Education Services
Unified School District #1
TESTIMONIALS
Mr. Alvarez – Student
The benefits of Culinary Arts Education is a life changer. Our teacher teaches us how to apply the knowledge and skills learned to become the best cooks we can so that when we leave, we can make a difference in the world.
Robert – Student
For much of my life I was focused on the things that would bring me happiness. I put on blinders and flew out the gate, chasing the superficial and that eventually led me to prison. Like many, I learned to be contemptuous of the happiness I believed prison was keeping from me. The three years I’ve spent incarcerated at MacDougall has shown me the fundamental difference between “belief” and “knowledge”, for true happiness is not embodied by the superficial. MacDougall offers educational opportunities that I never would have dreamed of. They offered me the opportunity to chase happiness that comes from the growth of mind and spirit.
When I am not learning how to navigate the realm of computers in my Computer Education Technology class, I am learning literature and its effect no society, the foundations of modern social theory, visual thinking, and more through the Yale Prison Education Initiative.
While happiness is specific to individuals, for me, knowledge has become my paradise. Knowledge is everywhere, and so, I have removed my blinders and slowed to a stroll so that I might take in the scenery.
John - Student
The Culinary Arts program provided me with educational tools and skills that helped open my eyes to the possibilities of bettering my life beyond prison.
Joe – Student
Correctional education has provided me an opportunity to fill otherwise wasted time and turn it into a productive outlet. Through the Voc-ed and Pell programs, my sense of accomplishment has been restored.
Thomas - Student
I have enjoyed cooking for many years. I enrolled in Culinary Arts provided by USD#1 thinking I would learn a few tips on cooking. I never imagined how much I would learn. The class is run by a Master Chef!
He challenges us to incorporate our own talents and keep an open mind. He also works to tear down cultural barriers through the appreciation of food.
Mr. Fulton – Student
My educational journey at MacDougall has not only given me hope for the future. What I am learning in my Entrepreneur and Computer Education Class has also equipped me with the knowledge and skills I need to become competitive in the workforce. It is my goal to become a future business owner.
Mr. Jones – Student
Culinary Arts helped me learn more about myself which has guided me towards my untapped potential I had no idea I even possessed or knew how to access. Now, I have a plan to benefit me and my family with my reentry into the community.
Shaquille – Student
The vocational classes have helped and inspired me to own my own businesses. It has shown me the opportunities I didn’t have before.
Mr. Macklin - Student
The programs I’m doing are going to help me when I get out to stay out and be a productive member of society. I have found a new confidence from what I have learned in the Barbering program and from my enrollment in Pell.
Donald – Student
Education in the USD#1 and DOC has given me a chance to show my sons that just because I’m locked up, my goals to better myself are still free to achieve.
Edwin - Student
Education in USD#1 and DOC has impacted me tremendously, literally changing my life. Education has showed me many of my qualities that can be applied to honorable professions. It has also helped me come out of my shell and be more sociable.
Student
Correctional education has impacted me by teaching me the value of education. Prior to coming to jail, I never took education seriously. Learning how inmates who received their education while incarcerated were the least likely to return inspired me to get my G.E.D, enroll in a vocational class, and take an economics class through Second Chance.
Mr. Cambra – MacDougall-Walker CI
Every student deserves to have educators that believe in them and are willing to go the mile to see them succeed. Correctional education has made clear the idea of meeting my student where he is at, regardless of life experiences.
The profound sense of accomplishment that comes when you watch a student that has previously given up on himself rediscover his talents and then use them to succeed and graduate is life changing. It is our responsibility to be part of the team that prepares our students for successful reintegration into society. By finding success and noble accomplishment in themselves, many of our students discover a new vision of themselves and reach successes they never thought possible.
Mr. Carsten - Robinson CI
“Working in a correctional facility for nearly, 13 years has opened my eyes to many things. One of the biggest realizations I had is just how much we are all alike as people, and while I am very different from students, in many ways we are the same. I am not just an instructor of Graphic Arts I am a husband, son, father, brother…a man. This is my connection to my students. Learning software and principals of design is secondary in my classroom. My hope is that they grow as people. Learning how to find answers to questions, work as a team, gain confidence and hopefully grow to be a better a husband, son, father, brother…a better man.”
Ms. Corti – MYI
Many of our students have faced being ostracized in education because of their actions. Some have faced being segregated from a majority of their peers because of placement. It’s part of my responsibility as an educator in the correctional setting to provide our students an environment to succeed that is full of encouragement, positive acknowledgements, a sense of belonging, and an olive branch of hope. Once students reach us, they need to overcome the thoughts of “cannot”, “will not”, and “why bother.” Teaching in this environment has not only changed those points of view in my students, but quite possibly the points of view that I, and other educators in similar situations, may have in regards to the success of our students. We all grow together.
Ms. O’Neill – Osborn CI
Correctional educators are “catchers in the rye.” The majority of our students have had extremely negative public school experiences where classrooms were hostile environments, teachers were enemies, and administrators were punishers. When, however, they enter our prison classrooms, they experience success – often for the first time in their lives. Correctional educators meet the students where they are academically and guide them to where they need to be so that they can be promoted to a higher level, earn a GED or a high school diploma, and acquire the skills necessary to successfully and productively navigate their lives upon their release. Correctional educators’ work does not just begin and end with the students in their prison classrooms. Our work goes far beyond that. With the inspiring and uplifting school experiences we create for our students, we positively impact their families, their communities, and society as a whole.
Ms. Ridgway – York CI
“ In my time at York I have seen young women grow into strong and capable adults. These women have earned their High School Diplomas, gone on to attain vocational certificates, and have never returned. It is an honor to be in this position and see the transformation of lives.”
State School Teacher – MYI
Coming into work each day is a rewarding and challenging experience. Correctional education and our students allow me a chance to challenge myself and my abilities each day. Entering into a classroom of students who avoided school allows me to use multiple strategies and techniques that encourage them to embrace learning and growing. Seeing our students change their attitude and motivation because there is a larger world of learning that they are becoming engrained in is priceless.
Vocational Instructor
Working in Correctional Education has allowed me to pass on the knowledge and life skills I have amassed over a lifetime to my students. My students come from different backgrounds and experiences. Some of them have never had a positive role model before either at home or in the work place. I treat my students like human beings and in return, I hope they will treat others the same way. I do my best to be a positive role model for my students. Its great hearing from a former student telling me what I taught them matters when they are released.