On The Inside July 2023
“ Being taken away from the fast life has saved my life” - Current Participant in Missouri
(Women’s Eastern Reception Diagnostic and Correctional Center)
“ This is a minor setback for a major comeback” - Current Participant in Missouri
(Women’s Eastern Reception Diagnostic and Correctional Center)
My June has been a whirlwind!
Thank you all for taking the time to be interested in what we do.
Together we have the opportunity to come with our hearts
open, vulnerable and willing.
All of us.
Which is why of course anyone who has taken
our four class series is invited month after month to take part in the work we do.
Every month we gather and share on specific topics and dive deep with each other, creating a safe network and environment to heal, and be seen.
So if you get this invitation we encourage you to show up with your favorite beverage, journal and a heart ready to be filled.
So far this month we have reached our half way mark with our pilot program in
Virginia and are hoping to continue our work through their facilities.
We have had one current participant released and reached out to schedule a
Zoom meeting and are looking forward to discovering more about how we can support her in her journey back out into our community. We have a few more people who are coming up on their release dates and we are hopeful they will reach out as well!
We have continued to work with the youth in the Wyoming facility and are welcoming the newcomers as they begin their 6 month journey through their program.
Jen has begun facilitating with Caroline in Nebraska virtually and they are half
way through the 8 week series offered at that facility.
When we come together and share our experiences and lean into the growth we can accomplish whatever we put our minds to!
Please follow our social media for more updates, or reach out with any questions.
Continue to read below for future dates on our monthly gatherings as well as our LAST four class series of the year!
If you haven’t purchased our book, Breaking Down Barriers.
You can do so now right here.
If the book speaks to you, consider setting up a workshop for you and your
clients/staff with us. We are offering 90 minute workshops that include 5 copies of
the book in person or virtually. Email us directly to set one up with your friend group or work place.
Breaking Down Barriers: workshop with On The Inside
Mark your calendars with our four class series offerings and sign up today for
one that fits in with your life. After you take part in a four class series, meet us in
our monthly work, or consider becoming a facilitator as we expand into more states.
“Today addiction does not define you, learn from your mistakes. You are not a mistake.”
-Wyoming Women’s Center, current student
SUSTAIN our work-
Support our work by sustaining a woman through a monthly contribution right
here. Your donation will support the ongoing weekly and monthly work we continue to build in person, and online.
Thank you for being a growing part of our journey, our failures and our successes
as we navigate slow and intentional growth to keep this work fresh, accessible, and necessary.
All monthly groups meet from 12-2pm PT/3pm-5pm ET
*Zoom link sent to all those who have participated in our 4 class or 8 class series.
In these classes, we gather and share, create together, move together, and
discuss artwork and poetry from our students currently serving time. Your work
is also shared inside facilities. It’s a chance to connect and grow with women worldwide.
Announcing our 2023 Monthly Group Gatherings (2 hours)-
**all monthly group meetings are 12pm-2 pm PT/3pm-5 pm ET
Saturday Jan 7 HOPE
Tuesday Feb 7 LET’S GET SEXY
Thursday March 2 AGILITY
Tuesday April 4 TRUTH
Tuesday May 2 CREATIVITY
Saturday June 3 JOURNEYS
Thursday July 6 SHADOW WORK
Tuesday August 1 LOVE
Sunday September 3 COURAGE
Monday October 2 FLEXIBILITY
Thursday November 2 VALUES
Saturday December 2 HOPE
We hope to see you in class this year- joins us for four sessions and then move
into our monthly group as we deepen the connections, strengthen our creativity,
and build long lasting relationships with women inside and outside prison facilities.
SIGNATURE FOUR CLASS SERIES-
Our four class series is a great way to become a part of our work, learn about the class structure, create with us, and build community.
Each class occurs over Zoom so you can participate from anywhere.
Every class you can expect to: share, create, receive, and learn as we make work
that goes into our facilities and work from our inside students is shared with us.
*We only offer our outside class series 4 times a year, these fill up FAST so
connect with us to register today. Please confirm which series you would like to join.
FINAL FOUR CLASS SERIES of 2023-
Thursdays 5-7pm PST/8pm-10pm EST
October 5, 12, 19, and 26.
This series is co-led by Caroline Cox, Project Manager at On The Inside, and Nikki
Weaver Founder.
Zoom links and instructions are sent out after payment is made. We offer a sliding
scale and full scholarships too, all you need to do is connect us. Payment can be
made right here. Please connect with us if you would like to join our next class
series and specify which four classes you would like to attend. The work builds
upon itself so it is essential that you prioritize attending all four sessions.
You can join our four-week class series, and then continue on in our monthly class by signing up here.
Your actions matter. Your words matter. How you show up matters.
“The truth is what’s behind the mask.”
-Nebraska Correctional Center for Women, current student
** Missouri (Women’s Eastern Reception Diagnostic and Correctional Center) in person visit 2023
Much love and gratitude for your ongoing support,
Caroline Cox, Jennifer Chapman and Nikki Weaver
-The Dream Team
Follow along on our social media platforms, you can find us on: Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIN.
OUR MISSION
On The Inside builds a creative connection for incarcerated women, both individually and collectively. We do this by telling our stories, igniting our hearts, and sparking dialogue. Creative connection for a greater good, we create community for women on the inside and outside by breaking down the walls that keep us apart.
The United States houses over 1.3 million incarcerated women.
We aim to change that.
Creativity is what keeps us alive, it is what draws us together. Our stories save us and have the ability to heal us. Healing is both collective and deeply personal. We create shared dialogue by holding a container for women to transform themselves. We do this through creative prompts where each woman has a voice in the room, through exploratory movement, creating a rolodex of emotions to draw from, and boundaries to hold.
We begin.
We create.
We play together.
We share.
We seek closure.
We begin again.
We hold weekly classes to gather in a circle. We create weekly newsletters where women on the outside create work (poetry, art, song) for women on the inside, and the women on the inside do the same. We create living, breathing works of art that move us far beyond the page, beyond the stage, and into a space of embodiment.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Lisa Collins
Fungai Mubayiwa
Katie Morell
Caroline Cox
Megan Gaffney
Atieno Bird
Dr.Mercy Nyangulu Nyepudzayi
Jazmin Jimenez
Cindy Lone
Tina Packer
Mia Zara
Marie Gonzalez
Beck Wilschefski
Elena Brower
Reema Zaman
Together, we stretch four continents wide.
Collectively, we are making a difference by creating together.
You are always invited to join our work, join our collective, join our creative expanding circle.
