Ambassador to Justice Impacted Students

Organizational Overview: College Unbound (CU) is an accredited and state-approved college whose mission is to reinvent the higher education experience for underrepresented returning adult learners. Through rigorous and engaged scholarship, College Unbound integrates students’ own purposes for learning with the needs of their workplaces and communities, improving the lives of the students and the lives of those they touch..Started in RI, College Unbound now supports students across multiple states and looks to continue to develop an infrastructure to support this developing model.

Position Summary: The Prison Education Program (PEP) Ambassador to Justice Impacted Students is responsible for implementing and expanding College Unbound’s Prison Education Program inside the Rhode Island Department of Corrections (DOC) and supporting successful transitions for justice-impacted students upon release. This full-time role bridges in-prison education with reentry support, ensuring that students remain connected to community, resources, and pathways for degree completion.

The Ambassador to Justice Impacted Students builds strong relationships with incarcerated students, returning citizens, community partners, and DOC officials to create a supportive ecosystem of education, belonging, and opportunity. In addition, it will "support academic program delivery in collaboration with Lifelong Learning. This position leads outreach efforts and resource navigation for justice-impacted individuals, linking students and families to community-based supports in housing, employment, digital literacy, health, and higher education.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities:

Program Implementation (Inside DOC):

• Participate in required training and orientations at the Department of Corrections.
• Attend weekly DOC meetings to align with facility protocols and updates.
• Finalize class rosters at least one month before course start dates, coordinating with faculty and DOC for classroom availability.
• Conduct regular check-ins with the Associate Vice President (AVP) of Community and Belonging to provide program updates and receive guidance.
• Support student engagement in MYCU and track attendance through TPCDS.
• Attend first classes, exhibitions, and events inside DOC to highlight student progress and achievements.

Transition & Reentry Support:

• Serve as a transition specialist, helping students prepare for reentry by creating individualized education and resource plans.
• Provide community outreach and navigation of resources (housing, employment, health care, digital literacy, continuing education, family support, etc.) to justice-impacted individuals and their families.
• Build partnerships with community organizations to expand CU’s network of reentry support.
• Facilitate connections between formerly incarcerated students and CU staff, faculty, and alumni to promote belonging and persistence.
• Facilitate transition to college by developing and instructing a gateway series of courses
• Ensure consistency of student experience while navigating the transition from DOC and courses in the community.

Community Engagement & Administration:

• Organize recruitment events with CU Ambassadors and community partners.
• Work on-site at the Dix Building as needed to process student mail, handle DOC correspondence, and ensure timely responses to student requests.
• Two days a week spent at the administration office (meetings, community outreach, and other duties as assigned.