KPU Community Impact Award 2025
Congratulations to the Surrey Pretrial Services Centre for being chosen to receive Kwantlen Polytechnic University's Community Impact Award for 2025.
Through Surrey Pretrial's dedicated involvement, Kwantlen Polytechnic University is able to offer the Inside Out Prison Exchange. The Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program is an innovative educational experience tailored to facilitate dialogue across difference. The program brings together equal numbers of campus-based "outside" students with incarcerated "inside" students for a semester-long course held in a prison, jail or other correctional setting.
From left to right: Correctional Officer Lu Ding; Correctional Officer Amrit Sandhu; Assistant Deputy Warden Anita Varan; Dean of Arts Shelley Boyd; Lead Advisor, Work Integrated Learning Larissa Petrillo; Vice President of External Affairs Randall Heidt; Creative Writing Faculty Nicola Harwood; Criminology Faculty Chris Thomson; Inside Out Prison Exchange student.
Through the committed involvement of Surrey Pretrial Services, KPU is able to provide this program to one of its core regions—and promote life-changing educational experiences that resonate far beyond the classroom walls. Through the guidance of Assistant Deputy Warden Anita Varan, this partnership showcases a progressive, community-minded institution working from within the walls to redefine carceral systems through education.
Surrey Pretrial has demonstrated a steadfast dedication to creating enriched learning experiences, and we are pleased to express our gratitude for this ongoing collaboration.
See News Release.