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Mount Tamalpais College

Donors

Donor Spotlight: Our Monthly Supporters

September 1, 2019 by Mt. Tam College

We’re excited to share reflections from a number of monthly donors. As you’ll see below, everyone has their own motivation for supporting the Prison University Project. We hope you’ll find their commitment and dedication to our mission inspiring. If you are moved to set up your own recurring donation, you can do so here!

Though my monthly contribution is modest, I feel it’s a small way to honor my values and show my love for the Prison University Project’s work. As an educator, I believe in the transformative potential of learning under the guidance of talented educator-mentors… When I taught in the program, I watched students grow and become allies to one another and imagine new futures for themselves, including reconciling with their past and moving forward with purpose, self-awareness, sensitivity, self-advocacy, and communication skills to rebuild their lives. What’s more exciting than that?

—Lisa Lomba

Once I became engaged with the Prison University Project, I was hooked—the students’ thirst for knowledge and openness to personal growth far exceeded that of students in other educational environments I had participated in…. My visits to San Quentin consistently energized me and cemented my commitment to education as the professional field that I wanted to work in for the rest of my life… Although distance precludes the privilege of being able to teach at San Quentin anymore, I feel a continued sense of connection with the Prison University Project through my monthly donation… It has been rewarding to watch former students graduate and to see the course offerings expand over the years; what really impresses me the most about the Prison University Project, though, is the way they enthusiastically support like-minded programs nationwide. I never doubt that my money is facilitating excellence not just within the walls of San Quentin, but in on-site prison academic programs across America.

—Nick Grener

I learned about the Prison University Project from my daughter, Mary Gould, who is now Director of the Alliance for Higher Education in Prison but then was working on her doctoral dissertation on the representation of prisons in mass culture… In principle I support higher education in prison on the basis of both social justice and humanitarian grounds. Specifically I support the Prison University Project because, as an outstanding academic program, it demonstrates best practices in providing higher education in a carceral setting. The students, staff, and volunteer instructors are all committed to the highest standards of academic excellence. I have personally witnessed how the students and teachers inspire and challenge each other to put forth their best efforts. And perhaps most of all, I have witnessed the joy and amazement of students as they come to appreciate and proudly embrace their intellectual abilities. Such commitment and dedication to quality college education deserves to be supported wherever it is found and particularly in carceral settings where it helps incarcerated individuals to change and transform their lives. Since I am no longer able to volunteer, I want to publicly demonstrate my ongoing support for the students and Prison University Project staff at San Quentin by being a recurring monthly donor. In this way I do my small part in helping to financially undergird the Prison University Project’s mission through a donation it can plan on receiving.

—Baruch Gould

I’ve worn many hats in my 70+ years: rock & roll singer, competitive junior golfer, solar energy pioneer, real estate agent/broker, developer, actor, producer, Realtor, volunteer firefighter, First Responder, EMT, grand juror, non-profit president and now, a semi-retired real estate investor, brother, uncle, husband, father, and grandfather… As a parent of two sons who have struggled with drug abuse-related criminal behavior, I became aware of the Prison University Project when one of them was San Quentin bound. Although my son didn’t have the opportunity to attend, my interest in helping the program was born… I’ve learned that as volunteers, we get as much, or more, back as we give. That dynamic of give and take is what excites me most about the Prison University Project; its potential to bridge the gap between higher education and the access to it. My hope is that the model will spread to prisons across the United States. It’s my belief that ACCESS to higher education can play an integral role for success in life.

—Keath North

Please note that the Prison University Project became Mount Tamalpais College in September 2020.

Filed Under: Campus & Community, People Tagged With: Donors

Remembering Jane E. Kahn

January 8, 2019 by Mt. Tam College

We are sad to announce the passing of Jane E. Kahn, a dear friend and supporter of the Prison University Project. Jane dedicated decades of her life to fiercely protecting the wellbeing and dignity of people incarcerated in California and beyond, and set an example for the world of a life filled with compassion, generosity, and meaning. We will miss her terribly and her spirit will be an integral part of our organization forever. An obituary written by Toby Rubin and published in The Jewish News of Northern California is included below:

The Bay Area Jewish community lost one of its brightest lights with the death of Jane Kahn on Dec. 26, 2018. She was 64. Jane was a model of tikkun olam in all aspects of her life, bringing her belief in the divine within all humans to her family life, her friendships, her work representing and advocating for the rights and dignity of incarcerated individuals, her volunteer leadership in Jewish and secular nonprofits and her philanthropy.

Jane was a fighter. She worked tirelessly on behalf of California’s prisoners, advocating for the civil rights of incarcerated persons with mental illness and other disabilities for decades. She believed that being incarcerated or without a home did not make a person less than human; she recognized the humanity of all around her. She fought against the indignity of homelessness with Religious Witness for Homeless and Hamilton House, against capital punishment with Death Penalty Focus, and for a brighter future for prisoners through Prison University Project.

Jane was also a lover. Her Jewish soul, bright smile, intelligence and tremendous compassion captured the hearts of people wherever she went. It was standing room only at Sinai Memorial Chapel in San Francisco on Dec. 28.

On her second day of college at Brandeis University, Jane met Michael Bien. From that day on, “Jane and Mike” or “Mike and Jane” seemed to be the only way to truly understand either of them. They both were raised in Jewish homes and raised their three sons, Ben, Max and Joey, in communities built through the JCCSF preschool, a family havurah, Brandeis Hillel Day School, Camp Tawonga, New Israel Fund, and Congregations Beth Sholom and Emanu-El. Jane was an active parent and volunteer at all institutions, including her leadership on the Camp Tawonga board.

Jane held Israel —its people and place — deep within her heart. Israel as a political entity became a painful challenge. In her remarks as co-recipient with Mike of the New Israel Fund Guardian of Democracy Award, Jane the lover and Jane the fighter came together. While others whispered to each other about the difficulty of talking about Israel with their young adult children, Jane shared the tensions within her own family. She believed that pushing out of our “tent” young adults who question and challenge the policies and practices of Israel regarding the Palestinian people is not the way to strengthen Israel or the Jewish people.

She always leapt to defend those she represented and those she loved.

Until the end, she took care of her enormous circle of loved ones. She faced her disease just as she embraced life. She showed us how to live each day as fully as possible, love fiercely, persevere whatever the obstacles. She dove into study, pursuing questions of living, dying, and the life of the soul. She wanted to be sure that not only she, but everyone she loved, would be ready for the moment that she’d be gone. She was remarkably brave and strong for over two years, right up until her last day. Jane prepared us for her death. Let us all be blessed by the lessons of her life.

Attribution: This obituary originally appeared in The Jewish News of Northern California on January 8, 2019.
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Please note that the Prison University Project became Mount Tamalpais College in September 2020.

Filed Under: Announcements, Campus & Community, Current Affairs, MTC in the News, MTC News, People Tagged With: Donors

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Contact Us

PO Box 492
San Quentin, CA 94964
(415) 455-8088

 

Please note: Prior to September 2020, Mount Tamalpais College was known as the Prison University Project and operated as an extension site of Patten University.

 

Tax ID number (EIN): 20-5606926

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