Liberal Arts in Prison Program at Grinnell College

The Grinnell College Liberal Arts in Prison Program (LAPP) enrolls incarcerated students in a demanding, rich college program equivalent to a year at Grinnell College in Iowa. They also host a student volunteer program that supports and supplements their accredited program. Through this work, they foster reciprocal learning that enriches lives inside and outside the fences and affirms the power of liberal arts education to support human flourishing. The LAPP began with a single class in the spring of 2003. Since then, the program has evolved into a full-fledged college program that enrolls cohorts of incarcerated students in a demanding, rich curriculum that offers up to 60 credits from Grinnell College. In addition, students from campus support this program by offering tutoring and research assistance to incarcerated students, editing an annual literary anthology, organizing special events, performing in musical events, and organizing a regular faculty lecture series. During this radical expansion, the program has stayed true to its original vision of reciprocal learning and open intellectual exchange: exchange that affirms the power of a liberal arts education to support human flourishing. You should contact the Grinnell College Liberal Arts in Prison Program for further assistance.