Tribe One CDF Freedom Schools Program®
Tribe One, in partnership with the Children's Defense Fund (CDF) hosts a Children's Defense Fund Freedom Schools® program for six weeks during the months of June and July. The program serves 50 children in grades 3-8. The program provides summer enrichment helping children fall in love with reading, increase self-esteem, and generate more positive attitudes toward learning. Children are taught using a model curriculum that supports children and families around five essential components: high quality academic enrichment; parent and family involvement; civic engagement and social action; intergenerational leadership development; and nutrition, health and mental health. In addition to the nationally-recognized Integrated Reading Curriculum (IRC), children engage in daily activities of arts and crafts, sports, music, drama, special projects and weekly field trips. Classroom hours are 8:00AM to 3:00 PM, Monday through Friday. Class sizes will be kept small with a maximum 10:1 child-to-intern ratio. Tribe One uses the CDF intergenerational model of employing college students as Servant Leader Interns to teach the curriculum.
Enrollment in the Tribe One CDF Freedom Schools program is at no cost to participants. Each day the children will be provided breakfast, lunch, and a snack. The Children's Defense Fund Leave No Child Behind® mission is to ensure every child a Healthy Start, a Head Start, a Fair Start, a Safe Start and a Moral Start in life and successful passage to adulthood with the help of caring families and communities.
CDF Freedom Schools activities benefit not only low and moderate income households, but the entire Knoxville population. While low and moderate income households are more likely to enroll children in CDF Freedom Schools program, the entire community benefits from children who are motivated towards academic excellence; are instilled with understanding of and appreciation for family; are nourished in mind, body and spirit; and are armed with tools for conflict resolution and critical thinking. Additionally, parental involvement is a key component of the CDF Freedom Schools program, and the program will offer support and skills needed to help their children succeed.