Some big ideas start small. What began as a volunteer stint for an Ithaca newcomer has blossomed into a book by incarcerated young women that has served not only as a vehicle for self-expression but also a personal window into their lives.

It all started when Tamar Carroll, visiting assistant professor of history, came to Cornell in the summer of 2008; having taught a seminar on women's activism and social change, she began teaching women's history at the Lansing State Residential Center, a limited security facility. But she soon realized that the residents -- 50 girls between the ages of 11 and 18 -- would probably respond better to volunteers who were closer to them in age. So she decided to offer a Women's Activism and Social Change service-learning course for the 2009 fall semester.

The course concept was simple: merge theory in the classroom with practice in the field. The 13 Cornell students taking the course not only read up on key issues for in-class discussions, but also worked weekly with the girls at the correctional facility to produce an illustrated book about their experiences of incarceration.

"I wanted the residents to have something tangible" after the Cornell students completed their course, said Carroll, "and I wanted the Cornell students to experience the leadership process through the book-creating process, becoming immersed in the situation, facilitating a group in working toward a goal and encountering the obstacles that activists encounter."

Carroll obtained funding for such materials as paper, pens, markers and art materials from Cornell's Public Service Center, and the Cornell students, working in groups of three to four with the residents, planned creative writing, photography, painting, collage-creating and rap-writing projects to complete.

"We tried to foster creative self-expression as a form of empowerment and emotional release," Carroll said. "It meant a lot to the residents to see their words, photos and artwork in print."

The collection of poetry, painting, writing and photography includes work from 12 Lansing residents, some of whom noted their wish to return home. The Cornell students titled the book "Release" to not only reflect these hopes but also to convey the process of artistic and expressive release that defined the weekly activities.

"It was enlightening and encouraging to see how affected and emotional Cornell and Lansing students were by the end of our time together," said Davina Chen '11, a biology and society major and teaching assistant for the course, adding that her perspective also was broadened as a public service scholar (a student selected to work toward a leadership certificate from the Public Service Center). She said she learned that it is a misconception to think that this classroom experience can help "save the girls -- whatever that entails. We are there to learn from them and hope that they can learn from us."

Emma Schain '11, an American studies major, said: "After learning that most of the girls … are from the New York City metropolitan area, I wanted to engage with them to learn more about what happens to young people in urban areas when they are faced with real struggles and difficult living environments. By working with them, I learned about the most troubling domestic issues that are currently faced by a large portion of this country's citizens."

In addition to providing for copies of the book for the residents and Cornell students, the Public Service Center is trying to secure funding to distribute the book to public libraries, academic institutions, families and academics studying imprisonment issues.

And as an online book created through Blurb and available at http://www.blurb.com/books/988953, the experiences of these women extend far beyond the institutional walls from which they want release.