November Newsletter
With the holiday season upon us and the year nearing its end, I hope that we can find some time to take a deep breath, look around us at our family, friends, colleagues, and our community, and appreciate all the incredible things that life has given us. We live in a classroom where the teachers are all around us, and the school is as large as the world we live in.
As I reflect on what has made me feel grateful in the past year, I immediately think of the amazing work that the Petey Greene Program’s staff, volunteers, and, of course, our incredible students have accomplished. We have seen the expansion of the Petey Greene Program’s offerings - through training scholars behind the walls to be PGP tutors themselves, embedding more College Bridge Programs inside correctional facilities, continuing our work beyond the carceral setting with students reentering their communities, and having more PGP tutors involved this past semester than ever before.
I am grateful for being able to lead the remarkable staff, volunteers, and students of the Petey Greene Program and with open arms welcome those looking for partnership, support, or colleagues to share thoughts at the intersections of education, workforce, and justice.
I hope that this holiday season we can take some time to think about what role each of us can play in making the world a better place and strive to be positive each and every day. I also hope that you will consider joining our Petey Greene Program family as a donor, volunteer, or attendee of one of our many events as we work to change the world - one student at a time. Wishing everyone a very happy and safe holiday season.
Jeffrey Abramowitz, CEO of the Petey Greene Program
Watch this Semester’s Justice Education Series Webinars!
We were proud to present two Justice Education Series webinars this fall: “Experiences of Disability in Prisons and Jails” and “Education and Global Mass Incarceration.” We hope you will check out the recordings of both of these impactful, virtual conversations!
Announcing Our Grant from the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA)
We are thrilled to share that the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) awarded the Petey Greene Program a grant to build on existing programs and expand our work at SCI Chester and in reentry throughout Philadelphia. With the support of BJA, over the next three years we will build on our existing partnerships to create a continuum of educational opportunities before and after release for our students. In addition to expanding our programs for students pursuing their GED and higher education at SCI Chester, we will continue to support formerly incarcerated students after their release, offering tutoring and support through a network of community partners. We are excited to share our progress as we expand and grow in Philadelphia and are grateful for the BJA and their support!
The Petey Greene Program is HIRING!
Interested in joining the Petey Greene Program family? We are hiring for a Regional Manager in Washington D.C.! The Regional Manager will be responsible for leading the Petey Greene Program’s Washington, D.C. region and ensuring the provision of high-quality tutoring, college bridge, and out-of-school time programming for incarcerated and formerly incarcerated students in the greater Washington, D.C. area. Apply today or share the position with someone who might be a good fit!
Congratulations to Our NYC and Philadelphia Marathoners!
We were so excited to be a charity partner for both the TCS New York City Marathon and the AACR Philadelphia Marathon. We had 14 runners across the races who raised nearly $24,000 for the Petey Greene Program’s mission and educational programming. We are so proud of and grateful for all of our runners!
Meet Sahiba, our 2024 James S. Farrin Volunteer Award Recipient
Earlier this year at Going Greene, we honored Sahiba Tandon, a volunteer who has tutored with the Petey Greene Program through her four-year undergraduate career at Swarthmore College, with the inaugural James S. Farrin Volunteer Award. You can view her remarks from the event here and read more about her journey with the Petey Greene Program on our website!
Photo of the Month!
Earlier this week, our campus group at Tufts University hosted “Inside & Out,” a panel discussion on the transformative power of education in prisons. Our Regional Manager of Massachusetts and Rhode Island, Lynne Sullivan, joined the panel alongside Tufts students and professors.