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The first Freedom Schools were established in during the 1964 Freedom Summer movement with one clear goal: “to challenge the myths of our society, to perceive more clearly its realities, and to find alternatives - ultimately new directions for action.” Now, 50 years later, our Children’s Defense Fund Freedom Schools® programs remain committed to fulfilling the spirit of this charge. For the last six weeks, we have been working with organizations throughout California to give the over 1,600 children and teenagers in the program an unforgettable experience that will stay with them long after the program ends. Our scholars have been exposed to literature and ideas that are changing the way they see the world and their place in it; they are getting life lessons from filmmakers, actors, elected officials, musicians, and professional athletes; they are participating in activities that are expanding their horizons; and, above all, they are learning that they possess the power to make a difference in themselves, their communities, and the world. A picture is worth a thousand words: check out our photo albums and find out how you can join the CDF Freedom Schools movement. Making a Difference in Juvenile Probation Camps We always knew that our CDF Freedoms Schools programs would bring joy, liberation, and hope to juvenile probation camps in California - and now we now have proof! On July 3rd, researchers from UCLA, USC and Vital Research released an evaluation report that reveals the enormous benefits the program has for incarcerated youth. The evaluation, sponsored by Los Angeles County Second District Supervisor Mark Ridley Thomas, was conducted last summer at our pilot CDF Freedom Schools sites at Camp Afflerbaugh Paige and Camp George C. Miller in Los Angeles County. The evaluation found that youth who participated in the program experienced dramatic increases in both their reading ability and their interest in learning in general. At the same time, researchers also noted a corresponding decrease in number of suspensions and fights during the six weeks the program was in session. But don’t take our word for it: read the evaluation yourself. TAKE ACTION: End the CalWORKs Truancy Penalty The most effective way to reduce student truancy is to remove the obstacles that are causing it. Assembly Bill 2382 , by Assemblymember Bradford, takes us a step in the right direction by eliminating a duplicative and discriminatory truancy penalty that reduces a family’s CalWORKs welfare grant based on their child’s attendance record. In the next 2 weeks, AB 2382 will be voted on in Senate Appropriations Committee, the last step before a vote by the full Senate. Call on lawmakers now to urge their support of this important and common sense legislation. |
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