TRCC attends inaugural convening of Second Chance Pell Pilot Program in Washington, DC
Three Rivers Community College attends inaugural convening of Second Chance Pell Pilot Program in Washington, DC with U.S. Department of Education Secretary John B. King and Deputy Attorney General Sally Q. Yates
Representatives from Three Rivers Community College are in Washington, DC today attending the inaugural convening of the Second Chance Pell Pilot Program, which allows incarcerated students to receive federal Pell Grant funding for postsecondary education. Last month, the U.S. Department of Education announced the 69 selected colleges and universities that will provide postsecondary education to nearly 12,000 students in more than 100 state and federal prisons nationwide. Three Rivers Community College was selected to participate in the program out of more than 200 applicants in 48 states.
In 1994, Pell Grant eligibility for students in state and federal prisons was eliminated as part of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act. Last year, the U.S. Department of Education announced the Second Chance Pell Pilot Program to restore educational access for some of those individuals, improving their chances of successful and productive reentry after they are released.
The convening, which is hosted by the U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance, and the Vera Institute of Justice (Vera), features keynote presentations by Deputy Attorney General Sally Q. Yates and U.S. Department of Education Secretary John B. King, who will also moderate a panel of students describing their college experiences in prison.
During the day-long conference, postsecondary and correctional leaders from the selected pilot programs will have the opportunity to share ideas and hear from leaders in the field of correctional education in preparation for developing and implementing new programs or expanding existing ones.
“Expanding educational opportunity for people who are incarcerated not only improves their lives, but strengthens our communities by preparing them to contribute to society rather than return to prison,” said Fred Patrick, director of Vera’s Center on Sentencing and Corrections. “We are thrilled that Three Rivers Community College is a partner in this important initiative to restore and expand access to college in prison.”
With support from the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance, Vera is providing technical assistance to the selected Second Chance Pell sites as part of the Expanding Access to Postsecondary Education Project. The project aims to facilitate the implementation and scaling up of quality higher education programs in prisons and those that work with students after they return home, and to assist with the development of policies, procedures, and practices to increase the participation of incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals in these programs.
READ MORENorwich Public Utilities Provide TRCC with over $74,000 in rebates
Left to Right: Steve Goetchius, Dean of Administrative Services, Three Rivers Community College (TRCC); Fawn Walker, Energy Services Program Coordinator, Norwich Public Utilities; Marc Filiatreault, Maintenance Supervisor, TRCC; Jeff Brining, Customer Service Division Manager, Norwich Public Utilities; Mary Ellen Jukoski, President, TRCC; Yolanda Hacia, Director of Construction, Finance and Administration, CSCU; Arnie, DeLaRosa, Director of Facilities, TRCC.
On June 30, Norwich Public Utilities presented Three Rivers Community College with a rebate check for $74,472. By taking advantage of efficiency programs offered by NPU, these rebates were earned by completing two significant efficiency upgrade projects.
The first project was the major boiler upgrade. The College installed six state-of-the-art condensing boilers that operate at 93% efficiency. The rebate for this was $50,000.
The second project was the replacing all exterior traditional incandescent lighting with light-emitting diodes (LEDs). Approximately 170 lights were upgraded, resulting in a rebate of $24,472.
Collectively, these improvements will reduce energy costs at TRCC by $17,745 annually.
READ MORETRCC Foundation Awards Record Number Of Scholarships
The Three Rivers College Foundation awarded more than $325,000 in scholarship money at the annual Scholarship Night held Wednesday, May 4, 2016 at Three Rivers Community College. In addition, over 45 Departmental and Competitive Scholarships were awarded. (more…)
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