Freedom School

2023 Summer Program runs July 10 through August 18, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

The Riverside Church has committed to providing our families with a summer program experience to maintain our relationship with our young scholars and help to make summer 2023 a summer of learning. Our Education Ministry team will continue with the tradition of Harambe, literacy, and social justice curriculum each week through the month of July and into August to keep the spirit of Freedom School alive. For more information, please email Min. Nordia Bennett.

The CDF Freedom Schools program incorporates the totality of CDF’s mission by fostering environments that support children and young adults (known as “scholars” in the CDF Freedom Schools program) to excel and believe in their ability to make a difference in themselves and in their families, schools, communities, country, and world with hope, education and action.

Click Here for the 2023 Freedom School Enrollment Form

Click Here for the 2023 Freedom School Enrollment Form in Spanish

Servant Leader Intern Job Description

All applications submissions sent to Min. Nordia Bennett.

Riverside’s Freedom School offers scholars:

*Personalized academic coaching utilizing Children’s Defense Fund reading enrichment modules.
*Support and love from a host of inter-generational camp mentors.
*Two nutritious meals and a snack every day.
*Daily fun afternoon activities promoting learning and physical activities like swimming, visiting the Liberty Science Center, the Rose Center for Earth & Space, The Schwartzman Library, The American Museum of Natural History, and more.

Freedom School curriculum is rooted in the Civil Rights Movement and based on the Mississippi Freedom Summer Project of 1964, organized by the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and the Council of Federated Organizations (COFO). The Children’s Defense Fund Freedom Schools (CDF) program was created in 1995 and has since served more than 135,000 scholars.

Based on a Philliber Research Associates evaluation of the Freedom School program, scholars who attend Freedom School programs score significantly higher on standardized reading achievement tests than children who attend other summer enrichment programs. African American middle school boys made the greatest gains of all.

We are getting ready for an exciting summer filled with learning and fun for our scholars, and we need your help. You can find our Amazon wish list here that will help us make the program this year the best yet.

It is also possible to sponsor a class of scholars directly. If you are interested in finding out more, please Min. Nordia Bennett.