The Children’s Defense Fund Freedom Schools® program provides comprehensive, culturally-relevant summer and after-school enrichment to children in high-poverty areas. The program helps children fall in love with reading, increases their self-esteem, generates more positive attitudes toward learning and connects their families with needed resources in the community. The CDF Freedom Schools program is proven to curb summer learning loss and help close the opportunity gap. Rooted in the 1964 Mississippi Freedom Summer and the Civil Rights Movement with a transformative vision of education for all children, the program is a key part of our work to level the playing field for all children. Since 1995, more than 137,000 pre-K-12 children have had a CDF Freedom Schools experience and more than 16,000 college students and young adult staff have been trained to deliver this empowering model.
Contact a Minnesota CDF Freedom Schools® site:
Academia Cesar Chavez, 1801 Lacrosse Ave, St Paul, MN 55119
For scholar enrollment and interested Servant Leader Interns contact Sarah Johnston at sjohnston@cesarchavezschool.com or (612) 840-9408.
Excell Academy for Higher Learning, 5800 65th Ave N, Brooklyn Park, MN 55429
For scholar enrollment and interested Servant Leader Interns contact Tonya Williams at twilliams@excellacademy.org or (612) 220-9828 or Jartue McCoy at jmccoy@excellacademy.org
Friendship Academy of the Arts, 3320 E. 44th Street, Minneapolis, MN 55406
For scholar enrollment and interested Servant Leader Interns contact Leavon Fields at lfields@friendshipacademy.org or (651) 278-1887.
Hopkins Public Schools, 10700 Cedar Lake Rd, Minnetonka, MN 55305
For scholar enrollment and interested Servant Leader Interns contact Paris Timmons at paris.timmons@hopkinsschools.org
ISD 622
For scholar enrollment and interested Servant Leader Interns contact Cherise Ayers at cayers@isd622.org or (651) 748-7463
Kitty Andersen Youth Science Center, St. Paul, MN 55103
For scholar enrollment and interested Servant Leader Interns contact Kayla Swanson at kswanson@smm.org or (612) 272-1213
Lutheran Social Services @ Christ the River Church of Life, 2200 Fremont Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55411
For scholar enrollment and interested Servant Leader Interns contact contact Heather Kamia at heather.kamia@lssmn.org or (612) 879-5367.
Minneapolis Public Schools @ Green Central, 3416 4th Ave S, Minneapolis MN 55408
For scholar enrollment and interested Servant Leader Interns contact Desean Smedley at desean.smedley@mpls.k12.mn.us or (612) 668-3864.
Minneapolis Public Schools @ City View, 3350 N 4th St, Minneapolis MN 55412
For scholar enrollment and interested Servant Leader Interns contact Desean Smedley at desean.smedley@mpls.k12.mn.us or (612) 668-3864.
Robbinsdale Area Schools @ FAIR Crystal, 3915 Adair Ave N, Crystal MN 55422
For scholar enrollment and interested Servant Leader Interns contact Tamuriel Grace at tamuriel_grace@rdale.org or (763) 504-8026.
St. Paul Public Schools Capitol Hill Magnet, 560 Concordia Ave, St. Paul, MN 55103
For scholar enrollment and interested Servant Leader Interns contact Dr. Darcel Hill at Darcel.hill@spps.org or (651) 428-1322.
St. Paul Public Schools Hazel Park, 1140 White Bear Ave, St. Paul, MN 55106
For scholar enrollment and interested Servant Leader Interns contact Dr. Darcel Hill at Darcel.hill@spps.org or (651) 428-1322.
The Legacy of Dr. Josie R. Johnson Montessori, 5140 Fremont Ave N, Minneapolis MN 55430
For scholar enrollment and interested Servant Leader Interns contact Tonicia Abdur Salaam at tas@jjlegacy.org or (651) 398-5586
White Bear Lake Area Schools @ Willow Lane Elementary, 3375 Willow Ave, White Bear Lake MN 55110
For scholar enrollment and interested Servant Leader Interns contact Tim Maurer at tim.maurer@isd624.org or (651) 407-7509