Unlock Day: Why a simple emoji could change a million lives

Unlock Day has been extended to Unlock Week, and we need your help to make a difference. It’s as simple as this: post a 🔓 emoji on social media using the hashtag #UnlockDay—and for every emoji shared, Edovo’s donors will fund one more day of free education for someone behind bars. The more you post, the more you unlock, literally. We’re counting emojis through April 1, 2025.

So, why are we doing this, and why should you care? Because there are still over one million incarcerated individuals who don’t have access to Edovo’s educational resources, and that’s where this campaign comes in.

Here's the thing: access to education is everything. For so many incarcerated people, it’s their ticket to breaking the cycle of recidivism, rebuilding their lives, and getting a second chance. But, and this is a big BUT, a lot of incarcerated people don’t have the option to unlock that education because they’re missing three key things: access, awareness, and funding.

Access: Sustainable solutions

Not every agency has programs or tools for the masses due to challenges with understaffing and security. This means that incarcerated individuals are stuck on waitlists or blocked from accessing life changing programs. Edovo is here to change that. We make access possible on the already existing or soon-to-exist tablets within correctional facilities. By raising our voices on Unlock Day, we’re making it clear that education should be available in every facility, for everyone behind bars. Permission is the key to unlocking a better future for these individuals.  

Awareness: Getting people to know it’s possible

Surprisingly, a lot of decision-makers in corrections still don’t know that there’s a platform built specifically for providing free education in correctional facilities. That’s why Unlock Day matters so much. When thousands of people post 🔓 emojis, it’s a loud, collective call to action that gets the attention of those who can bring this much-needed change.

Funding: It takes resources to scale

To expand the platform and provide more access, Edovo needs more resources—people,, infrastructure, technology and support. A campaign like this isn’t just about getting the word out—it’s about getting the funding to scale the impact. Every emoji posted gets us one step closer to funding the future of education for incarcerated learners.

What does success look like?

It’s easy to talk about big goals, but what does success actually mean here? Here’s the impact we’re aiming for:

1. Universal Access: Right now, access to education in jails and prisons is wildly inconsistent. Unlock Day is our chance to change that. We want to see all states, counties, and federal systems unlock access to education and rehabilitation tools for all incarcerated people. The goal is for education to be a standard, not a privilege.
   
   
2. One Million More People Get Access: Imagine this: one million incarcerated people who don’t have access to education, now suddenly having the tools they need to prepare for life on the outside, build new skills, and stay connected to their families. Every post, every dollar raised, brings us closer to reaching these individuals.
   
   
3. A Shift in Corrections in America: Corrections in America has been broken for a long time. But unlocking education can be the first step in shifting that paradigm. This isn’t about reforming just one jail or prison; it’s about rethinking the system as a whole—turning correction facilities into places of growth.
   
   
4. Generational Change: The effects of Unlock Day reach far beyond the people currently incarcerated. When someone has access to education in prison, it helps their family, their community, and their kids. It starts breaking generational cycles of incarceration. Access to education changes the future for entire families—and that's a ripple effect we can all be part of.
   
   

So, what’s the next step?

It’s simple: post the 🔓 emoji. For every emoji shared through April 1, you’re helping to fund a day of education for someone who needs it. This campaign is our opportunity to unlock something bigger than any one of us could do on our own. The more people we reach, the more we can make a difference in the lives of people who have been given far fewer chances than they deserve.

Join us at unlockday.org, and let’s unlock education for a better future.