Evergreen Prison Education Collection

Gateways for Incarcerated Youth is an Inside-Out program that brings together both incarcerated and non-incarcerated students through Popular Education and cooperative learning. Gateways is in its 26th year (as of the creation of this collection, 2023) and continues to develop its program and curriculum from the ground up through collaboration, networking, and prolific community building. Founded in 1996 by Evergreen alum and faculty emerita Dr. Carol Minugh and Green Hill staff member Suzanne Cravey, Gateways is Evergreen’s longest-running prison education program and one of many alternatives to punitive models of incarceration.

1996

Gateways for Incarcerated Youth started by Dr. Carol Minugh (Evergreen alumn+emerita).

In the spring of 1996, Dr. Carol Minugh, faculty at The Evergreen State College, receives a phone call from Suzanne Cravey, a staff member at Maple Lane School. Suzanne is trying to establish Native American and Latino cultural groups within the institution. The response to this phone call is the birthing of the Gateways program as we now know it.

Advisors gather to assist in the direction of the program. Representatives from Maple Lane, Touchstone Group Home, Evergreen State College, and Pierce and South Sound Community Colleges meet to provide advice and support to the effort. The program begins as a volunteer opportunity, then becomes an academic offering through Native American Studies and Political Science at Evergreen.

The following principles, based on the tenets of Participatory Research, are established: We will respond to the residents’ self-defined educational and cultural needs. We will make a commitment to continue coming out to the institution. Programs will be guided by the requests of the residents. Evergreen students will become involved as Peer learners. We will begin each program by acknowledging each resident by their first name and shaking their hand. These principles still guide the program today.

1997

Maple Lane students participating in the Diversity Class ask to earn college credits like the Evergreen Students. Students are registered with Evergreen’s Native American Studies program taught by Dr. Carol Minugh. They begin earning two college credits.

(-2001) The Rochester School District begins awarding high school credits to the Maple Lane residents enrolled in the diversity and college/college prep course.

(-2001) Two Evergreen students teach a class at Maple Lane. The papers from this class become the book "Through the Eyes of the Judged." The preparation for the book is funded by grants from The Southern Poverty Law Center and A Territory Resource Foundation.

(-2001) The “Speak Up” program begins so that the eight young men featured in Through the Eyes of the Judged could be paid for making presentations and sharing their own stories directly.

2001

Publication of "Through the Eyes of the Judged" (book by Gateways participants).

(-2002) Green Hill School requests that cultural programs also be made available there. An AmeriCorps volunteer and an Evergreen intern, along with Suzanne Cravey, begin the cultural programs. Instead of two programs (Native and Latino) as they had at Maple Lane, four cultural programs are established. Shortly thereafter, the college/college prep class also begins at Green Hill.

2002

Up until 2002, the program is part of the Native American studies program and doesn’t exist outside of the work that Dr. Minugh does as an individual. Staff explore becoming a non-profit organization outside of the college. After much consideration, the team decides that the benefits of being part of the college outweigh the benefits of being an independent organization. A strategic plan and formal Board of Advisors is established. The mission for Gateways for Incarcerated Youth is established.

(-2003) Gateways receives funding from Discuren to help build the support base of the program. These resources provide an Administrative Assistant for the culture programs at Green Hill. A longitudinal outcome study for Gateways is planned. Multiple barriers prevent full implementation.

2005

(-2006) The Gateways Challenge Program Begins (now the Academic Mentoring Program or AMP). Funding from College Spark helps support this program. College Spark focuses on helping low income and first generation college students.

Anthony Zaragoza begins his 5-year teaching tenure with Carol and Gateways.

2007

(-2008) The Washington Campus Compact Retention Project Begins. This partnership provides an AmeriCorps member to help coordinate the Challenge program (now AMP).

Funding from College Spark also provides a one-year program manager.

A Gap Analysis of Gateways is completed.

2009

(-2010) Gateways experiences significant transitions.

Dr. Carol Minugh retires.

Gateways is now housed under Evergreen’s Center for Community Based Learning and Action with Ellen Shortt Sanchez.

A different program manager begins through 1-year funding from Discuren.

Gateways operates with an approximate 30K budget and a second AmeriCorps member is added through the Retention Project.

2010

(-2012) Gateways operates with no program manager. Two AmeriCorps members and the CCBLA director perform program and administrative functions.

Transition of Cultural Groups Occurs.

2011

(-2012) The Gateways Challenge Program is renamed to the Academic Mentoring Program.

Gateways receives funding for an AmeriCorps match through the Bank of America Mentoring Initiative with JRA/Washington Mentors.

2012

The Evergreen State College institutes its Special Student Tuition Waiver for Green Hill youth. Evergreen covers 75% of tuition costs for the Gateways College/College Prep Course. Gateways fundraises for the remaining 25%.

(-2013) Planning and application process for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Forward Promise Grant begins. Multiple stakeholders contribute including: DSHS, JRA, Washington Mentors, First People’s Advising, Evergreen faculty, Gateways staff, CCBLA Director, Gateways Founder Dr. Minugh, and Green Hill. Grant is to improve college and career readiness for young men of color.

2013

Gateways receives $500,000 grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

This grant provides significant resources, including: 2-year Program Manager, 1-year Outreach/Advocacy Coordinator, 1-year Intern/Academic Transition Specialist, Evaluation and Research Consultant Capacity. Goal is to strengthen data collection and evaluation.

2014

Gateways secures resources for 3 AmeriCorps positions: Campus Compact (2 College Access Coach Coordinators) + Pacific Mountain Workforce (Economic and Employment)

Staffing and resources realigned to strengthen support for AmeriCorps and Gateways students.

Yearlong evaluation and expansion plan complete.

Work to build the Green Hill Youth Advisory Board begins.

2018

Justice Involved Student Group inaugurated (January)

Evergreen Prison to College Pathway Initiative (proposal by faculty, staff, students, alumn)

Gateways program coordinator position stabilized (part of 2018 pathway proposal)

Gateways program facilitated by Eirik Steinhoff, PhD.

Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship focused on prison education (Gateways)

Summer Summit: Evergreen Coalition for Justice Involved Students inaugurated (Sept)

2019

Reentry Navigator established at Evergreen (part of 2018 proposal)

Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship focused on prison education (Pell proposal)

2020

Evergreen invited by DCYF to work w/ Centralia College to expand college at Green Hill.

2022

Gateways 25 year anniversary (not able to be celebrated due to pandemic).

2023

Gateways Oral History Project begins.

Gateways Exhibit opens in the Daniel J. Evans Library for spring quarter.

Gateways Celebration honoring a quarter century of Gateways takes place in Evans Hall.