Children's Defense Fund

John,

In the words of our founder and President Emeritus, Mrs. Marian Wright Edelman, “COVID-19 poses an unprecedented public health, economic, and unemployment crisis across our nation magnifying the impact of systemic racism, poverty, economic disparities and economic injustice based on race and gender.” Every child needs hope, and the Children’s Defense Fund (CDF) Freedom Schools^® program is designed to give children and families that hope.

The Children’s Defense Fund is proud to announce the launch of our CDF Freedom Schools 2021 Summer Application. The CDF Freedom Schools program is a literacy and cultural enrichment program aimed at empowering children, families, and communities to believe in their ability to make a difference. We are seeking schools, community organizations, faith-based organizations, institutes of higher education, or other organizations seeking to empower change-makers in their communities who would like to host a CDF Freedom Schools site during summer 2021.

Learn more and apply today

The CDF Freedom Schools program model uses culturally relevant texts and a research-based curriculum to encourage conversations around social justice and civic engagement. The impact of the program is astounding: annual reading assessments have shown that scholars participating in the program gain an average of eight months in their literacy skills.

With the launch of the new application, the CDF Freedom Schools team is proud to announce the following changes to programming:

Launch of a completely virtual training series to support 2021 Sponsor Organizations, our Ella Baker Child Policy Training Institute. In response to the ongoing global pandemic, we will be prioritizing the safety and well-being of all involved with the CDF Freedom Schools movement by limiting in-person contact hours for all orientation and training sessions.
Flexible program operating styles based on the needs of your community. During the summer of 2021, Sponsor Organizations have the option to operate in-person, virtual, or hybrid CDF Freedom Schools programs based on the needs of their community.

To learn more about the application process and financial commitment to sponsor a 2021 CDF Freedom Schools site, please visit our sponsor site portal.

In Service,

The CDF Freedom Schools National Team