The University of Utah Prison Education Project (UPEP) is an incredible program that provides on-site higher education programming to incarcerated students at the Utah State Prison in Draper, Utah. As a program committed to educational equity, UPEP is committed to providing courses at no cost to its students and relies on donations and volunteers from the Utah community. UPEP is dedicated to social transformation and educational equity and continually works to provide resources to those who are incarcerated.
Student organizations Women in Business (WIB) and Business Leaders Inc. (BLinc.) at the Eccles School have worked together to raise awareness and fundraise for UPEP over the last few years.
Recently, Business Career Services Ambassadors and UPEP volunteers Sarah Manley and Tyler Brothers organized a book drive in the Salt Lake Valley. The book drive was a huge success and resulted in more than 2,800 books being donated. Books were delivered to the Wasatch Men’s Facility and the Timpanogos Women’s Facility this past spring, where UPEP classroom libraries are being created. UPEP students have allotted teaching and learning labs where they can access all of the books. The next phase is to apply for grants to train UPEP students as librarians.
To learn more about the project, including how to volunteer and donate, visit prisoneducationproject.utah.edu. You also can donate via the UPEP Amazon Wish List.
Jenna Service is a University of Utah student working toward her degree in Social Work and Criminology. She is a Business Career Services Ambassador and an intern for the University of Utah Prison Education Project.