End-of-Semester Celebration Highlights “In Your Shoes” Student Ensemble

The Prison Scholars Program celebrated yet another successful semester! 

This semester’s celebration included remarks from faculty and students, as well as Georgetown alum and Ward 7 Councilmember Wendell Felder. Councilmember Fender spoke about the importance of education and applauded the scholars for their dedication to furthering their education. 

This celebration was also especially meaningful because it marked the conclusion of the inaugural “In Your Shoes: Performance as an Art of Care” course. 

Throughout the semester, students used theatrical performance as a vehicle for trust-building, self-discovery and deep listening. Through guided group exercises and paired conversations, participants curated and performed one another’s exact words, exploring personal hopes, aspirations, beliefs and fears that often go unspoken.

Offered in partnership with Georgetown’s Laboratory for Global Performance & Politics, the pilot course brought The Lab’s acclaimed In Your Shoes™ approach to students in the program. The facilitation team included Professor Derek Goldman, the Lab’s artistic and executive director and creator of In Your Shoes; Rabbi Rachel Gartner, co-director of the In Your Shoes Research & Practice Center; and Melisande Short-Colomb, the Lab’s community engagement associate.

The course culminated in a collaborative ensemble performance, drawing directly from students’ lived experiences and insights. 

The play, developed over the course of the semester, earned a standing ovation from the audience during the end-of-semester celebration.

“What an incredible privilege and honor it has been for us to work with these inspiring students,” said Professor Derek Goldman, the Lab’s artistic and executive director and creator of In Your Shoes. “Throughout our time together, the students embraced this performance process as a vehicle to courageously and vulnerably share and affirm one another’s stories, hopes, fears, regrets, and dreams about their families, their children, and their visions for the future. At the culminating celebration, it was palpable how validating this community-wide experience was for all. This course was envisioned as a pilot offering for an ongoing partnership and we are thrilled to be actively planning next steps for this work together.”

The end-of-semester celebration was yet another reminder of the hard work and commitment to excellence that each student possesses.  Stay tuned for more updates on the spring 2026 semester!