What is Freedom School?
The CDF Freedom Schools® program provides summer school enrichment that helps children fall in love with reading, increases their self-esteem, and generates more positive attitudes toward learning. Each year, Lightwave Education provides assistance to hundreds of individuals in our community whose lives are affected by low literacy rates, food uncertainty, and questionable role models. Our research shows that our Lightwave Education Freedom School program transforms the educational process by engaging the whole person -- immersing young minds in creative discovery and critical thinking skills while instilling within them the confidence to explore their world. We have over the past four years discovered working with our non-thriving students that the Integrated Reading Curriculum (IRC) chosen by top professors, educators, and parents creates a powerful desire within the scholars to read.
Over the summer many of our students would be subject to learning loss, losing hard-fought academic gains started during the school year. Our award-winning summer program is a rich learning environment for children restoring the balance of opportunities lost when other public educational programs in our community have been cut or significantly reduced. The design of our program includes a ‘parent-community village’ of caring adults, which is so necessary to build character, develop leadership, and reduce food uncertainty for our children.
We know that healthy meals play a critical part in learning especially in children. We supply breakfast and lunch plus a healthy snack to ensure their young agile minds can focus. Parents of CDF Freedom School students report that after participating in the program, their children had a greater love of learning, better conflict resolution skills, and were more involved at school and in the community. We add value to the lives of these families in powerful, positive ways. I can share what we know for certain. Children who are literate make better life choices. They contribute more to our society and they make better employees.
The Freedom School program has a lasting impact, as it fosters a true community for children, parents, and teachers. Lightwave Education offers this program to the students at little cost to their parents. We believe Freedom School is worth supporting with your time, money, and resources. We ask for your support to help us build a better Bakersfield.
