CORNERSTONE

During the 2018 calendar year, more than 500 students have logged over 17,200 classroom hours in the Cornerstone Project.  Although the vast majority of Cornerstone classes take place in the GED-dedicated Colleton-B wing, Cornerstone leadership is excited to see that there has been substantial growth in participation in the various satellite classes offered in other units throughout Allendale.  

 

During 2018, the ranks of Cornerstone facilitators has again grown with the appointment of 20 additional facilitators, newly certified through Dr. Tom Conner’s TESA Facilitator Training course; these have joined the 46 facilitators throughout ACI who made the Cornerstone Project possible during 2018.  A large donation from the Church Mouse, as well as continuing funds from a previous AT&T grant, made possible the purchase of updated educational materials, which have prompted the restructuring of many courses to align their content more closely to the content of the new GED.  

 

Most importantly, the Cornerstone Project has seen its chief objective – the acquisition of a GED by one of its students – realized 35 times during this year.  The average Cornerstone student is scheduled for release in just under four years – though many will see freedom long before then as a result of furlough, parole, or early release.  Since countless studies have concluded that educational level is the single most accurate predictor of recidivism, the Cornerstone Project continues to make every effort to ensure that its students have the tools they need to succeed once they are released.