Teaching assistants (TAs) and tutors are indispensable to our in-prison educational program. Graduate and undergraduate student volunteers participate in classroom discussions, tutor students in writing & math, assist instructors in managing the classroom, access the computer labs, prepare written assignments, and other related work. This is very rewarding work; it requires both an application process through the Cornell Prison Education Program (below), and a subsequent application process through the Department of Corrections (after the below process is complete). Returning tutors and those with questions should contact Associate Director of Student Services, Betsye Violette, at erc87@cornell.edu.
We are no longer accepting student volunteer applications for spring 2025. We will begin accepting applications for fall 2025 in early spring.
Eligibility: Graduate students as well as undergraduates who will be age 21+ before the time of their service. (This age requirement is set by DOCCS.) We typically place 15-20 of these volunteers in prison classrooms and labs each semester.
Teaching Assistants are assigned to a specific class in which they have some expertise. TA’s may support the course Instructor by occasionally lecturing or leading class discussions, assisting with grading, and/or other tasks agreed upon by Instructor and TA. Teaching Assistants usually already hold a BA. This role may be ideal for graduate students who are considering applying to teach their own class for CPEP in the future.
Tutors in the Learning Lab or Study Hall spaces provide support to CPEP students seeking assistance with course material in a wide range of subjects. CPEP students may attend tutoring sessions weekly or on a drop-in basis, and tutors may work one on one with a single student or with a small group of students. Tutoring sessions are informal and self-organized by tutors and students based on student needs in a given week.
To apply, complete the following three steps:
- Submit your Basic Application Information.
- Request a recommendation from a recent professor (ideally) or a recent supervisor, by sending them a link to this online form. This completed recommendation form should support your application to assist CPEP’s educational project behind prison walls. Choose a mentor who can attest to your potential to be a committed, open-minded and effective student volunteer to adult incarcerated learners at a men’s prison in our region.
- Later Weekly Schedule Availability must be submitted. We realize that most undergraduate applicants will not know their schedule for the upcoming semester until pre-enrollment takes place. We encourage you to submit sections 1 & 2 above and then circle back when you know your schedule.
Undergraduate volunteers Niajee Washington (left) and Adina Rubin-Budick (right) carry the CPEP banner as the graduating class enters through the back entrance of the auditorium for the graduation ceremony at Auburn Correctional Facility in 2012.