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GTL Continues Support of BEST Entrepreneurship ProgramRESTON, Va., Aug. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- GTL, an innovation leader in correctional technology, education solutions that assist in rehabilitating inmates, and payment services solutions for government, today announced it will continue the commitment to entrepreneurship which began with IDS' and the Nashe family's involvement in the Building Entrepreneurs for Success in Tennessee (BEST), a program of the Nashville Entrepreneur Center (EC). Since its inception in 2014, the BEST program has had continued accolades after graduating three cohorts of student inmates and setting them on a path towards personal achievement as they work to successfully reenter society. The program has been effective in reducing recidivism rates for several reasons. The BEST program incorporates a wide variety of volunteers, professors, community leaders, business people, and professional speakers who regularly engage the program participants by sharing their entrepreneurial stories. When an inmate enters the BEST program, the first three months are spent on character development. Subsequently, inmates develop their own personal business plan. Through a partnership with a local university, a class of students visits the prison once a week to help the BEST students develop and fine tune these plans. Program participants also learn how to use software such as Microsoft® Word®, PowerPoint®, and Excel®, as well as participate in classes around financial literacy and business education principles. "BEST emphasizes the need for every student to become a confident and competent public speaker," said Karen Vander Molen, Program Director at BEST. "An important part of the curriculum is teaching students how to create and deliver a speech—by the end of the program, every student must deliver 10 speeches. This is an opportunity for students to practice effective public speaking and, concurrently, learn how to listen and understand other people, which is key when searching for and maintaining a job upon reentry." "Since 2014, IDS has supported and provided tablets to the BEST program," said Dr. Turner Nashe, GTL Senior Vice President of Education Services. "As an entrepreneur, I know that the path to personal success begins by learning the free enterprise system and the ways to succeed in it." In February of this year, Dr. Nashe and his wife, Phylanice Nashe, J.D., personally donated $100,000 to the BEST program which was recognized at a celebration event in March. "Former inmates have a difficult time finding employment," continued Dr. Nashe. "Teaching entrepreneurial skills can help make inmates self-sufficient, alleviating the stress of job applications and employment rejection. We are paving an a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10Lf8byFEXY&t=304s" rel="nofollow">inmate's path to success by providing support to organizations such as BEST." The BEST program is comprised of four phases:
"Now that IDS is part of the GTL family, we look for new ways to promote and help enhance the BEST program and other programs that put inmates on a path of personal achievement," concluded Nashe. GTL's entire solution suite will be showcased from August 20–22 in booth 301 at the American Correctional Association's 147th Congress of Correction in St. Louis, Missouri. GTL will also have its Technology in Motion tour vehicle on display inside the exposition hall at the ACA conference. The Technology in Motion vehicle includes the latest hardware, software, and connectivity to enable comprehensive hands-on demonstrations of the full range of offerings for the corrections, education, and government sectors. About GTL About BEST Press Contact: Vinnie Mascarenhas View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/gtl-continues-support-of-best-entrepreneurship-program-300504743.html SOURCE GTL |