The Transformative Power of Education

Summary: In this activity, students will analyze and discuss the transformative role of education in preparing students to become active civic beings and community members. Examining the stories of Bard Prison Initiative students and alumni portrayed in College Behind Bars, students will have the opportunity to evaluate, compare, and contrast outcomes, reflecting on their own academic journeys so far through analysis, questioning, and reflection. Students will watch and evaluate documentary clips, identify central ideas and key details, and ask clarifying questions. Students will work in groups to complete a collaborative jigsaw activity. 

In their exploration of these broader themes, students will become familiar with the concept of mass incarceration, the imprisonment of millions of Americans, disproportionately Black and Hispanic adults, many of whom are parents or guardians to children in school. A 2016 report by the Economic Policy Institute indicates that the collateral effects of mass incarceration contribute to the racial gaps in academic performance between Black and white students, and some argue that mass incarceration serves as a present-day extension of Jim Crow.

About the author: Vivett Dukes is a middle and high school English Language Arts teacher in New York City.