Inside-Out Program Receives $25,000 to Support Students After Incarceration

Pitzer’s trailblazing effort in the area of prison education has received a boost with a gift of $25,000 from the Sam Simon Charitable Foundation in support of the Inside-Out Pathway to BA program and reentry help for formerly incarcerated students.

The foundation, which creates pathways out of poverty for many individuals and helps to support animal welfare efforts, made the gift to establish the Sam Simon Foundation Scholarship.

The foundation gift recognizes that improving outcomes for incarcerated students doesn’t end with their release. Eligible candidates for the scholarship include formerly incarcerated students who are continuing their educational journey and students at risk of facing housing insecurity while pursuing a bachelor’s degree.

The Inside-Out program introduced its first classes in 2015. Since then, the program has graduated two cohorts, totaling 16 students, with a third cohort scheduled to graduate this year.