The CDF Freedom
Schools® Program
Overview
Mission of the Children’s
Defense Fund
The Children’s Defense Fund Leave No Child Behind®
Mission is to ensure every child a Healthy Start, a
Head Start, a Fair Start, a Safe Start and a Moral Start
in life and successful passage to adulthood with the help
of caring families and communities.
CDF provides a strong, effective and independent voice
for all the children of America who cannot vote, lobby
or speak for themselves. We pay particular attention to
the needs of poor and minority children and those with
disabilities.
Mrs. Marian Wright Edelman
President
Est. 1973
MWE with Rep. Robert Clark (MS)
CDF’s National Programs
Health Coverage for All Children Campaign
Tax and Public Benefits Outreach
Student Poverty Reduction and Health Outreach Programs
Cradle to Prison Pipeline® Campaign
Beat the Odds® Celebrations
CDF Emerging Leaders® Program
Religious Action
Young Advocacy Leadership Training (YALTSM) Program
Highlights of
CDF’s Accomplishments
1973
1974
1975
1976
1978
1979
1980
1981
1988
1990
1992
1996
1997
1999
2001
2001
2004
2005
2007
2008
Children Out of School in America Report
Juvenile Justice & Delinquency Prevention Act
Education for All Handicapped Children Act (IDEA)
Children in Adult Jails Study
Protect Head Start
Children’s Public Policy Network
Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act
Child Watch Visitation Program
Family Report Act
Black Community Crusade for Children® Program
CDF Freedom Schools® model piloted
Stand for Children
Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP)
Foster Care Independence Act
Child Tax Credit & Earned Income Tax Credit
Comprehensive Act to Leave No Child Behind
Tax and Benefits Outreach
CDF Freedom Schools® Katrina Relief and Gulf Region Expansion
Cradle to Prison Pipeline® Campaign
All Healthy Children Act: Health & Mental Health Coverage for All Children!
Immediate Priorities
for All Children
1. End Child Poverty
2. Ensure Every Child and Pregnant Woman Access to Affordable,
Seamless, Comprehensive Health and Mental Health Coverage and
Services
3. Provide High Quality Early Childhood Development Programs for
All Children
4. Ensure Every Child Can Read at Grade Level by Fourth Grade and
Guarantee Quality Education through High School Graduation
5. Protect Children from Abuse and Neglect and Connect Them to
Caring Permanent Families
6. Stop the Criminalization of Children at Increasingly Younger Ages
and Invest in Prevention and Early Intervention
The Cradle to Prison Pipeline® Campaign
Every child is sacred.
lack of prenatal care
racial disparities
no health insurance
generational cycle
too little early childhood
education and
development
educational inequities
grade retention
unreasonable school
discipline policies
“zero tolerance”
criminalizing
youth behavior
Born in 2001
Black Boy: 1 in 3 chance
Latino Boy: 1 in 6 chance
White Boy: 1 in 17 chance
lifetime risk of going to prison
Youth Leadership Development
CDF identifies, trains and empowers current and emerging leaders for children,
inspires them to act effectively and build strong and healthy communities, and
engages and sustains them with lasting intergenerational relationships.
Leadership Development Program
# of Participants
Internship Program
National Conferences
BCCC® Advance Advocacy Workshops
Beat the Odds® Celebrations
CDF Freedom Schools® Program
Proctor Institute for Child Advocacy Ministry
Student Health Outreach (SHOUT®) Program
CDF Emerging Leaders® Program
(Early Childhood)
Youth in the Movement (Regional)
Student Poverty Reduction Outreach
(SPROUT®) Program
Young Adult Leaders Training
Timeframe
2500+
1,000+
500+
400+
70,000+
4,000+
750+
1973 –
1986 –
1990 –
1990 –
1995 –
1994 –
1997 –
300+
3,500+
1999 –
2000 –
750+
400+
2001 –
2003 –
CDF Freedom Schools® Program
• Modeled after the intergenerational servant leadership approach used
during the Mississippi Freedom Summer Project of 1964
• Reborn under the leadership of Marian Wright Edelman and the
Children’s Defense Fund’s Black Community Crusade for Children as
“parallel institutions” to provide complementary learning support
• First summer program sites were in Bennettsville, South Carolina, and
Kansas City, Missouri
• After-school model implemented postKatrina in Mississippi and Louisiana to
serve displaced and affected families
BCCC® meeting at the Rockefeller
Foundation in Bellagio, Italy, 1990
CDF Freedom Schools® programs serve
all children, are inclusive and seek
diversity in all initiatives. All children and
advocates for children are welcome, no
matter their ethnicity, race, gender,
socio-economic status, exceptionality,
language, religion, sexual orientation or
geographic origin.
Program Standards
• Participation in the rigorous Ella Baker Child Policy Training Institute
• Children ages 5–18 are provided a safe, nurturing environment with high
expectations
• Recommended daily summer schedule: Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.– 3 p.m.
• A child/intern ratio of 10:1 with sufficient classroom and recreational spaces
• Two healthy meals and a snack each day
• Responsible college-age students and adults mentor children and demonstrate good
decision making
• Utilization of the Integrated Reading Curriculum and model classroom for 6–8
weeks
• Developmentally appropriate activities that promote creativity, teamwork, conflict
resolution and social action
• Proactively engaging family members as volunteers and in weekly meetings
• Working in collaboration with churches, community-based organizations, colleges
and universities and school districts
• Timely and complete submission of all required materials
Program Theme:
I Can Make a Difference!
Week 1: In my Self
Week 2: In my Family
Week 3 : In my Community
Week 4: In my Country
Week 5: In my World
Week 6: With Hope, Education and Action
Key Program Components:
High Quality Curriculum
Intergenerational Leadership Development
Parent and Family Involvement
Civic Engagement and Social Action
Nutrition, Health and Mental Health
Educational Philosophy
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All children are capable of learning to high standards.
Appreciation and knowledge of one’s culture engenders self -worth
and the ability to live in community with others.
Literacy is essential to personal empowerment and civic
responsibility.
Learning communities that offer a sense of safety, love, caring and
personal power are needed for transformative education.
Parents are crucial partners in children’s learning and need
supports to become better parents.
As citizens, children and adults have the power to make a
difference in their communities and be advocates for themselves.
Sponsor Partner Types
Community-Based
Organizations
Faith Groups
School Partnerships
Institutions of Higher
Learning
Municipalities
Ella Baker Child Policy Training Institute
CDF Haley Farm • University of Tennessee • Washington, DC
January: Ella Baker Trainer Orientation & Training
February: Orientation & Training for Executive Directors
March: Orientation & Training for Project Directors and Site
Coordinators
April: Integrated Reading Curriculum Training Team
June: National Training for Site Coordinators and Servant Leader
Interns
August: After-School Training for Existing Sites
September: Debrief Meeting
October: Expansion and Outreach Meeting
November: Integrated Reading Curriculum Advisory Board Meeting
CDF Freedom Schools® Ella Baker
Child Policy Training Institute
CDF Haley Farm
Alex Haley
Author of Roots
“We who believe in freedom cannot rest
until it comes.” – Ella Baker
Recommended Summer Schedule
8:00–8:30 a.m.
8:30–9:00 a.m.
9:00–10:30 a.m.
10:30–10:45 a.m.
10:45–11:45 a.m.
11:45–12:00 p.m.
12:00–1:00 p.m.
1:00–3:00 p.m.
3:00 p.m.
3:30 p.m.
Breakfast with Children and Staff
Harambee!
Integrated Reading Curriculum, Pt. 1
Reading, Conflict Resolution and Social Action
Morning Break
Integrated Reading Curriculum, Pt. 2
D.E.A.R. Time
Drop Everything And Read
Lunch with Children and Staff
Afternoon Activities
Dismissal
Daily Debrief Meeting (Staff)
Harambee!
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Swahili word that means “let’s pull together”
First used by Jomo Kenyatta upon release from prison in Kenya
Still used today to bring communities together and resolve conflicts
Time of informal sharing to celebrate selves and each other
Should energize and create a positive atmosphere
Parents and community leaders are encouraged to participate
Must be conducted as outlined below and be limited to 30 minutes
Harambee! Components
Read Aloud
Motivational Song
Cheers/Chants
Recognitions
Moment of Silence
Announcements
Model Classroom Components
Welcome Sign
Cooperation Contract
Weekly Themes
Daily Schedule
Daily Lesson Agenda
Reading Circle
Creative Stations for Cooperative Group Activities
Lyrics to Motivational Song
Children’s Work Displayed
Books Displayed
Graphic Organizers and Visual Documentation
Integrated Reading Curriculum
• Reading is the key that can unlock the door to children’s dreams
and their unlimited potential.
• The Integrated Reading Curriculum is not designed to teach
the mechanics of reading. The goal is to instill a life-long love
of reading and the ideas found in books.
• It is activity-oriented and designed to excite, motivate,
stimulate, arouse, expose, inspire, delight, enchant and
rejuvenate!
Integrated Reading Curriculum
Supports all school-age children according to grade just completed.
Daily lesson plans are written based on the following levels:
Level
Grades
Books per week
I
K–2
3-5
II
3–5
2-3
III
6–8
1
IV
9–12
1
Integrated Reading Curriculum
The CDF Freedom Schools Integrated Reading Curriculum:
• engages children with books written by and about individuals
who represent the diversity of our world.
• emphasizes stories of children, women and men who have made
a difference and encourages children to do the same.
• helps children explore issues related to self-esteem and self-respect.
• offers children ideas/encouragement to involve themselves in service.
• expands children’s capacity to dream and to believe they can
make their dreams reality.
Integrated Reading Curriculum
The CDF Freedom Schools Integrated Reading Curriculum is:
• developmentally appropriate.
• grounded in research and best practices.
• organized by grade level and features engaging activity-based lessons.
• features cooperative group activities and conflict resolution strategies that extend
the literature-based curriculum.
• includes a Resource Library that remains with the partner sponsor.
• features multicultural books suitable for diverse student populations.
• gives each child in the summer program a book for their home library each week;
in the after-school program every child receives a book each month.
Langston Hughes Library Advisory Board & CDF Freedom Schools Curriculum Committee
Integrated Reading Curriculum
Daily Lesson Agenda
Day:
Week:
Book:
Author:
Focus:
Opening Activity (15 min.)
Introduces the lesson, motivates children, and stimulates interest in the book under study.
Main Activity I & II (30 min.)/ III & IV (45 min.)
Engages children in reading and discussing the book under study.
Cooperative Group Activity I & II (75 min.) / III & IV (60 min.)
Children work together at creative stations on activities related to the book and theme.
Conflict Resolution/Social Action Activity (20 min.)
Children apply decision-making strategies.
Closing Activity (10 min.)
This offers closure to the day’s lesson and ties together all the activities.
Afternoon Activities
• Educationally and culturally enriching activities related to the IRC
• Age appropriate
• Arranged in a rotating schedule
• Requires advanced planning and preparation
Street Clean-ups
Performing Arts
Sign Language
Dance
Multi-Media
Photography
Storytelling
Pottery
Field Trips
Chess
Music
Drumming
Social Action
Science/Math Labs
Athletics
Computer Lab
Theatre
Cooking
Service Projects
Organized Sports
Non-Competitive Games
Public Speaking
Poetry Spoken Word
Art
National Day of Social Action
Dr. Theresa Perry of Brown University emphasizes the
theory of African American achievement and the
importance of Black and Latino youth belonging to an
“intentionally intellectual community.”
“In spite of the fact that [Black] students knew and asserted that one had to work hard
to succeed... [they were] characterized by the low-effort syndrome... [and] not highly
engaged in their schoolwork and homework.”
–Dr. John Ogbu, Berkeley
The majority of CDF Freedom Schools®
interns were interested in careers that involved
working with children, and they were or
planned to be active in their community.”
Telling the Story of the CDF Freedom Schools Way
Pilot Evaluation 2005, Dr. Fletcher, Jackson, MS
“Even being a summer program, he
would go to bed at a reasonable time,
just to get up on his own in the morning
ready for Freedom School.”
Baltimore Parent
UMBC Evaluation, Dr. Seiler, 2005
Evaluation
A three-year longitudinal study of the Kansas City CDF Freedom
Schools initiative by the Philliber Research Associates of New York
found that:
Enrolled children improved their readings skills more than students
not enrolled in CDF Freedom Schools programs. Both boys and girls
improved, but boys showed more improvement. Middle school
students showed the largest gains in reading skills.
Parents reported their children had a greater love of learning, better
conflict resolution skills. and more involvement in the community
after participating in the program.
Interns were positive role models and half of the interns had
previously held a position of leadership in a community organization.
Over eighty-percent percent (88%) of interns had been involved in
extra-curricular activities through school, church or other community
organizations.
Evaluation
“The average scholar demonstrated a significant
improvement in reading. End-of-year scores
were 2.7 percentile points higher than assessments
completed during the first week. Students in the
comparison group did not demonstrate similar
improvements.”
“Scholars appear to end the summer looking for
more ways they can make a difference in their
communities by helping others, including others they
don't know.”
CDF Freedom Schools® Program
1992-2009
• Believing in Children So That They Believe in Themselves
• Empowering Young Adults for Active Lives of Leadership
and Service to Children
• Engaging Parents as Guideposts on the Path of Hope and Success
• Transforming Communities Through Literacy and
Leadership Development
• Dismantling the pipeline to prison by addressing
children’s health needs and modeling non-violent,
conflict resolution skills to the children, youth
and young adults in our care.
Next Steps
• Prospective Sponsor Partner Information
• 2009 Important Dates:
Select Project Director – January 20
Executive Director O&T – February 11 – 13
Select Site Coordinator – February 27
First Payment 50% Due – March 16
Book Order Due - March 16
Project Director & Site Coordinator O&T –
March 26 – 29
Select Interns – April 20
Site Coordinator and Interns National Training –
May 1 – June 7