STEM-OPS
Network

STEM-OPS is a network of diverse organizations across the U.S. working to improve STEM learning opportunities for people who are or were in prison. The network is open to any person or organization who supports this goal. Members include people or organizations such as:
- Directly impacted people & their families
- Higher education in prison programs
- Departments of corrections
- Re-entry programs
- Policymakers
- STEM Companies
- Community organizations
- Asset-focused researchers
- Alliances with similar mission
We are committed to the central role in both leadership and membership of people who are or were in prison as a cornerstone of this network.
Founding Partners
The following five partners initiated the STEM-OPS network:
Princeton University’s Prison Teaching Initiative (PTI)
Prison Teaching Initiative
The Prison Teaching Initiative seeks to bridge Princeton University’s academic and service-driven missions by providing the highest quality post-secondary education to incarcerated students in New Jersey; offering Princeton University graduate students, postdocs, faculty, and staff innovative, evidence-based pedagogy training and the chance to diversify their teaching portfolios through intensive classroom experience; and fostering a robust campus dialogue on mass incarceration and its relationship to systemic inequalities in access to education
Prison to Professionals (P2P)
From Prison Cells to PhD
To help inspire others with similar backgrounds to excel beyond what society and life circumstances have set to be the norm.
The Initiative for Race Research and Justice at Vanderbilt University (RRJ)
The Initiative for Race Research and Justice
The Initiative for Race Research and Justice (RRJ) was founded by Dr. Rich Milner in the fall of 2018. His goal was to centralize and bring together research and researchers focused on race inside and outside the field of education. RRJ has an overt emphasis on studying and impacting practices and policies toward racial justice.
Operation Restoration
Operation Restoration
Formed in 2016 and led by formerly incarcerated women, Operation Restoration’s (OR) mission is to support women and girls impacted by incarceration to recognize their full potential, restore their lives, and discover new possibilities.
Education Development Center (EDC)
Education Development Center
EDC designs, implements, and evaluates programs to improve education, health, and economic opportunity worldwide, with a focus on vulnerable and underserved populations.
Founding Members
People and organizations from across the U.S. were invited to shape the STEM-OPS shared agenda and elevate the key challenges the alliance needs to address. This map highlights the location of these original members.
Member Spotlights
We are excited to spotlight all level of members of the STEM-OPS network below. Check back regularly to learn more about the organizations and people who are helping STEM-OPS support access to STEM for those directly impacted by the carceral system.