IMPACT 100 Pensacola Bay Area | Central Gulf Coast Children’s Defense Fund Freedom Schools, INC.

04 Oct Central Gulf Coast Children’s Defense Fund Freedom Schools, INC.

Posted at 17:11h in 2022, Education, Nonprofits by Jae Vogei

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CENTRAL GULF COAST CHILDREN’S DEFENSE FUND FREEDOM SCHOOLS, INC.

SOMETHING INSIDE SO STRONG

Grant Year: 2022 | Focus Area: Education | Grant Amount: $103,820 | Grant Status: In Progress

The mission of Central Gulf Coast Children’s Defense Fund Freedom Schools (Freedom Schools) is to provide a free literacy and cultural enrichment program which empowers children from low-income families to excel and believe in their ability to make a difference in themselves, their families, communities, country and world with hope, education, and action. Freedom Schools has 27 years of success in nearly 100 cities across the country. This six-week summer program serves children lacking reading skills. In the fall of 2021, data presented to Escambia County School District (ECSD) Superintendent, showed that 87% of Freedom School students had no summer learning loss and many had learning gains. Freedom Schools coordinated with ECSD to work toward closing the 34% achievement gap between white students and students of color. Freedom Schools has partnered with the University of West Florida School of Education (UWF SOE) who provide office space, staff/faculty support, marketing support, and supplies for the organization. In the summer of 2022, Freedom Schools taught 50 elementary school students at the Global Learning Academy.

OVERVIEW OF THE PROPOSED PROJECT

The project will significantly expand the Freedom Schools program beginning the summer of 2023. In partnership with ECSD and UWF SOE, Freedom Schools will provide a six-week summer enrichment program in two locations for 150 elementary and middle school students whose reading level is below grade level and whose families are living in poverty. The IMPACT 100 grant will fund services for the students. Grant funds will cover the Children's Defense Fund national program fees of $285 each for 150 students, which include new books for the children to keep, curriculum, and staff training. The Freedom Schools will utilize ECSD personnel. The grant will cover payroll costs for ECSD security personnel, custodial services, and medical clinic services at the two Freedom Schools locations. Funding will cover the cost of vehicle rental and drivers for the days the county buses are unavailable (Fridays and the month of July), as well as classroom supplies, health and safety supplies, and meals and nutritional items that the USDA does not cover. The balance of costs for salaries for the Executive Director, Site Coordinators, and Servant Leader Interns will be paid for by other grants and fundraising.

EXPECTED IMPACT ON THE COMMUNITY

The 2019 Florida Child Well-Being Index ranked Escambia County 47th among the 67 Florida counties, and those needs have significantly increased due to the COVID pandemic. The 2017-2018 Florida Standards Assessment reading results for Escambia County showed that nearly 70% of black 3rd graders were not reading at proficiency levels. Achieve Escambia reported a child’s ability to read at grade level by the 3rd grade is the number one indicator of whether a student will complete high school. The 2020 and 2021 summer programs primarily reached children living in the geographic areas of Escambia County public housing developments. The children attending the 2021 Freedom Schools program demonstrated an average increase of nine months in instructional reading levels, and 87% maintained or gained in reading levels and did not experience summer reading loss. The project intends to reduce the negative impacts of poverty, racism, and the pandemic’s educational and economic losses among vulnerable children and families using the Freedom Schools research-based, multicultural integrated reading curriculum that supports them and their families.