Wendy Smith

The Freedom & Captivity Curriculum Project will create curricula based on the materials generated through the Fall 2021 collaborative, statewide public humanities Freedom & Captivity initiative, which explored how to imagine an abolitionist future in Maine. The initiative included exhibitions, podcasts, film and photography projects, performances, presentations, workshops, and didactic materials, and was created with the participation of incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people. These materials are collected into an online archive, which will be the basis for creating curricula to be uploaded onto technology used inside Maine’s prisons. The curricula, structured around key humanities themes, is for college courses, discussion groups, and community classes taught by incarcerated people. The community partners for this project include Maine Prisoner Advocacy Coalition, Maine Department of Corrections, Maine Prison Education Partnership, and Opportunity Scholars Network.