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.
In partnership with the Minneapolis Public Schools Community Education, OIC, and the Division of Indian Work, Children’s Defense Fund-Minnesota leads the nation’s first American Indian-focused CDF Freedom Schools program. During the summer of 2017, the program served scholars at Sanford Middle School.
This summer, our programs will serve over 1,600 children in Minnesota. 160 college-age Servant Leader Interns will work in the Freedom Schools.
p: (651) 855-1174
e: nhernandez@childrensdefense.org
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 Rudy Avina at ravina@cesarchavezschool.com or (651) 778-2940
CDF-MN American Indian Freedom School, TBD
For scholar enrollment and interested Servant Leader Interns contact Nicole Hernandez at nhernandez@childrensdefense.org or (651) 855-1174
Friendship Academy of the Arts, 2600 E 38th St, Minneapolis, MN 55406:
For scholar enrollment and interested Servant Leader Interns contact Leavon Fields at lfields@friendshipacademy.org or (651) 278-1887
ISD 622 @ Webster and Richardson Elementary Schools, 2400 17th Ave E, North St. Paul, MN 55109
For scholar enrollment and interested Servant Leader Interns contact Joseph Brooks, Heidi George, or Lisa Gruenewald at jbrooks@isd622.org, hgeorge@isd622.org, or lgruenewald@isd622.org
Kitty Andersen Youth Science Center @ St. Paul City School, 260 Edmund Ave, St. Paul, MN 55103
For scholar enrollment and interested Servant Leader Interns contact Emmanuel Donaby at edonaby@smm.org or (612) 385-4111
Lutheran Social Services @ Christ River Church of Life, 2200 Fremont Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55411
For scholar enrollment and interested Servant Leader Interns contact Heather Kamia at Heather.kamia@lssmn.org or (651) 224-5334
Osseo Area Schools @ Crest View Elementary, 8200 Zane Ave N, Brooklyn Park, MN 55443
For scholar enrollment and interested Servant Leader Interns contact Sherron Taylor at taylorsherron@district279.org
Note: Scholars must be an Osseo Area Schools student.
Osseo Area Schools @ Garden City Elementary, 3501 65th Ave, Brooklyn Center, MN 55429:
For scholar enrollment and interested Servant Leader Interns contact Sherron Taylor at taylorsherron@district279.org
Note: Scholars must be an Osseo Area Schools student.
Park Avenue Youth and Family Services @ Park Ave UMC, 3400 Park Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55407
For scholar enrollment and interested Servant Leader Interns contact Michelle Higgins at michellehiggins@payfs.org or (651) 343-8778
St. Paul Public Schools Capitol Hill/Rondo, 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
Sojourner Truth Academy, 3820 Emerson Ave North, Minneapolis, MN 55412
For scholar enrollment and interested Servant Leader Interns contact Julie Guy at jguy@sojournertruthacademy.org