The latest happenings in the Odyssey program and community
New Tuesday Morning Booktalks for fall
When the pandemic struck in March 2020, Odyssey classes shut down and so did Emily Auerbach’s Tuesday Morning Booktalks, a long-running series of community discussions of literature held at the public library. “I naively sent …
September 8, 2021
New Friends of Odyssey board member
“I love Odyssey and am honored to be invited to join the board to help Odyssey succeed.” Last month, Brenda González became the newest member of the all-volunteer Board of Directors for the Friends of …
September 5, 2021
New classes in a new space
“I’m excited and nervous.” New students in Odyssey’s Class of 2022 chose “excited” and “nervous” more than any other adjectives when describing their feelings about starting the college jumpstart program. As they entered the classroom …
September 1, 2021
From online to in person: Launching the Odyssey Class of 2022
The 19th year of the award-winning UW Odyssey Project will begin on September 8, with 30 adults embarking on a two-semester journey leading to six UW credits and a new sense of hope. Newly admitted …
August 4, 2021
From shyness to leadership: Odyssey Junior grad begins UW adventure
“I’m really excited and nervous to start my new chapter,” Jayda says as she moves into the residence halls before starting classes at UW–Madison. A 2021 Odyssey Junior graduate, Jayda calls it “cool” to have …
August 4, 2021
From trauma to triumph: Odyssey grad starts master’s degree program
“Anyone looking at me, I want them to see that no matter what happens — it can be the darkest, deepest pit — you can get out of it,” Odyssey Class of 2004 Anthony Ward …
August 4, 2021
Odyssey Beyond Bars alum advocating for better futures
“What English 100 did for me, I want to do for others. I blossomed in that class. I want others to experience that.” —Dominee Meek, Odyssey Beyond Bars alum (fall 2019) Dominee was in the …
July 15, 2021
Multicultural literature course hosts family, friends for online graduation
“Reading and reflecting on writings at this magnitude has allowed us to respond and be heard, to be a part of the community […] and to be more than just numbers in a system or …
July 15, 2021
Odyssey Beyond Bars expands!
“In finding yourself, you discover an array of beauty within. You discover that you actually are intelligent, when your teachers and classmates had written you off as dumb because you didn’t apply yourself. Now you’ve …
July 15, 2021
Director’s letter
We wind down the 2020-21 academic year proud of our students and what we have accomplished in the face of adversity. When the pandemic interrupted our face-to-face instruction, Odyssey Beyond Bars (OBB) rose to the occasion, …
July 15, 2021
Thespians come out of their shells
“How am I going to die today?” Loche asked herself as she entered UW–Madison’s Hemsley Theatre for Onward Odyssey’s first-ever Acting Techniques class. Professor Baron Kelly notes of Loche and her nine classmates, “The students …
July 1, 2021
Remembering a class MVP
Students in the Odyssey Class of 2021 called one classmate their MVP, hero, warrior-scholar and inspiration. Lifelong learner Diane Walton logged on from the hospital to read scenes from A Raisin in the Sun, even …
July 1, 2021
From bleeding feet to doctor-to-be
When Hezouwe Walada was growing up in rural Togo, West Africa, he craved learning so much that he walked 30 miles daily without shoes, his feet bleeding, to attend the closest village school. Hezouwe brought …
July 1, 2021
Odyssey staff garner awards!
Shortly after announcing Odyssey theater professor Baron Kelly’s national honor and Odyssey cofounder Jean Feraca’s selection for the Athena Award, we learned that Odyssey’s Director of Development and Community Partnerships, Jenny Pressman, had been chosen …
June 1, 2021
Odyssey alumni win scholarships!
“It’s a sweep! When I nominated four amazing Odyssey women for prestigious Business Forum of Madison scholarships, I hoped all four would win the four adult scholarships — and they did!” says Odyssey codirector Emily …
June 1, 2021
Odyssey alumni graduate!
“Odyssey is a major reason why I have succeeded. It was my foundation, my stepping stone, to overcoming so many obstacles.” So said Dominique Christian, Odyssey Class of 2009, who earned her master’s degree in …
June 1, 2021
While coaching Odyssey students, theater professor wins major award
In the middle of coaching Odyssey students for their graduation videos, Professor Baron Kelly got a call that left him in tears, overwhelmed: He had just been selected for the prestigious College of Fellows of …
May 6, 2021
Real photos of a virtual class
“It was a full circle moment for me,” says Odyssey alum Hedi Rudd ’12, as she snapped pictures of the graduating Class of 2021 and their families. “I remember the day my class got our …
May 5, 2021
Odyssey Beyond Bars offers new multicultural literature course at Oakhill
“We often search for scars which lay bare on the outside, never considering the more hurtful scars present on the inside. Having served nearly 25 years of incarceration, I know firsthand that the hidden scars …
April 15, 2021
New educational program supports parent-child connections during incarceration
“Parenting doesn’t come with a handbook. And a lot of times our parents only gave us what their parents gave them, and so this is an opportunity for us to learn things that we didn’t …
April 15, 2021
Despite COVID setback, Odyssey Beyond Bars storytellers return to share their stories
“I never thought I’d ever be a writer. I wasn’t even good at writing letters. But then I took English 100, and wow, it really helped my communication and writing. I have overcome my fear …
April 15, 2021
April UW CHEP E-Newsletter intro
“He who opens a school door closes a prison.” —Victor Hugo Spring 2021 is a time of triumph and hope for UW’s students in prison. After enduring outbreaks of COVID-19, long periods of lockdown and …
April 15, 2021
Overcoming barriers
“I am forever grateful to Odyssey,” Josephine Lorya remarks in a new video created for virtual services at a local church taking up collections for Odyssey and Odyssey Junior. “Odyssey opened up many doors that …
March 31, 2021
Overcoming shyness
“I’m a very shy person, and I think working with Baron will help me overcome barriers and stop being in my shell,” Barbara writes. Every year since 2003, theater professor Baron Kelly has flown to …
March 31, 2021
Overcoming challenges
“I arm wrestled racism until a vein was about to pop,” Corey begins his poem. Denise describes a woman triumphing over the heartbreak of teen parenthood and domestic abuse. Marilyn writes, “In February I found …
March 31, 2021
Odyssey alum elected alder
“In my role as the success coach for Odyssey during this pandemic, I have never witnessed so much suffering among marginalized populations,” notes Brian Benford. Just elected alder for Madison’s sixth district, Brian graduated from …
March 23, 2021
Jean Feraca nominated for Athena Award
“Jean Feraca epitomizes the Wisconsin Idea as well as the ideals of the Athena Award,” a nomination letter reads, as “she has demonstrated excellence throughout her career as a broadcast journalist, creativity in her work …
March 15, 2021
Community Chats features Odyssey
“The Odyssey Project has been life changing not just for the students in the program but for me as well,” Odyssey Codirector Emily Auerbach remarks in a new video launching the UW’s Community Chats series. Emily’s …
March 1, 2021
Show your love now
Thank you all for being part of the circle of love that flows between Odyssey students, staff and supporters! Your gifts in 2020 allowed us to support our students and alumni as they valiantly overcame …
February 28, 2021
Redefining love on Valentine’s Day
Every February in Odyssey classes, students start an essay with the two words, “I love.” We ask them to think beyond Hallmark cards, Cupid and romantic evenings to other kinds of love. Here are some …
February 15, 2021
Loving our graduates
We love supporting graduates of our two‑semester jumpstart program as they go on to earn two‑year, four‑year and advanced degrees. In the photo collage above, you’ll see five of our alumni who earned degrees in …
February 1, 2021
Dreaming with Martin Luther King, Jr.
Odyssey students start the new year just after Martin Luther King Jr. Day by reading his powerful 1963 “Letter from a Birmingham Jail.” With its fervent call for justice, equality, unity and love, King’s words …
January 30, 2021
Pondering a pandemic
COVID‑19 hit home for Odyssey last month as even our online Odyssey Beyond Bars classes were suspended due to the complete quarantine mandated to stop the rampant spread of the virus in state prisons. More …
January 15, 2021
Continuing the journey
“Odyssey is a journey I need to complete so I can overcome fears and make a new life for myself,” Michelle wrote on her final assignment for 2020. Classes for the second half of our …
January 1, 2021
Odyssey shines at the UW System Board of Regents
As a new member of the prestigious UW System Board of Regents, Odyssey alum Corey Saffold advocated to make Odyssey part of the agenda. Corey was joined on November 5 by Odyssey Codirectors Emily Auerbach …
December 30, 2020
Transforming lives in a pandemic — and double the impact of your support
Despite unimaginable hardship, students in all four parts of our program — Odyssey, Odyssey Junior, Onward Odyssey and Odyssey Beyond Bars — have triumphed this semester as they learned with us online. Adults in the …
December 15, 2020
Odyssey alumna receives Transformation Award
After a childhood of homelessness, abuse and teen pregnancy, Shanita Lawrence found herself incarcerated at age 18 and separated from her young son. “I wouldn’t be who I am today if it wasn’t for the …
December 1, 2020
Odyssey gives thanks
We celebrate Thanksgiving this year at a time of hardship and heartbreak. Our UW Odyssey Project team wants to take a deep breath and share what makes us feel grateful and hopeful. We remain thankful for: …
November 15, 2020
Meet René Robinson
“Odyssey gave me a voice through writing, and for that I am thankful beyond words,” writes alumna René Robinson, Odyssey ’08. In her graduation poem, “My Journey,” René spoke of her discovery of the humanities …
October 30, 2020
Remembering our Nights of the Living Humanities
“Odyssey helped me find my voice, that courage I have to speak,” remarked Odyssey alum Corey Saffold at our 2018 “Night of the Living Humanities” fundraiser. In late October of any other year, you might have …
October 15, 2020
Powerful voices for change
“I am a first-time voter and just cast my vote,” said one 63-year-old Odyssey student. Another in his early thirties admitted, “I didn’t vote four years ago . . . but now I will.” Both …
October 1, 2020
Odyssey Beyond Bars goes online
Last fall we were so excited to offer the first credit-bearing course in a Wisconsin prison in over 100 years. (This Isthmus article from February 2020 describes the fall program and its moving December graduation ceremony at Oakhill …
September 30, 2020
Voices for voting: REGISTER NOW
“Odyssey gave me a voice, and for that, I am thankful beyond words,” remarked René Robinson, an Odyssey alumna and member of the Friends of Odyssey Board of Directors. René and several other Odyssey graduates …
September 15, 2020
New Odyssey families need your help
“I believe in the philosophy that everyone deserves a chance, and Odyssey is the chance I need to expand my horizons and learn,” Burnett Reed wrote when he applied for the Odyssey Project. A special …
September 1, 2020
Powerful alumni responses to the pandemic and the protests
Throughout the summer, Odyssey staff and alumni have gathered online on Wednesday nights to keep learning, share heartbreaking experiences, and support each other during these unprecedented times. We have explored vocabulary words ranging from asphyxiation …
August 30, 2020
The beloved Dr. Baron Kelly joins Odyssey faculty!
We are delighted to announce that this month Baron joins us as a senior, tenured professor with a joint appointment between the Odyssey Project and the UW Department of Theatre and Drama. For Baron, this …
August 15, 2020
College Behind Bars — August 7
The UW Odyssey Project, First Unitarian Society, and MOSES Team invite you to a viewing of College Behind Bars, a film by Lynn Novick, as part of the First Friday Film Series on August 7 at 6:30 p.m. Join …
July 30, 2020Success Coach Succeeds Himself!
Brian Benford, Odyssey Class of 2007, survived cancer, raised five children, and battled poverty as he journeyed toward degrees and a career. Although the pandemic robbed him of the chance to walk across a stage …
July 15, 2020
Virtual class of 2021 feels real excitement
For the first time in Odyssey’s history, we are beginning a new online-only class. The challenges are immense, as we will be working to create a warm community and life-changing effects without in-person discussions, hugs, …
July 1, 2020
New $3 million endowment empowers UW Odyssey Project to combat inequities
During insecure times, we are thrilled to announce a $3 million endowment to help secure Odyssey’s future. The endowment is named after Emily’s mother, Wanda, who made it out of dire poverty through her love of reading …
July 1, 2020- More Odyssey Updates