Nashville OIC operates a variety of education programs for adults in the Nashville metro area, particularly adults with prior criminal convictions. Students who enroll at Nashville OIC receive a specialized assessment, which takes into account the student's education level, job skills, job history and any education barriers. Adult education classes at Nashville OIC utilize Plato, a learning software suite that allows students to gain skills in writing, reading, mathematics, social studies and science at their own pace. Students also learn how to operate Microsoft Office. Nashville OIC also operates the Employment Career Services Offices, which assists students with preparing a resume and interviewing skills, as well as matching individual students to community employers willing to hire ex-felons.
The Adult Learning Program at Literacy Mid-South, located in midtown Memphis, is designed to provide basic education to adults with low levels of literacy, including adults with prior felony convictions. More than 250 trained volunteers from the community teach adult literacy classes at Literacy Mid-South, which has been operating for more than 30 years. The Adult Learning Program teaches students lifetime-learning skills, adult basic education classes and pre-GED. Students at the Adult Learning Program meet with a private tutor and have the use of a dedicated computer lab.
Chattanooga Endeavors, located in downtown Chattanooga, is a charity with the goal of helping ex-offenders seek employment. Ex-offenders that enroll with Chattanooga Endeavors receive a variety of life-skills training, including an intensive psychoeducation class and job-acquisition training. For ex-offenders with significant needs, Chattanooga Endeavors also provides case-management services and supplemental training, including substance-abuse treatment. For students who wish to obtain a GED, Chattanooga Endeavors provides referrals to low-cost adult education centers in the Chattanooga area.
Bridges, located in downtown Memphis, operates the Bridges GED/Life Skills Program, which provides 12-week pre-GED and GED programs for students over the age of 17. As of 2011, the cost of enrolling in the Bridges GED/Life Skills Program is only $50 per 12-week term, which is refunded for students who successfully complete the program. In addition to teaching the academic skills necessary for passing the GED, the Bridges GED/Life Skills Program also allows students to take classes focusing on a number of important life skills for students with prior felony convictions, including conflict resolution, self-esteem building, decision making, office decorum and interviewing skills.