May 3, 2013 - Vanderbilt University - Rethinking Prisons Conference
Four people met for the first time, sharing a vision which has developed into BEST: Building Entrepreneurs for Success in Tennessee. The shared vision about creating a program to open up opportunities for a successful reentry to the community has resulted in a new initiative in Tennessee which will impact lives, save taxpayers dollars and create safer communities by reducing recidivism and creating taxpayers out of former tax consumers.
Building Entrepreneurs for Success in Tennessee (BEST) is inspired by the success of the Prison Entrepreneurship Program in Texas (www.pep.org) which has been operating for over 11 years. BEST seeks to better equip individuals with personal skills and business/entrepreneurial skills so that when they are released, they are better able to be contributing members of society - as tax payers instead of tax consumers.
The pilot class of 22 men were at Charles Bass Correctional Complex, just west of downtown Nashville. The first three months focused on character development and personal transformation. The "BEST Values" formed the backbone of the curriculum. We met six hours per day, five days per week. A variety of instructional styles engaged each learner in their own growth and development. They met challenges as new ways of thinking and doing things became the new "normal".
BEST is a program of the internationally recognized Nashville Entrepreneur Center. It is also the master's project of Karen Vander Molen in the Nelson and Sue Andrews Institute for Civic Leadership of Lipscomb University.
Let the Dreams become Reality!
“If thy brother wrongs thee, remember not so much his wrong-doing, but more than ever that he is thy brother.”
― Epictetus
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