University of New Haven Receives Grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to Support Education for Incarcerated Students
The University of New Haven has received a three-year $1.5 million grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to support the development of a degree-granting collaboration with the Yale Prison Education Initiative (YPEI) at Dwight Hall at Yale for incarcerated students in Connecticut.
YPEI and the University of New Haven are establishing a flagship collaboration to create a degree-granting program for students incarcerated in Connecticut, and to create pathways for students who have been released to continue their educational pursuits.
"As an institution with a nationally ranked and highly respected criminal justice college, we have a responsibility to be at the forefront of transforming the criminal justice system and extending access to higher education opportunities," said University of New Haven President Steven H. Kaplan. "We are privileged to be collaborating with the Yale Prison Education Initiative to create an innovative program that we believe will provide the resources and support for incarcerated students to succeed now and in the future."
The largest benefactor of the arts and humanities in the United States, The Mellon Foundation supports initiatives that strengthen the humanities, arts, higher education, and cultural heritage. The affiliation between YPEI and the University of New Haven will foster an expansion of the program for incarcerated students in Connecticut, create a pathway for these students to earn associate and bachelor's degrees, and add an innovative Fellowship program for alumni of higher education in prison programs. Together, YPEI and the University endeavor to implement visionary educational practices and to focus on providing a liberal arts education...