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Bridging The

Literacy Divide

"Once you learn to read, you will be forever free."

- Frederick Douglass

Cultivating the Joy of Reading

Children and youth from underserved communities need to see themselves authentically reflected in the stories they read. In our six-week summer program, our young scholars read books that have people who look like them and who came from circumstances like their own. These stories honor the struggles, sacrifices and triumphs of their ancestors and empower our scholars to know they can make a difference for themselves, their family, their community and the world.

Nurturing Personal & Cultural Pride

Freedom Schools were built on the understanding that literacy for Black children was not just learning reading and writing skills, it included learning about identity and equity. African American history, civics, culture and dance are integrated throughout the day. Our scholars develop self-worth, self-respect and self-esteem and learn to trust in their own abilities to use their own voices to engage with the world around them.

Gathering the Village

We surround our scholars with love, joy and enthusiasm. Our curriculum is taught by Servant Leader Interns - many of whom are former scholars. A community of volunteers expose our scholars to professions, experiences and places so they can imagine themselves as leaders, activists, healers and artists.

a legacy of improved literacy 

a legacy of improved literacy 

a legacy of improved literacy 

a legacy of improved literacy 

a legacy of improved literacy 

a legacy of improved literacy 

1964

Changing the narrative from “disadvantaged” to brilliant.
History

The Fight for Freedom

The 1964 Mississippi Freedom Summer Project of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) was organized by Black and White college activists from across the nation. The Freedom Summer Project provided a reading and humanities curriculum to motivate young people to become critically engaged in their communities.

Interracial teams of students traveled throughout the U.S. South engaging Black Americans in education and empowerment.
DETERMINED TO CHANGE THE WORLD

The Fight Continues

Freedom Schools was reborn in 1993 by children's rights activist, Marian Wright Edelman and the Children's Defense Fund© Black Community Crusade for Children Initiative. CDF Freedom Schools© were designed to reduce summer learning loss and break cycles of despair which disproportionately impact low-income children.

Nashville Freedom Schools became a Children's Defense Fund© partner in 2014. Each summer we serve scholars in two locations and have plans to expand.

Take Action

64% of third graders in Tennessee cannot read at or above grade level.

85% of children in the juvenile court system are functionally illiterate.

70% of all incarcerated adults cannot read at a 4th grade reading level.

81% of Freedom School scholars avoided summer learning loss in reading.

87% of parents saw increased confidence in their children.

87% of parents were interested in engaging in social action with their children.