GATEWAYS FOR INCARCERATED YOUTH

PROGRAM DESCRIPTIONS

Green Hill Cultural Identity Groups

The Cultural Identity Groups offer participants the opportunity to learn more about their cultural heritage while bonding with others of similar backgrounds. Gateways recruits outside community members with a strong commitment to cultural diversity to share their knowledge and experiences with the group through presentations or workshops. Visual art, music, writing, performance, and cooking are all mediums group members have used to showcase aspects of their cultural backgrounds. Gateways subscribes to the philosophy that when an individual is secure in their identity and proud of their own heritage they are able to be more accepting of others.

Green Hill and Maple Lane College/ College-Prep Class

The college prep classes (quasi-Running Start) at Green Hill and Maple Lane offer incarcerated participants the opportunity to work with teachers and students from The Evergreen State College. Evergreen students travel to the institution to work as co-learners with Green Hill and Maple Lane students on a weekly basis during fall, winter, and spring quarters. Students read and discuss a common college level text, write response papers, and engage in a positive peer relationship. After successfully completing one quarter of college prep, Green Hill and Maple Lane students typically receive two college credits per quarter.

Maple Lane Diversity Class

The Diversity class offers participants at Maple Lane the opportunity to engage in a positive peer relationship with students from Evergreen. This is achieved through small and large group discussions and interactive workshops centered on anti-oppression, diversity, and culture. Maple Lane and Evergreen Students are challenged to participate and learn from activities from various cultures as a way to better understand others while further developing their own identities and social skills. Maple Lane students receive high school credit for participating in this class.

Maple Lane and Green Hill Monthly Cultural Evening

The monthly cultural evening takes place at both Green Hill and Maple Lane once per month and is open to the entire campus. The performances and presentations provided by the cultural evening are intended to entertain, educate, and enhance the audiences understanding and appreciation of other cultures.

Speak Up /Speakers Bureau

Once participants are released from the institution they are eligible to become involved in Gateways speakers bureau, Speak Up.The mission of Speak Up is to provide a forum for participants to continue to develop their voice and express themselves to the public. Through sharing their stories, art and opinions, youth presenters inspire, inform, and work to prevent other young people from becoming incarcerated.