LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts and several officials have visited with inmates participating in a club that helps them connect and communicate with others.

The governor, the director of the state Department of Correctional Services and a Nebraska senator joined a Monday meeting with around 15 inmates at the State Penitentiary to watch some of them deliver speeches.

Sponsors of the INnovators Club say it helps build inmates’ confidence and communication skills. Ricketts pushed the inmates to stick with the group and shook hands with some of them.

Members of the club say it’s still struggling to pay the dues needed to make them official with its parent organization, Toastmasters International. INnovators president Jose Rodriguez pushed officials to make sure the club stays afloat.