The Liberal Arts in Prison Program provides liberal arts education to incarcerated men and women in Iowa’s prisons and kids at the Iowa Juvenile Home.
The program began with a single class in the spring of 2003. From that one volunteer-run class, the program has evolved into a full-fledged college program that enrolls cohorts of incarcerated students in a demanding, rich curriculum equivalent to the first year at Grinnell, and an expansive, multi-tiered student volunteer program that by 2012 had involved one out of every seven on-campus seniors.
During this radical expansion, the program has stayed true to its original vision of reciprocal learning and open intellectual exchange: exchange that enriches lives both inside and outside the fences and affirms the transformative power of a liberal arts education. The LAPP owes its success to this unique combination of social justice work and liberal arts learning.
Find out more about our mission, history, and the impact of the Liberal Arts in Prison Program.
Interested in volunteering? Visit our volunteer page to find out more information about the volunteer opportunities and important forms you need to apply.
