Nearly 100 students are participating in the fourth annual UNC Charlotte Children’s Defense Fund Freedom Schools program hosted by the College of Education this summer.
Freedom Schools students, known as scholars, range in age from elementary to high school and represent a number of area schools, including Nathaniel Alexander Elementary, James Martin Middle and Vance High School. These scholars will spend six weeks on the University campus participating in a multi-faceted enrichment program that focuses on enhancing reading skills, self-esteem and positive self-expression in a lively, engaging environment.
Retiring Dean Mary Lynne Calhoun recently welcomed program participants, and she served as an honorary Harambee reader. She shared “That Book Woman,” a popular children’s book that tells the story of how a librarian helped to evoke a love for reading in a young boy during the Great Depression. The Harambee ceremony involves the scholars being led in songs and chants to motivate and prepare them for each day’s activities. Employing a guest reader underscores the importance of reading and the enjoyment that can be found on the pages of a book.
The scholars’ afternoons will be filled with help on reading, writing, history and basic math, as well as hands-on activities and field trips.
“We try to give them experiences they may not have in other settings,” said Sherell Fuller, a clinical assistant professor in the College of Education who also serves as the director of the UNC Charlotte program. “The Freedom Schools program is important because it gives scholars the opportunity to spend significant time on a college campus, and they get to see that this is a place where they belong, and they can begin planning their own futures after high school.”
Fuller added the program also gives University students the opportunity to engage with community children and make an impact in their lives. “They have the opportunity to give back and to plant seeds in these young scholars with whom they work. For many of our scholars, there is not much opportunity to connect with young college students who look like them and who can motivate them to aim for higher goals.”
The Freedom Schools program was created by the national Children’s Defense Fund in 1992. The UNC Charlotte program is part of an organization called Freedom School Partners, which currently operates 19 sites in the Charlotte area, partnering with public schools, community- and faith- based organizations and colleges and universities. Participation in the program is free for the student scholars who spend their summers engaged in learning activities that match their developmental needs and interests.
“I think it is important for the College of Education to reach out and demonstrate that our mission to educate all children well is met not only in the halls of our classrooms in theory but also in practice,” Fuller stated.