Biography
Philadelphia Freedom Schools (PFS) provide year round literacy enrichment programming for students in grades K-12. The program exists to build intellectual, cultural, civic and political capacity of children and youth in order to make meaningful change in themselves, their families, their schools, communities and larger society.
The Philadelphia Freedom Schools' vision is to create an excellent, physically and emotionally safe learning environment where children and adults integrate a love for reading with the need for cultural democracy and the strategies of intergenerational community inclusion and family empowerment. Using a cultural based reading and math curriculum, children throughout the city of Philadelphia have the opportunity to engage in a curriculum designed with books and lessons that reflect their own images and experiences.
The wide array of literature, activities, field trips, and projects all relate to and reinforce each other over the course of the summer. The Curriculum's main theme is "Pathways to a Stronger Future". Each week of the curriculum allows students, staff and parents to explore how they can apply this philosophythroughout their lives.
Servant Leadership Through College InternsPhiladelphia Freedom Schools summer programs are staffed by college aged students who serve as positive role models and mentors. Children learn by example the values of honesty and hard work, and the importance of investing in their community.
Servant Leader Interns (SLIs) The Philadelphia Freedom Schools program trains college-age young people to serve as Servant Leader Interns (SLIs) who help to provide transformational summer experience for youth all over the city of Philadelphia. SLIs are college students who attend our local training called the Philadelphia Freedom Schools Servant Leadership Training. Here they are trained by William Still and Fannie Lou Hamer Trainers where they receive intense training in child development, academic lesson planning and facilitation, team building strategies, city-wide social action, and positive conflict resolution. The SLIs are then responsible for the day-to-day care and nurturing of the children, serving as facilitators in the classroom and as leaders of community outreach activities. |
Servant Leadership Through High School StudentsServant Leadership Through High School Students
High School students participating in Philadelphia Freedom Schools benefit from two overall objectives: Along with assisting with classroom instruction and management, these junior and Literacy Servant Leaders are also responsible for attending weekly academic lectures and completing a portfolio of work each year. The Junior Servant Leaders (JSLs) component of Philadelphia Freedom Schools offers high school students the opportunity to learn and earn by offering jobs at the summer program sites of Philadelphia Freedom Schools. JSLs function as Classroom Assistants to Servant Leaders Interns during the morning curriculum and engage in afternoon instruction and coaching in the completion of their Service Learning Project. The goal of the JSL component of Philadelphia Freedom Schools is to encourage high school students to embrace servant leadership as a force to heal and foster positive growth in the community. Wednesday Academy During summer months, the JSLs also participate in Wednesday Academies on the campus of Temple University. During the Academies, young people engage in a curriculum that incorporates history, writing, life skills, job readiness, college preparation, computer and service learning activities. Additionally, the curriculum includes a book that the JSLs read together throughout the summer. Literacy Servant Leaders
During the school year the JSLs are referred to as Literacy Servant Leaders who work to enrich the lives of children in the PFS sites by providing tutoring, community service, academic and enrichment activities. LSLs provide after school classroom support to the sites through homework help, mentorship and special project implementation. Think Tank Meetings On Wednesdays during the school year LSLs gather on the campus of Temple University for Think Tank Meetings. The meetings are designed to help them chart a course to success. The LSLs participate in history, computer, college and career exploration courses and are exposed to scholars and programs that can aid in their dream fulfillment. Educational field trips are taken by LSLs throughout the year as a means of enhancing their experiences and exposure.
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