People who are incarcerated throughout the country now have access to a free course that teaches them how to start a business. The Brian Hamilton Foundation’s online entrepreneurship course, Starter U, launched last week on Edovo learning tablets, a leading provider of tablets in the nation’s prisons and jails.
“There are 2.3 million people currently in prison or jail in the United States and the vast majority of them are going to come home,” explained Hamilton, who founded Inmates to Entrepreneurs 27 years ago, “While they are in prison, they need to learn the skills necessary to support themselves financially when they are released. Starter U teaches them how to do that through starting their own small businesses.”
Hamilton noted that while getting a job is an option for some returning citizens, many face job discrimination due to their records. “Some of our Inmates to Entrepreneurs students have submitted more than 90 job applications, all of which were rejected. That’s why we teach them how to start their own businesses. We, as a society, want them to succeed. It’s good for everyone,” Hamilton said.
Studies have shown that people who engage in active learning while incarcerated are 43 percent less likely to end up back in prison after being released than those who do not.
Edovo, which is short for “Education Over Obstacles,” provides educational programming on tablets in prisons and jails in 40 states throughout the country. “People who are incarcerated want to spend their time preparing for their lives when they are released,” noted Edovo CEO and founder Brian Hill, “There are more than 140,000 users of the classes on Edovo tablets, and we see that number continuing to grow.”
“When you are in prison, you are hyper-focused on getting out and getting a second chance,” explained Scott Jennings, a student of Hamilton’s while Jennings was in prison. He is now the owner of FitTech & Assembly and a board member of Inmates to Entrepreneurs. “Providing people with educations while they are serving their time is a no-brainer,” Jennings added, “Teaching them how to support themselves when they return home is essential.”
Starter U teaches the very basics of how to start, run, and grow a business, and is available online for free to anyone anywhere, except in prisons. Edovo changed that. “We saw the need for Starter U and teamed up with the Brian Hamilton Foundation to make it happen,” Hill said.
About the Brian Hamilton Foundation
The Brian Hamilton Foundation was established with one principle in mind: with the right resources and support, anyone can be a successful entrepreneur. The foundation provides free entrepreneurship education resources, with the goal of helping people take part in the American dream and climb the social and economic ladder. https://brianhamilton.org/
About Inmates to Entrepreneurs
Inmates to Entrepreneurs assists people with criminal backgrounds in starting their own businesses by providing resources and mentorship. Our goal is to reduce the rate of recidivism in the United States by providing an alternative path to financial stability and success. To learn more, visit https://inmatestoentrepreneurs.org/.
About Edovo
Edovo is a leading correctional technology solution bringing free education and low cost communication to those who are incarcerated across the country. Our mission is to help everyone connected to incarceration build better lives. This includes the officers, the community, and the family and friends supporting their loved ones behind bars. Learn more at http://www.edovo.com.
