Edovo update

As most of you know, in March of this year WELS Prison Ministry began offering three of our Bible study courses on a digital learning management system created for inmates. This system, titled Edovo, is now available in about 1,000 correctional facilities housing about 1 million inmates total. (Note that not all inmates in these facilities have easy access to the tablet devices that have the Edovo app.) While 1,000 represents about 20 percent of all facilities, 1 million inmates is about 40 percent of the total population nationwide. To date, we have received Edovo tests back from more than 800 of those 1000 facilities. Our reach is significantly higher than the 400 facilities and 125,000 inmates that had access when we started in March.

As we mentioned in our previous newsletter, the response has been significant. We are receiving over 200 tests per week from just 3 courses on Edovo’s system. We continue to receive about 100 tests per week through the mail as well.

We still need additional test correctors. We are trying to rebuild our stable of active correctors back to 200 or more so that we can turnaround corrected tests in a timely manner. If you have interest in participating in this type of ministry, which can be done from your home anonymously to the inmates, contact our New Ulm office for more information (507-354-3130; [email protected]). We have made progress on our highly anticipated portal or website that will allow correctors to do their work online. We expect that system to be ready soon and pray that it further reduces turnaround time for tests.

We have been evaluating various strategies for releasing the remaining 23 of the current 26 Level 1 Bible study courses on Edovo. We have decided initially to create courses that do not require human correction, that is, the program will indicate to the inmates whether their answers on the final test are correct or not as they submit their answers. This will allow much more content to be available without overwhelming our correction system. However, our intent is slowly to convert studies back to human correction as the capability of our correction procedures and stable of correctors allows growth. Many inmates have expressed thanks for the volunteer efforts of the correctors over the years. We believe there is great blessing both to the inmate and to the corrector in this personal, if anonymous, interaction. We’d like to incorporate this interaction in our dealings with as many inmates as possible.

So thank God with us for as we learn how best to use the opportunities he provides, and pray diligently that he guides us so that we reach every soul behind bars that he has elected to be part of his kingdom.