Dean Frankie Santos Laanan Awarded Spencer Foundation Grant

Ingram State Technical College Exploratory Case Study of Incarcerated Adults in Career and Technical Education

Dean Frankie Santos Laanan has been awarded a $49,998 grant from the Spencer Foundation. The project, Ingram State Technical College (ISTC) Exploratory Case Study of Incarcerated Adults in Career and Technical Education, will use qualitative case studies to provide a better understanding of the ISTC program. The ISTC program is a unique program in the State of Alabama that was established in 1965 to ensure incarcerated individuals could attain technical skills. Santos Laanan's study will examine "how students make meaning of their experience and how faculty describe their experience teaching these students." Interviews with both students and faculty will ensure a thorough analysis of ISTC's efficacies and areas for improvement. Such data can then be used as a template for similar programs across the U.S. 

With the United States incarcerating over 2 million people in prisons and jails--making the U.S. the world leader in incarcerations-- this study is extremely timely. Santos Laanan's work will illuminate issues students face in teaching and learning and the development of new strategies to support ISTC students, ultimately leading to reduced recidivism and better outcomes for incarcerated populations.