All courses are virtual until further notice
We welcome applications for volunteer instructors worldwide for virtual courses.
COVID-19 has amplified the hardships of pre-trial inmates by forcing them to endure court delays and extended pre-trial periods. Longer detainments have been correlated with lengthier prison terms and increased recidivism rates. Inside Literature brings community-based education to the TCCC to create a pipeline to degree-earning programs and encourage community engagement. Our programming was paused in March 2020 when facilities suspended all on-site classes and in-person visitations in response to the pandemic. To overcome this obstacle, we developed a distance-learning plan with four unique programs: synchronous online courses using Microsoft Teams, asynchronous videos about a singular topic (akin to TED talks), structured workbooks to guide students through various texts and writing prompts, and a community learning program. Our new virtual programs will allow TCCC students to resume their journeys of intellectual and personal growth.
Community-Based Learning
Inside Literature is a Community-Based Learning approach to the Humanities. In the program, instructors teach courses in groups of two on works of enduring literary value to incarcerated persons in a pre-trial correctional facility. It provides an opportunity for community members to share their passion for literature, develop as teachers, and get involved in our community.
It is a focus on collaboration, reciprocity, reflection, and citizenship that distinguishes community-based learning. Reflection allows instructors to connect their community work with a deeper sense of civic engagement or Citizenship. Reciprocity reminds us that all participants in Inside Literature have something to learn and something to teach. Collaboration gives all participants agency to form their own learning goals and to shape their own program experiences.
We offer literature courses with both intellectual and personal outcomes: critical thinking skills developed through close reading literature; intellectual curiosity brought on by new or unfamiliar ideas; and increased confidence from discussion of the text with a close-knit learning community.