The Children’s Defense Fund Freedom Schools^® program sponsors six-week summer camps throughout the nation that focus on cultivating scholars’ reading practice and social action through culturally-relevant reading curricula. The local Freedom Schools^® site is hosted by Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University at their Developmental Research School.

Learn more about the national Freedom Schools^® program:

http://www.childrensdefense.org/programs/freedomschools/

Summer Service Learning Research Practicum

After designing their studies in the spring Research Methods course, PURPOSE fellows have the opportunity to implement their research at local sites, with the majority working with local stakeholders to collect data ideally addressing research questions that are relevant to the stakeholders. As the primary service learning site, CDF Freedom Schools will be the location of the majority of fellows’ research projects, but fellows may also work with mentors to identify other local sites that provide the same model of interaction with stakeholders. CDF Freedom schools was selected as the primary site for PURPOSE service learning research because the program was designed to be culturally relevant, with the goals of empowering those who have been traditionally disenfranchised—inspiring them to social action to make a difference in themselves, their communities, and the world.