PGP DC College Bridge Writing Program
The Petey Greene Program Washington, D.C. is partnering with the Washington D.C. Department of Corrections to pilot a College Bridge Writing Program, with the goal of helping students develop the critical thinking, writing, and reading skills necessary to pursue employment and post-secondary education, while fostering a sense of educational self-efficacy and self-confidence that will support them in these pursuits. Students will engage with texts belonging to a broad range of genres and contexts, from the works of the Russian poet Anna Akhmatova to the articles of the war reporter Tim O’Brien. Progressing through guided exercises, brief writing assignments, and longer papers, students will not only develop their literacy skills but also learn how to express their opinions in an organized and persuasive manner, adapting their writing to different contexts and audiences.
Students at the DC Jail have access to APDS secure tablets, which they can use to watch pre-recorded lessons, access readings, and submit assignments. Each student is paired with a PGP tutor, who will support them and provide writing feedback throughout the course. Tutors have been recruited among a pool of PGP volunteers from Washington D.C., New Jersey, and Philadelphia, and were trained in writing pedagogy through a partnership with the Center for Writing Excellence at Montclair State University. The program will be offered virtually while social distancing restrictions remain, shifting to a blended format when the public health crisis subsides.
The program was designed by PGP's Academic Manager, Chiara Benetello, with help from Tara Ronda, Princeton's Prison Teaching Initiative (PTI) Program Coordinator and PGP NJ Regional Advisory Board.
“I’m incredibly excited to be a part of Petey Greene’s College Bridge Writing Program in D.C. for several reasons, not least of which is the significance of offering GED students another route to higher education, should they decide to pursue it. But even for those students who don’t choose or have the opportunity to apply to a college program, this course reminds them that they already ARE writers with important voices who have something to say. It is designed to remind our incarcerated friends of their humanity while helping them hone their critical thinking and written communication skills in a way that will hopefully benefit them outside of academia, too. The readings and writing assignments are meant to get them thinking about something besides their incarceration and the incredibly difficult situation with which they’re all dealing right now. I’m proud to be part of this effort, and in helping us make the course happen, the D.C. Department of Corrections has demonstrated a commitment to education that I hope will serve as a model for other states and regions.”