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This annual gathering brings together people working to expand the field of higher education in prison. More than just an annual opportunity to convene with colleagues from the field, the National Conference on Higher Education in Prison is a place for higher education in prison community members to be heard, supported and inspired.
The annual convening encourages and fosters collaboration. It’s an incubator for new projects and initiatives. It’s a trusted venue for constructive dialogue. And it’s a valuable resource for practitioners and students seeking training, professional development and new connections.
Attendees leave the conference with new tools and connections, as well as a renewed sense of purpose and confidence.
The 2020 NCHEP was postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic. Instead, a virtual conference was held in March 2021. An in-person conference is also planned for November 2021 to be hosted in Denver, CO.
November 2021 NCHEP DetailsAmplifying Access
2021 Virtual NCHEP
March 1-5, 2021
The week hosted 51 presentations, panel discussions, workshops, plenaries, and a keynote event and focused on some of the biggest challenges and opportunities facing the field. Video recordings from many of the 2021 Virtual NCHEP presentations can be found on the Alliance's Vimeo page. For a full overview of the conference experience, including feedback from participants, read the 2021 Virtual NCHEP Exit Report.
2021 Virtual NCHEP Exit ReportThe first national conference in 2010 was hosted by the Education Justice Project at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. About 75 people attended the 2.5-day gathering. Year after year, the conference grew in both attendance and the types and number of events and sessions it offered. By 2016, almost 300 people registered for the conference and by 2019 that number grew to more than 500 people representing more than 350 organizations, including higher education in prison programs, colleges/universities, community-based partners, media outlets and philanthropic foundations. The Alliance started hosting the conference in 2017, which was the 7th annual NCHEP. When available, archives from each event are available below.
