Free To Learn
Overview
Free to Learn started as a grant project designed to meet three needs: increase public understanding of incarceration in Florida, its impact on our communities, and the role that education can play in reducing rates of recidivism and promoting safer, stronger communities; raise the voices of current and formerly incarcerated individuals (especially current and former SF students with carceral experience) to help inform steps SF can take to support this segment of their student population; and to shine a spotlight on the obstacles faced by those with carceral experience in gaining access to education and resources that support their successful re-entry into the community post-incarceration. Based on what was learned during the grant phase, Free to Learn has evolved to focus on supporting justice-impacted persons pursuing higher education.
Free to Learn and Santa Fe College recognize that justice-impacted individuals have different life experiences than the typical college student, and we seek to provide an accepting and accessible area for students with these unique experiences to feel supported and succeed not only in their re-entry journey, but also academically.
Whether you or someone close to you spent time incarcerated, served/currently serving a probation/parole sentence, been involved in a specialty court (teen court, drug court, etc.) we encourage you to reach out to Free to Learn, and consider applying to Santa Fe College.
Santa Fe defines “justice-impacted individuals” to include prospective students that have close family members that have been justice-impacted/involved as well.
Testimonials
The Free-to-Learn program helped me feel accepted and supported in the academic world. The transition into higher education can be uncomfortable, especially coming from a non-traditional background. Free-to-Learn eased my transition with a network of people who want to see me accomplish my goals and resources such as scholarships to support my academic journey.
Incoming students with carceral experience should reach out to the Free-to-Learn program so that they can start their higher education with a network of support. This program connects carceral impacted students to people with common experiences, mentors, and people to help them get the resources they need to succeed in the academic world.
The biggest challenge as a formerly incarcerated individual was having faith. The faith that I would be able to be anybody I wanted to be or in other words, Pursue any career of choice not knowing if I would be eligible because of my criminal history. The faith that my community would accept me for who I am today and look past the person I was at the time I committed a crime. That was and is the biggest hurdle and exercising faith is a daily thing as I travel this journey.
Free to learn has help me in three ways. Advocacy, financial, and brotherly support. “A brother is born for adversity,” and Free to Learn via Anne Thebaut, Thomas Maple, and Bill Stephenson has been its key contributors. They have been super supportive in making this monumental journey possible.
Everyone needs support and benefactors in life; therefore, there are many programs designed to help. Free to Learn has and is work to create a environment at Santa Fe College that would help those in need, so I will always support and encourage those with carceral experience to commune with Free to Learn. Free to learn has helped give me a better chance to succeed when many thought I was a lost cause.