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CDF Freedom Schools® are Helping Children Fall in Love with Learning
We're saying it loud and we're saying it proud: we LOVE our 2013 CDF Freedom Schools programs! This summer, 19 CDF Freedom Schools are operating throughout the state--from the Bay Area to Los Angeles to San Diego. CDF Freedom Schools are child-centered programs that partner with community based organizations, schools, churches, and juvenile justice facilities to boost student capacity and motivation to read, eliminate summer reading loss, and connect the needs of children and families to resources in their communities. Children's Defense Fund President Marian Wright Edelman says it best: "In the CDF Freedom Schools program children learn to fall in love with reading and are engaged in activities that develop their minds and bodies and nurture their spirits. The children are encouraged to dream about college and set goals for themselves, and for many of them, the program is a life-changing experience.” But don’t take our word for it: read what the San Francisco Chronicle, the Bakersfield Californian, and the Long Beach Gazette are saying about the program. So what are you waiting for? It’s time to step up and get involved with a site in your community! Empowering Youth in LA County Juvenile Justice Camps
The integration of CDF Freedom Schools programs in probation camps represents the latest development in our effort to dismantle the state's Cradle to Prison Pipeline and help guide our incarcerated young boys and girls back into their communities. Detention centers in states across the country that have adopted this innovative educational model overwhelmingly report improvements in youth who participate, including a reduction in violent behavior, an increase in self-confidence, and a decrease in recidivism rates. On Wednesday, we hosted a finale celebration at Camp Afflerbaugh to honor the scholars and highlight the program as a strong instructional model for incarcerated youth. The event was filled with high energy, excitement, emotion, and learning--and everyone who attended left convinced that all youth deserve the chance to benefit from this miraculous program. Make sure to check out the photos we captured during the celebration. Our goal is to continue developing partnerships with probation departments across the state to introduce our most vulnerable children and youth to the CDF Freedom Schools philosophy--and through it provide them with the tools they need for a successful transition into adulthood. School Safety Legislation Advances to the Senate Floor
The legislation, authored by Assemblymember Jones-Sawyer, promotes effective school safety strategies that support a healthy school climate and student achievement by encouraging school safety plans to better define the role of police officers and other faculty on campus. Additionally, the bill takes measures to address California's alarmingly high student-to-counselor ratio (810 students to one counselor) by encouraging schools to use school safety funding for school counselors and administrators before police officers. Listen to Leslie Mendoza of the Youth Justice Coalition» testify before the committee members. In June, we participated in a briefing held by the Assembly Select Committee on the Status of Boys and Men of Color that reinforced the argument for increasing programs and personnel that foster positive school climates and encourage strong relationships between students and faculty. Watch key highlights from this important briefing. AB 549 is now eligible to be taken up on the Senate Floor—the last hurdle before the Governor’s desk. Take action today by emailing the members of the State Senate to urge them to support this critical legislation!
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This summer, we partnered with the LA County Office of Education, LA County Probation Department and 
Earlier this month, 
