The Prison University Project hosted an evening celebration Saturday, September 22, at the Delancey Street Restaurant in San Francisco, to spread awareness of our work and raise funds to increase our impact. Joined by board members, staff, volunteers, and former students, attendees had the opportunity to learn more about the Prison University Project and hear about the program from over 20 former students and their families.
We also honored two very important people from our community—Nigel Poor, the co-producer and co-host of Ear Hustle and volunteer instructor with the Prison University Project, and Jane E. Kahn, a civil rights and civil liberties attorney and former board member. Our program also featured powerful spoken word performances by poets CeCe Jordan and Tongo Eisen-Martin.
It was a magical night in celebration of 22 years of higher education at San Quentin that couldn’t have happened without our wonderful sponsors: Michael Bien and Jane E. Kahn, Gay C. and Carl Grunfeld, Goldman Sachs, JK Irwin Foundation, Lewen-Cooper Family Foundation, David Raub, Kathy and Bob Richards, Heidi Richardson, Rise Up As One from the California Endowment, Rosen Bien Galvan & Grunfeld LLP, and Toby and Robert Rubin.
As well as our host committee: Eden Cooper, James Dyett, Bert Lewen and Roslyn Allison, Judy King, Connie Krosney, Melissa Nelken, Prison Law Office, Susannah Raub, Theresa Roeder, Maddy Russell-Shapiro, and Rebecca Sills.
We were proud to raise nearly $90,000 and welcome 300 guests to our inaugural benefit!
Please note that the Prison University Project became Mount Tamalpais College in September 2020.
