The lack of opportunities for youth to engage in meaningful academic practices such as reading, writing, and speaking feeds the school-prison nexus. But budget cuts, teacher layoffs, and program depletions make providing a rigorous, well-rounded, 21st century education increasingly difficult. Yet is still possible to do, especially in a collaborative environment that includes K-12 schools, universities, and social service agencies. The University-Assisted Community School after-school program--the result of a partnership between Pond Gap Elementary School and the University of Tennessee in Knoxville--is a prime example.