In noteworthy news, Mount Tamalpais College President Dr. Jody Lewen has been honored with the 2024 Harold W. McGraw, Jr. Prize in Education. This prestigious award, which has been described as the Nobel Prize of education, champions the work of three visionary leaders who have had a profound impact on pre-K-12, lifelong learning, and higher education.
Dr. Lewen, who received the prize for higher education, has devoted over two decades to advocating for and transforming higher education in prisons. She founded Mount Tamalpais College, co-founded the Alliance for Higher Education in Prison, and has advised countless policymakers and other prison education programs nationwide. Said Dr. Lewen, “I am delighted and honored to receive this award, and especially grateful to the McGraw Family Foundation for their recognition that higher education in prison is — higher education.”
The below video, made in honor of the achievement, celebrates Dr. Lewen’s monumental contributions to higher education in prison.
Dr. Lewen accepted the award in New York City on November 14, 2024. In her acceptance speech, she reflected on the fear partners often had about supporting incarcerated communities—the fear of being judged for having compassion for what is, societally, a stigmatized or vilified group.
“Dealing with such tension in any setting can be terribly taxing and isolating,” she said, “but there is also no more satisfying and transformative work than learning to push past it—doing what you believe is right, holding your ground, and living to tell the tale.”
Watch her full acceptance speech below.
Dr. Lewen was also interviewed by KTVU Fox 2 News about the award and the role of higher education in prison. To learn more about the award and other esteemed recipients, read the McGraw Family Foundation’s full press release.
