breakthrough

August 23, 2023

Trinidad College Graduation at Colorado State Penitentiary

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Trinidad_Graduation_at_CSP

I had an incredible morning. It started with a glorious cool morning run with Sadie, which was certainly lovely. But when I got home, before I started work, was the best part of my day: I hosted a watch party to livestream several of my friends from Colorado State Penitentiary graduating cum laude from Trinidad State College. What an incredible, against-the-odds accomplishment with all the barriers they faced completing the curriculum while in a level 5 maximum security prison! 🎉 I recorded the graduation, which you can watch here. At the very least, watch the first 15 minutes for an …

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December 6, 2022

Colorado Gives Day with Breakthrough at AVCF

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AVCF_Cohort_3_Kickoff

I’ve written a lot in the past about my life changing experiences volunteering with Breakthrough Colorado (formerly known as Defy Ventures – see posts here and here). It was five years ago that I first went into Arkansas Valley Correctional Facility to volunteer. Unfortunately, due to COVID, we haven’t been able to run any in-person classes there since 2019. Today, for the first time in two years, we were back to kick off our third cohort at this facility. As a quick recap, Breakthrough is a nonprofit that transforms lives by teaching the power of change. We work with those …

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November 29, 2019

Back to Prison: Graduating the First All-Female Defy Colorado Class

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Defy_Photos_Joy_Sarah

Two weeks ago, I took the day off work to be down in Pueblo, Colorado and volunteer in prison with Defy Colorado… and I can honestly say it was one of the best days of my year. I wrote about my first experience with Defy here (please go read that post!), and I’ve gone back a number of times since then. Last winter, I was excited to get to kick off the first female class in Defy Colorado, and I got to go back a few times to teach classes. Now, nine months later, I got to judge the final …

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November 22, 2018

Step to the Line: My First Experiences in Prison

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Defy_Ventures_Step_to_the_Line

Last week, I had the opportunity to volunteer for the second time with Defy Ventures – an incredible organization with a grand vision of ending mass incarceration and cycles of recidivism. Defy pairs business executives with incarcerated persons who take on new identities as “entrepreneurs-in-training” (EITs). The goal is to defy the odds and help the EITs become successful business owners, employers, parents, and community leaders. While 60% of those released from prison will find themselves back behind bars within three years, fewer than 5% of Defy graduates do – a huge testament to the transformational power of this program. …

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