The Educational Justice Institute (TEJI) @ MIT

The Educational Justice Institute (TEJI) is a groundbreaking initiative providing transformative learning experiences for incarcerated individuals and university students. Founded in 2017, TEJI has grown rapidly by developing co-learning opportunities for students both inside and outside prison walls. Our goal is to improve the quality of life and future prospects of the incarcerated through education, while simultaneously raising the social consciousness of MIT students to the world around them. Through TEJI, MIT students gain firsthand knowledge regarding the complexities surrounding America’s incarcerated population, have the potential to develop a sustained commitment to community involvement, and develop increased empathy & compassion, by engaging with those incarcerated as people – not statistics. As future leaders in the United States and across the world, these experiences are powerful engines for change in society. Through college classes and technology, TEJI empowers incarcerated individuals to redefine their identities and reach their potential as they prepare for reentry. While the social-emotional benefits of education, such as increased self-worth, self-motivation, & job readiness preparation, are immeasurable; a 2013 study from the RAND Corporation showed that incarcerated students who receive education programming are 43% less likely to re-offend than those who do not.