Free minds book club and writing workshop

Premal is the criminal justice fellow at the reflective democracy campaign, a project of the women donors network. Free minds book club and writing workshop linkedin. For the past 4 years, nbc4 has been awarding grants to local non profits that work on bold new ideas to move our communities forward. Their work explores themes of parenthood, love, pain, identity, race, and freedom in voices both raw and powerful. Free minds book club and writing workshop, united states of. Free minds, winner of the 2010 innovations in reading prize. Free minds began as a biweekly program for young inmates held in the dc jail.

Through poetry, colorado inmates, communities work to. They host a book club in the dc jail that meets once a week to read and discuss contemporary literature. Tara libert executive director free minds book club. Learn about working at free minds book club and writing workshop. Inmates write poetry, which is shared with volunteers. All poets are members of the free minds book club and writing workshop. Free minds write nights connect incarcerated dc residents. Free minds uses books and creative writing to empower incarcerated teenaged boys in washington, dc to transform their lives.

Through poetry, colorado inmates, communities work to build. Freedom writers teacher erin gruwell visits free minds. Why reading matters conference national book foundation. Tara libert executive director free minds book club and. The covid19 pandemic has hit the free minds family hard. Our members responded with their characteristic resilience and grit. Free minds book club and writing workshop nov 2002 present 17 years 5 months lead nonprofit educational and workforce development organization serving washington, dc youth in the adult.

The 21st century solutions grants are given in 4 categories. Free minds provides books, creative writing workshops, and peer support to dc youth who have been incarcerated as adults to help them achieve their education and career goals and become powerful voices for change in the community. By mentoring them and connecting them to supportive services throughout their. Free minds uses books, creative writing, and a peer support system to awaken dc youth incarcerated as adults to their own potential.

Free minds uses books and creative writing to empower incarcerated youth and adults, awakening them to their own potential. We are off to a strong start in 2017, with new services and many exciting opportunities and experiences for the formerly incarcerated young men in our program. Our mission is to introduce young inmates to the transformative power of books and creative writing. Free minds introduces incarcerated and formerly incarcerated youths and adults to the lifechanging power of books, creative. Through creative expression, job readiness training, and violence prevention outreach, these young poets achieve their education and career goals, and. During biweekly workshops at new beginnings youth development center for teens and the dc jail for adults, free minds members read stories and poetry that reflect their lives and then learn to write and even publish their own. Its part of free minds book club and writing workshop. We are in the process of incorporating as an independent 501c3 organization, which will allow us to receive taxexempt donations directly. Free minds, winner of the 2010 innovations in reading. Tara libert and kelli taylor founded free minds more than 10 years ago, believing in. Free minds book club and writing workshop shout mouse press. The young inmates come from some of the citys most crimestricken and impoverished neighborhoods.

See who you know at free minds book club and writing workshop, leverage your professional network. Free minds uses books and creative writing to empower dcs incarcerated and formerly. This transaction will appear on your credit card statement as network for good. Free minds introduces incarcerated and formerly incarcerated youths and adults to. Reports from free minds book club and writing workshop. Building toward language justice in our communities nonprofit organizations and other community spaces benefit from a better consciousness of language justice. Empowering young inmates to write new chapters in their lives.

Apr, 2017 as part of our conversations with winners of the atlantics renewal awards, i spoke with kelli taylor and tara libert, cofounders of the free minds book club and writing workshop inspired. Through creative expression, job readiness training, and violence prevention outreach, these poets achieve their education and career goals, and become. At 16 and 17 years old, they read, on average, at a fifthgrade level, and most have never completed a. Free minds book club and writing workshop empowers young inmates to write new chapters in their lives. The second look project currently operates through a fiscal sponsorship with free minds book club and writing workshop. In january, we launched a new element to our reentry services for formerly incarcerated youtha weekly book club and writing workshop called the build up. Donate now to support incarcerated and formerly incarcerated youths and adults covid19 emergency fund.

Free minds book club and writing workshop, united states. In response to this contact, kelli produced a television documentary about glen. Shout mouse press is a nonprofit writing and publishing program dedicated to. The national book foundations third why reading matters conference was held on. Donate to free minds book club and writing workshop. Ny writers coalition has served hundreds of men, women, and youth through our criminal justice writing program in rikers jail. Free minds book club and writing workshop helps keep. Through creative expression, job readiness training, and violence prevention outreach, these young poets achieve their education and career goals, and become powerful voices for. As part of our conversations with winners of the atlantics renewal awards, i spoke with kelli taylor and tara libert, cofounders of the free minds book club and writing workshop inspired. Learn how two different prison book clubs are creating conversations, opening minds, and offering hope.

Through creative expression, job readiness training, and violence prevention outreach, these young poets achieve their education and career goals, and become powerful voices for change in the community. Anne mahon, founder, book mates book club for the winnipeg womens correctional centre. Free minds member terrell named this new program the build up because, as he says, prison and the streets tear you down but in free minds we build each other up. Free minds uses books, creative writing, and peer support to awaken dc youth incarcerated as adults to their own potential. Free minds uses books, creative writing, and peer support to awaken incarcerated and formerly incarcerated youths and adults to their own potential.

We are grateful and humbled by the community support for us. Free minds book club and writing workshop helps keep former juvenile prisoners out of jail. Through creative expression, job readiness training, and violence prevention outreach, these poets achieve their education and career goals, and become powerful voices for change in the community. By mentoring and connecting them to supportive services throughout their incarceration into reentry, free minds inspires these youths to see their potential and achieve new educational and career goals. Stacey houston, assistant professor of criminology, law and society, studies the causes and consequences of justice system involvement. Donate today to provide additional books and correspondence to reduce social isolation for our incarcerated members, and flexible support packages for our formerly incarcerated members who are facing lost income durin. Free minds write nights connect incarcerated dc residents to. Free minds uses books and creative writing to empower young inmates to transform their lives. Free minds works with dcs youth incarcerated as adults. During biweekly workshops at new beginnings youth development center for teens and the dc jail for adults, free minds members read stories and poetry that reflect their lives. Through creative expression, job readiness training, and violence prevention outreach, these young poets achieve their education and career goals. A criminal past, an unwritten future more than a reading club, free minds refuses to close the book on juvenile boys caught in the adult prison system. Founded in 2002, it began as a biweekly book club and poetry workshop for young people aged between 15 and 17 who had been charged as adults in the prison system.