NCPEC Fall Conference
NCPEC Fall Conference Agenda
8:30am – 9:00am: Light Refreshments/Networking
Please sign in and head into the Dogwood room to find your name tag and get to know your tablemates! A light breakfast is also available.
9:00am – 9:15am: Welcome and General Membership Meeting
9:15am – 9:30am: NCDAC Updates
NC Department of Adult Correction leaders will provide an overview of the status of prison education programming in North Carolina and discuss what the future may hold for those who are providing and supporting education in a carceral setting.
9:30 – 10:00am: Technology and Accessibility: Insights & Open Forum
Travis Cooper, Education Technology Administrator at NCDAC, will discuss new whitelisted resources and tools to support students, as well as future technology for program integration. A Q&A session will follow, inviting participants to share experiences and ideas to strengthen connections.
10:00am – 10:15am: Welcome First Lady Anna Stein!
Join us as we extend a warm welcome to First Lady Anna Stein.
10:15am – 10:30am: The Future of NCPEC
NCPEC recently received official 501c3 non-profit status and is a finalist for a 3-year $750,000 grant from Ascendium Education Group. Learn what these developments will mean for the future of NCPEC and its members.
10:30am – 10:45am: Break
10:45am – 11:30am: Programs in Practice: Updates, Wins, and Barriers
This session will begin with presentations from individuals working in the field, who will discuss their program's successes and challenges. We will then open the floor for all attendees to share insights into their own programs, including what is working well, the challenges they face, and what collective lessons can be learned.
11:30am – 12pm: Innovations and Partnerships in Prison Education
In this session, NCPEC treasurer Jay Lively and Chair Kelly Morin will share ways that they have teamed up through challenges like hurricane Helene, handling transcript requests and starting new conversations that open doors for partnership. They’ll also discuss how mutual support in what can sometimes be isolating work can ease daily challenges.
12:00pm – 12:30pm: Student Perspectives
We will hear from two former PEP students, Wesley Lee (presenting) and Taylor Caton (via video), who earned their degrees while incarcerated. Lee graduated from Campbell University with a Bachelor of Science while at Samson Correctional, and Caton earned her Associate of Applied Science in Human Services Technology while at Western Correctional.
12:30pm – 1:30pm: Lunch
Lunch will be served buffet-style in the Trillium Dining Room.
1:30pm – 2:30pm: Measuring Success: Beyond Graduation Rates
Stephanie Gaskill, prison education researcher and program administrator with Loyola University, will discuss defining and measuring educational success beyond graduation rates, focusing on the lasting impacts. She will share research insights and practical tools for data collection, exploring education's transformative effects even for students who don't complete a credential, and discuss coordinating evaluation efforts across programs.
2:30pm – 3:30pm: Partners in Prison Education
In this session, three community partners will share how their organizations and roles impact prison education and support justice-impacted students, both during incarceration and throughout reentry. We’ll hear from Preston Roseboro (My Future NC), Terrell Blount (Formerly Incarcerated College Graduates Network), and Anne Bacon (North Carolina Community Colleges system) as they discuss their current work, collaborative efforts, and the ways they’re helping to expand opportunities for incarcerated and returning students across North Carolina.
3:30pm – 4:00pm: Updates, Resources, and What’s Ahead
We’ll wrap up the conference by sharing helpful resources, highlighting upcoming events, and noting important items on the horizon. This final session will also serve as our closing, giving participants a chance to leave with practical tools, key dates, and a picture of what’s next for our field.
Thank you so much for joining us!
