Free to Learn

We all pursue  education is a path to a job or career that can put food on our tables and a roof over our heads. Others see education as a way to make a positive difference in the world which adds to our collective security. Post-carceral life is fraught with insecurity. Without any education, rates of recidivism hover around 70-85%. Education and a meaningful career can reduce those odds significantly. Beth Dodd is a graduate of Santa Fe College and is currently pursuing her bachelor's degree online. She currently works for a local engineering firm, and while her ambitions for a steady paycheck with benefits may seem modest to some, but as you listen to her story, I think you'll agree that there's nothing modest about what she's been able to accomplish with her education and the support of some key allies. Funding for this program was provided through a grant from Florida Humanities with funds from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this program do not necessarily represent those of the Florida Humanities or the National Endowment for the Humanities.Full transcripts can be found under each episode at https://freetolearn.buzzsprout.com/. 

Welcome to Free to Learn, a podcast exploring the stories of formerly incarcerated college students. My name is Jason Frank. I'm an Instructional Designer at Santa Fe College, and I'm interested in better understanding how we can create a learning environment that better meets the needs of these students. The first step to good design is listening to the people you're working to support.We're continuing our conversation with Beth Dodd. If you haven't listened to part one of this interview, I'd recommend going back and listening to that first. Beth's educational journey has been the result of having a clear goal, fierce resolve, and the fortune of key advocates at key moments. She has a lot that she can teach us about how to support some of our most vulnerable students. Funding for this program was provided through a grant from Florida Humanities with funds from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this program do not necessarily represent those of the Florida Humanities or the National Endowment for the Humanities.Full transcripts can be found under each episode at https://freetolearn.buzzsprout.com/. 

When a person understands what education can do for them, when they understand the opportunities it opens, and its power to change lives, they will move heaven and earth to be able to pursue it. In this episode, we'll be talking with John Wise who is currently studying data science at Indiana University. He was also briefly a student at Santa Fe College. John's story, in many ways, is about his determination to do whatever it took to pursue his education both in and out of prison. While his journey is not without setbacks and frustrations, his resolve never wavered. Funding for this program was provided through a grant from Florida Humanities with funds from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this program do not necessarily represent those of the Florida Humanities or the National Endowment for the Humanities.Full transcripts can be found under each episode at https://freetolearn.buzzsprout.com/. 

When a person understands what education can do for them, when they understand the opportunities it opens and its power to change lives, they will move heaven and earth to be able to pursue it. In this episode, we continue our conversation with John Wise who is currently studying data science at Indiana University. He was also briefly a student at Santa Fe College. John's story, in many ways, is about his determination to do whatever it took to pursue his education both in and out of prison. While his journey is not without setbacks and frustrations, his resolve never wavered. Funding for this program was provided through a grant from Florida Humanities with funds from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this program do not necessarily represent those of the Florida Humanities or the National Endowment for the Humanities.Full transcripts can be found under each episode at https://freetolearn.buzzsprout.com/. 

For some of us, learning can open our eyes to the suffering of others. Education can be a way of healing and a way to help others heal from the trauma in their lives. Today we're going to be talking with Angie Dougherty who is currently pursuing her associates at Santa Fe. I was grateful to be able to talk with Angie about the ways she is actively working to make a difference in the lives of those around her and how her education is helping her to be able to do the most good.Funding for this program was provided through a grant from Florida Humanities with funds from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this program do not necessarily represent those of the Florida Humanities or the National Endowment for the Humanities.Full transcripts can be found under each episode at https://freetolearn.buzzsprout.com/. 

Adrian Price, a student at Santa Fe College and member of the justice club, has been a force of nature. This podcast is, in large part, the product of his desire to shine a spotlight on the needs of formerly incarcerated students. Over the course of this discussion, you'll get a sense of his passion for social justice and the efforts he's making to pay it forward. His optimism in the face of some significant obstacles is inspiring and his story illustrates the power of meeting the right people at the right time.Funding for this program was provided through a grant from Florida Humanities with funds from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this program do not necessarily represent those of the Florida Humanities or the National Endowment for the Humanities.Full transcripts can be found under each episode at https://freetolearn.buzzsprout.com/. 

We're continuing our conversation with Adrian Price. Adrian's progress in higher education has been the result of a combination of determination, optimism, and luck. His story underlines the role that entire communities play when it comes to supporting students with carceral experience.Funding for this program was provided through a grant from Florida Humanities with funds from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this program do not necessarily represent those of the Florida Humanities or the National Endowment for the Humanities.Full transcripts can be found under each episode at https://freetolearn.buzzsprout.com/. 

Over the last few weeks we've been talking to formerly incarcerated students in an effort to better understand their experience--the obstacles they face, and the keys to their success. Today we're going to focus on the institutional perspective. What are the constraints faced by institutions when it comes to supporting formerly incarcerated students? How do we address the needs of these students without amplifying the stigma many of them face because of their experiences? How can we systematically and efficiently connect them with the relevant services and support they need and help them integrate into a community of dedicated learners? These are some of the questions that college administrators and faculty wrestle with almost daily. Our panel discussion with key stakeholders at Santa Fe College touched on all of these points plus a few more.Funding for this program was provided through a grant from Florida Humanities with funds from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this program do not necessarily represent those of the Florida Humanities or the National Endowment for the Humanities.Full transcripts can be found under each episode at https://freetolearn.buzzsprout.com/. 

Over the past couple of months we have been sharing the stories of current and former Santa Fe students with carceral experience. During our last podcast we featured a discussion with administrators, staff, and faculty at Santa Fe. Today, we wanted to bring as many of our guests together as possible. This podcast was recorded in front of a live audience during the Free To Learn symposium on April 14th in the Santa Fe College Lyceum. Funding for this program was provided through a grant from Florida Humanities with funds from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this program do not necessarily represent those of the Florida Humanities or the National Endowment for the Humanities.Full transcripts can be found under each episode at https://freetolearn.buzzsprout.com/. 

Romarilyn Ralston is a nationally recognized leader in supporting students with carceral experience. She is currently the executive director of Project Rebound at California State University Fullerton. It was her work with Project Rebound that was, in many ways a catalyst for what we are trying to do here at Santa Fe. Funding for this program was provided through a grant from Florida Humanities with funds from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this program do not necessarily represent those of the Florida Humanities or the National Endowment for the Humanities.Full transcripts can be found under each episode at https://freetolearn.buzzsprout.com/.