The recipient of a 2018 Public Outreach Grant for a pilot program, the FIRST program included an additional round of five scholars in the 2019-2020 year.
The program trained formerly incarcerated students to address social justice issues through interdisciplinary scientific research.
FIRST Scholars attended seminars and workshops focused on specific topics related to science, social justice, and professional development.
Together, students and their formerly incarcerated mentors collaborated and created community and a clear pathway to graduate school.
Read the full article for more information about the FIRST Program.
Recipients
Scot McFarlane (Graduate Student; Department of History)
Description
Created a publicly accessible digital platform for mapping and narrating lived history along North American rivers.
The sources presented on this portal showed how scientific thought is not only influenced by any scientific, legal, or political community, but by the rivers themselves with their shifting sandbars.
The website’s audience comes away with a better understanding of the ways in which science can empower activists along rivers and also the limitations of a scientific approach without political action and engagement.
Working with the educational staff at Metropolitan Detention Center, the Center for New Narratives in Philosophy organized a series of mini-courses that are available to the men of MDC, regardless of educational background.
Since February 2018, over 140 incarcerated men have attended the courses. Each class is a combination of serious ideas, Theatre of the Oppressed exercises, and skill development.