Bakersfield College saw its first Rising Scholars Program cohort graduate on August 28, 2019. These seventeen students at Kern Valley State Prison received their associate's degrees after making the decision to utilize this opportunity and better their future with education.
Bakersfield College serves individuals currently incarcerated in five California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation facilities.
Angelica Perez shares an informational training session during the Spring 2022 Semester Flex Week.
Sara Wallace, English Professor, shares her insights from her experiences teaching inmates. Read her blog Reflections from Inside, Reflections from Outside, and Reflections from Outside: Year in Review.
Sara also shares updates from her Rising Scholars Program newsletter, "Educating on the Inside." Read the August 2020, November 2020, March 2021, October 2021, and February 2022 newsletter issues.
"We know that Bakersfield College volunteers to serve us and we want them to know we appreciate their work." Program Scholar
"We understand why the program exists and how we can create opportunity for other people currently incarcerated." Program Scholar
"For a few hours a week, we feel human again." Program Scholar