Central Gulf Coast CDF Freedom Schools’ approach to poverty and learning loss

Abstract

The Central Gulf Coast Children’s Defense Fund summer program has provided a solution to the issues related to learning loss and poverty over the last three years. Elementary students were strategically selected from low-income, at-risk, and minority communities to participate in the Freedom Schools program. This study describes the benefits to the students, their families, and the community, as well as the Servant Leader Interns who provided the culturally relevant curriculum. The history, structure, and essential components of Freedom Schools are described for the national model and Central Gulf Coast’s approach. The benefits of the program are also shared, as well as the practical implications for the participants in this study.