In this episode, you'll learn about the people behind College Gateway, the three-part higher education program for students affected by the criminal-legal system, located at Red Rocks Community College in Lakewood, Colorado: who designed it, who's in the classroom, and who can succeed with its teachings. Join hosts Seth Ready and Lucy Richardson as they interview College Gateway founder and coordinator Cathy Lachman, along with a classroom full of Gateway students, to explore what this transformative program looks like from the inside.

What makes Red Rocks Community College’s Gateway work? What barriers has it overcome? And what can it teach listeners across the U.S. about the role of colleges and universities in creating second chances?

Gateway answers these questions, uplifting the voices of the program’s students, educators, administrators, and advocates. Through their stories, we explore how education can be a bridge to stability, opportunity, and belonging.

The team behind Gateway:

Hosted, produced, and written by Seth Ready & Lucy Richardson

Original music produced by Carlos "Carlitos" Perez, Ira Miner, & Lucy Richardson
Edited by Lucy Richardson
Mastered by Tongjai Lee

Graphic design by Benjamin Greaves

Voice talent by Trevor Jones

Executive Produced by Ryan Conarro

Gateway is a production of Colorado Radio for Justice, in partnership with Red Rocks Community College. 

Learn more about College Gateway at www.rrcc.edu/gateway.
Hear and watch more from Colorado Radio for Justice here.

Gateway is a podcast from Colorado Radio for Justice.

For 20 years, a little-known program at Red Rocks Community College has been quietly changing lives. It’s called College Gateway, and it offers higher ed opportunities for people directly impacted by the criminal-legal system. Students get free from prison and jail, and they come to College Gateway, where they build a path forward on their reentry journey.

What makes Red Rocks Community College’s Gateway work? What barriers has it overcome? And what can it teach listeners across the U.S. about the role of colleges and universities in creating second chances?

Gateway answers these questions, uplifting the voices of the program’s students, educators, administrators, and advocates. Through their stories, we explore how education can be a bridge to stability, opportunity, and belonging.

Gateway includes the following episodes:

1. Taking Off the Mask
2. For All the Marbles
3. A Search for Meaning
4. Beyond the Gates

The team behind Gateway includes:

Hosts, producers, and writers: Seth Ready & Lucy Richardson

Music: Carlos "Carlitos" Perez, Ira Miner, & Lucy Richardson

Graphic design: Benjamin Greaves

Voice talent: Trevor Jones

Executive Producer: Ryan Conarro

Gateway is a production of Colorado Radio for Justice, in partnership with Red Rocks Community College. 

Learn more about College Gateway at www.rrcc.edu/gateway.
Hear and watch more from Colorado Radio for Justice here.