The College and Community Fellowship, Inc.

MISSION: College & Community Fellowship (CCF) enables women with criminal justice histories to earn their college degrees so that they, their families, and their communities can thrive.

Founded in 2000, CCF envisions a world where all people have equitable access to opportunity regardless of criminal justice histories.

Our strategies have multi-generational implications that help dismantle unjust systems tied to racial oppression.

Through the following programs, CCF works at the individual, institutional, and systemic levels.

• College & Career (individual change). Peer mentoring, academic, and career advancement services provide long-term support to women with criminal justice involvement to ensure that they complete college degrees and enter pathways to meaningful careers. As part of this work, students can also apply for support in obtaining quality career certification through our Career Enhancement Education Program (CEEP) and take part in multi-generational programming.
• Technical Assistance (institutional change). THRIVE provides training to staff and faculty at other institutions that serve people affected by the criminal legal system, and human resources professionals positioned to hire people with criminal history records. The evidence-based and promising practices we use in our College & Career Programs are the basis for the curriculum, covering state and local laws and regulations that protect people with criminal record histories.
• Policy & Advocacy (systemic change). CCF provides a platform for self-empowerment for women who engage in its direct service programs (College & Career) and the whole community of people affected by the criminal legal system to advocate for policy changes that advance social justice in their communities. Participants have worked on campaigns to increase access to higher education and civic engagement. The Women Influencing Systems & History (WISH) organizing and advocacy training offers leadership development opportunities to system impacted women in the NYC metropolitan area.