Contacts: [email protected] or call 360-867-5633 or 360-867-6025
Program Description: The college prep classes at Green Hill and Maple Lane offer incarcerated participants the opportunity to work with teachers and students from The Evergreen State College. Evergreen students travel to the institution to work as co-learners with Green Hill and Maple Lane students on a weekly basis during fall, winter, and spring quarters. Students read and discuss a common college level text, write response papers, and engage in a positive peer relationship. After successfully completing one quarter of college prep, Green Hill and Maple Lane students typically receive two college credits per quarter. The Academic Mentoring Program (AMP) offers participants one-on-one peer mentoring and tutoring. It is youth-driven and goal oriented program that pairs outside volunteers from Evergreen or the greater South Puget Sound community with young men at Maple Lane and Green Hill. Together they develop a syllabus/work plan to meet one a week for an hour to an hour and a half. The Academic Mentoring Program (AMP) is a way for young men to get additional support in the completion of their high school diploma, GED, post-incarceration plans, and/or college class work. The Cultural Identity Groups offer participants the opportunity to learn more about their cultural heritage while bonding with others of similar backgrounds. Gateways recruits outside community members with a strong commitment to cultural diversity to share their knowledge and experiences with the group through presentations or workshops. Visual art, music, writing, performance, and cooking are all mediums group members have used to showcase aspects of their cultural backgrounds. Gateways subscribes to the philosophy that when an individual is secure in their identity and proud of their own heritage they are able to be more accepting of others.
Degrees Offered: No Degrees Offered, but 2 credits/quarter of involvement accredited through the Evergreen State College
Programs Offered: College Level Seminar course in liberal arts/humanities with Evergreen State College Students; Academic Mentoring Program that pairs incarcerated youth with college mentor for college readiness and preparation through goal-orientated curriculum; Cultural Identity Groups that match community members with a small group of ethnically-identified incarcerated youth to gain skills and knowledge through culturally-relevant teachings and practice.
Unique Features: Gateways for Incarcerated Youth is one of the only organizations that work that works with youth and emphasizes the importance of culturally relevant education through a popular education/participatory research approach.
Headquarters: Centralia, WA; Chehalis, WA
Correctional Facilities Served: Maple Lane (Centralia), Green Hill (Chehalis) Juvenile Institution
Population Served: Youth who are incarcerated at Maple Lane or Green Hill Juvenile Institutions
Number of Students: Currently working with 60, total this year 164
Graduates to Date:Since 1996, over 1,000 incarcerated youth have made academic gains in attendance, grade-level promotion, and unlocked their potential for change.
Year Founded: 1996
Founders: Carol Minugh
College/University/Organization Partnerships: Evergreen State College
Funding: Limited Transportation Assistance from Washington Juvenile Rehabilitations Administration; limited operations coverage and staffing match through the Center for Community-Based Learning and Action (Evergreen’s Public Service Center) and Americorps’ Washington Campus Compact Retention Project; subgrantee of the College Access Challenge Grant through the Retention Project and generous donations from past and current Gateways Participants, Evergreen State College Students, Staff and Faculty and Olympia Community Members. The Evergreen State College provides 1 full-time faculty, college class operations, as well as staff support