This year, Mount Tamalpais College celebrates nearly three decades of teaching, learning, and transformation inside San Quentin. As the only accredited independent liberal arts college in the United States whose main campus operates inside a prison, the college has helped thousands of incarcerated students pursue rigorous higher education.
Now, building on this legacy, and through new investment from the State of California, San Quentin is undergoing a historic transformation into the San Quentin Rehabilitation Center, including the launch of the first-of-its-kind San Quentin Learning Center, designed to expand access to education, workforce training, and reentry pathways.

Join NationSwell for a guided site visit and conversation inside the new San Quentin Learning Center, followed by a post-visit dinner at Farmshop Marin. Together with cross-sector leaders, current Mount Tamalpais College students, and alumni leaders, we’ll explore what meaningful investment in education looks like inside correctional facilities, and how innovative learning programs are helping incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals build resilience, expand opportunity, and chart new possibilities for life beyond prison.

To encourage open and candid discussion, this event follows the Chatham House Rule – attendees may share insights from the conversation but cannot attribute statements to specific individuals or organizations. This ensures a trusted space for thoughtful dialogue and deeper insights.