the Shakespeare workshop perform The Tempest.
EJP students in the Shakespeare class perform The Tempest. (Photo courtesy EJP website.)

And not only did EJP students in the Shakespeare class learn about the Bard and his plays, they recently performed The Tempest.

Students in the "Mindfulness" discussion group read about issues related to the mind (psychology, neurobiology, etc.), then practice what they have read and studied. In another program, Sustainability, which grew out of the governor's initiative to create more sustainable institutional environments in Illinois, each year they complete a different project (this year's is composting), then share the instruction manual with other facilities across the state.

Milt Otto
Mito Otto (at the blackboard) and an EJP scholar discuss compounding during his Investing workshop.

Typical workshops meet for about four weeks, three hours a week. However, one workshop meets every quarter. When EJP tutor Milt Otto discovered that some of the guys were interested in learning about investing in the stock market, he volunteered, "Hey, I could teach a workshop on that," so the EJP signed him up. Students in his workshop read and discuss books by investing gurus to learn the various schools of thought. Students also pick a few individual stocks to watch and keep track of how much money they might have made—or lost—had they actually invested in it vs. an index fund. Otto even purchased a newspaper subscription so the students could keep tabs on stock market fluctuations in between sessions. The main message he wants scholars to come away with: rather than putting all one's money into one stock, diversification minimizes the risk.

As in the case of Milt Otto, some of EJP's teaching force is comprised of instructors who volunteer to teach a certain area in which they have expertise. Other instructors are recruited. Most teach courses regularly because—like the familiar potato chip slogan—after trying it just once, they couldn't stop.

Sarah Lubienski
Sarah Lubienski proudly displays an award she recently received from the prison for her work there.

Sarah Lubienski admits she's hooked. Her first experience with EJP was teaching an educational statistics course several years ago. "It was great. Once you go out and teach, you get hooked, because it's such a pleasant experience. There are no cell phones; there are no distractions. The guys are really committed to learning. So it's such a refreshing experience to teach the guys, and they are totally excited to be involved." Now, she's not only a regular, but is EJP's Science and Math Workshop Coordinator.

Otto also finds teaching the EJP scholars to be extremely rewarding. "EJP is this amazing thing that shows you things that you just didn't think really existed...It's one of those things that I feel like I always get more out of it than I jput into it."

Director Ginsburg is ecstatic about the quality of the volunteers. "Certainly the people who are involved make it what it is. We are lucky to have people like Sarah (Lubienski)…people who are thoughtful about incarceration and thoughtful about criminal justice…more than thoughtful, obviously. They want to do something and not just think about it, not just discuss it. And it's been a magnet for attracting people who are really wonderful and committed and hardworking, and doing it all for free."

EJP Students: Motivated to Learn, Change

And the instructors aren't the only ones who are committed and hard working. EJP students are extremely motivated. For example, to even get into EJP, which offers 300 to 400-level (junior/senior-level) courses, students must have an Associates degree. (They can get one through Danville Area Community College's program, which offers 100 to 200-level courses.) Many EJP scholars, who range in age from 20 to 60-year-olds, have been in the prison for quite a while, and have worked their way up. Some began by getting their GED.

"It's not for everybody," says Ginsburg. "It's a lot of work; you have to sacrifice. Our students work hard. Most of them have jobs at the prison, so they give up things like yard time or gym time, or time on the telephone, or time in the showers, frankly, because those are all tightly scheduled, to get that time to participate in the program."

Rebecca Ginsburg
Rebecca Ginsburg poses by a poster of the EJP Shakespeare class's presentation of The Tempest.

And just like the instructors, EJP students, with their thirst for knowledge, get "bitten by the bug," as Ginsburg calls it, and seem to thrive on the hard work and new experiences. "These people in The Tempest, for example. If two years ago you would have asked any of them if they see themselves acting in a Shakespeare play, they would have laughed in your face. But they got exposed; they got bitten; and that's kind of the EJP spirit. They said, 'Let's try this; let's experiment with it,' and they loved it. I think students who are drawn to EJP are pretty together, pretty mature, pretty disciplined, and not everybody who is incarcerated is like that."

Otto agrees that EJP sholars are special. He calls them "focused and aware of the opportunity that a university education presents…They've made their mistakes, and they have their regrets, and they see this opportunity and recognize it. All of the teachers that you talk to who've taught out there just say, 'I would give my left arm to have the students in my regular classes be as focused and engaged as these guys are,' because they're just like sponges, who are soaking the stuff up.'"

Otto appreciates the opportunity EJP is for the scholars: "A lot of these guys come from backgrounds where going to college was just not on their mental map as something that was possible for them to do. So when you see these guys taking classes and succeeding at them, you just see this door opening on their mind, in terms of, 'Wow, I can do this!'" Otto goes on to relate a story illustrating the mindset of most EJP students. Evidently, in the first three years, guys had been arguing with the teachers about their grades—and not that they deserved a better grade like most college students would do: 'Come on, we want you to grade us just like you would your undergrads at the U of I. Don't give us a good grade just because we're in prison.'"

Ginsburg stresses that the program isn't just about attending classes, but it's more of a self-improvement community that gives its members a sense of purpose. "It's a bigger picture. We talk a lot about who we are, what we do, and why we do it, where we've been, and where we're going."

Lubienski agrees that EJP students reap benefits beyond just taking some classes. "They are more motivated to get out and really change their lives."

(story continues) small blue arrow





SOLIDarity EXperiences (SOLIDEX) through the Eyes of Children

What do children aged 11-13 in two countries think about solidarity?
Full Story

Students launch ASL STEM Vocabulary App Company

Students launch ASL STEM Vocabulary App Company
Full Story

Innovation, Inspiration on display at the Undergraduate Research Symposium

Undergraduate Research Week took place April 23-29, 2023, and culminated Thursday, April 27, 2023
Full Story

What would you like to see – 3D printers? Magnets? Solar-powered racing cars? Robobrawl?

March 28, 2023
EOH occurs Friday, March 31, and Saturday, April 1, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily.
Full Story

Tour of Illinois’ Materials Research Lab through I-MRSEC sparks Franklin students’ interest in Materials Science

March 1, 2023
Students from the Champaign middle school had a tour of the Material Research Laboratory (MRL) in early February.
Full Story

Nobel Project’s End-of-Year Zoom Bash Recaps Learning

February 1, 2022
The STEM Illinois Nobel Project held a special, end-of-the-year Zoom event celebrating its participating students’ achievements.
Full Story

It’s not magic, it’s physics

January 26, 2022
In Franklin STEAM Academy, Musical Magnetism program makes STEM fun, approachable.
Full Story

Program prepares STEM educators to teach all students

November 30, 2021
This summer, a group of educators gathered to learn about engaging STEM activities they can do with their students.
Full Story

Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program

November 11, 2021
Undergrads get a taste of research through I-MRSEC’s REU program.
Full Story

Goldstein’s Renaissance Engineering Summer Camp

November 1, 2021
Goldstein’s Renaissance Engineering Summer Camp Incorporates Art, Design, Mechatronics, and Mentoring
Full Story

TechTogether Chicago to Redefine the Hacker Stereotype

July 10, 2021
New workshops that can help inspire students to pursue careers in technology..
Full Story

Aerospace Engineering Launches Virtual Summer Camps to Pique Students’ Interest in Aero.

July 2, 2021
Design an aircraft then watch it soar after launching it with a huge rubber band. Build a Mars lander to safely transport a real egg, then test the contraption by dropping it from a second story window.
Full Story

Undergrads Experience Materials Science Research Courtesy of the I-MRSEC REU

June 16, 2021
Ten undergraduate students are spending the summer of 2021 discovering what research is like.
Full Story

MatSE Afterschool Academy

MatSE Afterschool Academy

June 14, 2021
MatSE Afterschool Academy to Introduce Students to Materials Science and Beyond.
Full Story

Taylor Tucker Embraces Multidisciplinary Interest

Taylor Tucker Embraces Multidisciplinary Interest

June 14, 2021
Taylor Tucker Embraces Multidisciplinary Interest While Researching Task Collaboration.
Full Story

Exposes Franklin Middle Schoolers to Science, CS

What Studying Engineering at Illinois is Like?

May 25, 2021
NSBE’s Michaela Horn Exposes Franklin Middle Schoolers to Science, CS, and What Studying Engineering at Illinois is Like.
Full Story

Jenny Saves a Convertible.

Children’s-Book-Writing Duo/

May 19, 2021
Convertibles and Thunderstorms—Children’s-Book-Writing Duo on Their Way Thanks to Illinois Training and Encouragement from Mentors.
Full Story

Improve Learning in Engineering

Improve Learning in Engineering

May 17, 2021
Liebenberg Espouses Mini-Projects to Engage Students Emotionally, Improve Learning in Engineering.
Full Story

Joshua Whitely makes an adjustment to the 3D Bioprinter during the demo.

BIOE435 Capstone Projects

May 12, 2021
BIOE435 Capstone Projects - BIOE Seniors Use Knowledge/Skills to Problem Solve.
Full Story

Elani and Gonzalo shine a UV light on a rose that has absorbed a solution that has made it fluorescent.

Illinois Scientists Shine a (UV) Light on Fluorescence

May 7, 2021
What is fluorescence? What causes it?
Full Story

Joshua Whitely makes an adjustment to the 3D Bioprinter during the demo.

HackIllinois 2021 “Rekindled Connections” With The Tech Community

May 5, 2021
Annual student hackathon HackIllinois with the aim of developing projects on current problems facing society.
Full Story

A Shane Mayer-Gawlik image of the Bridger Aurora, part of his Night Skies photography collection exhibited at the Art-Science Festival.

The Art-Science Festival

April 26, 2021
Illinois Art-Science Festival: Illuminating the Universe...from the Quantum World to the Cosmos.
Full Story

Joshua Whitely makes an adjustment to the 3D Bioprinter during the demo.

Illinois Engineering Seniors Prepared to Change the World

April 22, 2021
Ready. Set. Go! Illinois Engineering Seniors Prepared to Change the World.
Full Story

HML 2021 Virtual Health

HML 2021 Virtual Health

April 19, 2021
Make-a-Thon Gives Citizen Scientists a Shot at Making Their Health-Related Innovations a Reality.
Full Story

I-MRSEC’s Music Video

I-MRSEC’s Music Video

April 7, 2021
I-MRSEC’s Music Video for EOH ’21 Plugs Graphene, 2D Materials
Full Story

Health Make-a-Thon Orientation

HML 2021 Health Orientation

March 30, 2021
HML 2021 Health Make-a-Thon Orientation Prepares Finalists for Competition.
Full Story

Andrea Perry shows Franklin students how to take apart the magnetic drawing board they received in their kit

Musical Magnetism

March 25, 2021
Musical Magnetism: Encouraging Franklin Middle Schoolers to Express Science Via the Arts.
Full Story

Carmen Paquette street performing.

Love of Science

March 9, 2021
Paquette Conveys Her Love of Science, Dance to Franklin STEAM Students Via Musical Magnetism.
Full Stroy

An Engineering Exploration participant exhibits the tower they built as part of the engineering challenge related to Civil Engineering

Engineering Exploration

March 2, 2021
SWE’s Engineering Exploration Outreach Lives Up to Its Name.

ChiS&E’s Family STEM Day

ChiS&E’s Family STEM Day

February 23, 2021
Helps Chicago Youngsters Progress Along the STEM Pipeline Toward Engineering.

Kathny Walsh

Kathy Walsh

February 17, 2021
On Her First Foray into STEAM, Kathy Walsh Acquaints Franklin Students with Microscopy, Haiku.

ChiS&E student

ChiS&E CPS Students

January 19, 2021
Illinois Undergrads Encourage ChiS&E CPS Students Toward Possible Careers in Engineering.

I-MRSEC’s Music Video

CISTEME365 Provides Year-Round PD/Community

January 4, 2021
to Illinois Teachers in Support of Informal STEM Education Efforts to Underserved Students.