ACC Second Chance Pell Classes Resume and are Offered Remotely

Asnuntuck Community College (ACC) has resumed offering credit courses to

incarcerated individuals as part of a federal pilot program known as “Second

Chance Pell.” In 2016, Asnuntuck was one of sixty-seven schools selected

nationwide by the White House to participate in this program. Second

Chance Pell was forced to pause last year due to COVID because Asnuntuck

instructors were not allowed to enter the correctional facilities to teach their

courses.

Asnuntuck was recently awarded more than $45,000 in grant funding from

the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving. The funds are designated to

improve community college completion for low-income Black and Latinx

students. A portion of those funds have been designated for the college’s

Second Chance Program. Asnuntuck will pivot to a live remote program for

the incarcerated individuals, and these grant funds have assisted with the

transition.

“Asnuntuck Community College would like to commend the Connecticut

Department of Correction and the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving for

the assistance that they have provided, so we can bring remote learning to

the incarcerated individuals,” said Interim CEO of Asnuntuck Community

College Dr. Michelle Coach. She added, “Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we

had to halt courses, and the restarting of courses in a live, remote manner

allows us to educate our students again. We are thankful for the

collaboration and united vision for this program.”

Asnuntuck educates students incarcerated at Osborn CI (Correction

Institute), Carl Robinson CI, Willard Cybulski CI and MacDougall CI. LED flat

screen TVs, web cameras and Dell computers (with restricted access),

purchased with the grant funds, will allow students to complete their

classwork and have a remote class experience with an Asnuntuck instructor.

As part of the Second Chance Pell Grant program partnership, the

Department of Correction also invested in technology and equipment, as well

as the installation of infrastructure necessary to create the virtual

classrooms.

Students currently enrolled in the program are enrolled in an Art

Appreciation class which began on March 22nd.

“This is great news,” said Department of Correction Commissioner Angel

Quiros. “Thanks to the collaborative effort among the Hartford Foundation for

Public Giving, Asnuntuck Community College and the Department of

Correction, we are able to provide educational opportunities to individuals

under our supervision in support of our goal of successful reintegration.”

This initiative seeks to equip incarcerated individuals with job skills

necessary to become contributing members of society upon their release.

The program provides federally funded Pell Grants to eligible incarcerated

students who are within 10 years of completing their sentences.

“The Hartford Foundation is pleased to partner with Asnuntuck for the benefit

of incarcerated students in the Enfield area. We see improving access to

education and future employment opportunities as a priority in our mission

to contribute to dismantling structural and systemic racism and achieving

equity in social and economic mobility in Greater Hartford” said Megan

Burke, Director of Community Impact Grantmaking at the Hartford

Foundation.

To be eligible, potential students must demonstrate excellent behavior and

meet all academic and financial requirements. Incarcerated individuals

enrolled in the program must qualify and fill out a Free Application for Federal

Student Aid (FAFSA), as other students enrolled in college must do.

This program is funded through Federal Pell dollars earmarked for this population,

and it is not taking away resources from Connecticut students.

Asnuntuck is one of four community colleges within the Connecticut State

Colleges and Universities system participating in the Second Chance Pell Program.

Since the inception of the program, Asnuntuck has had 659

students enrolled in the program.