First Baptist Church of Hampton CDF (Children’s Defense Fund) Freedom School
A Place to Learn. A Place to Grow.
FBCH CDF Freedom School
When: June 17 – July 26 (closed July 4-5)
Daily – 8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Where: First Baptist Church of Hampton CDF Freedom School
229 North King Street, Hampton, Virginia 23669
Who’s Eligible to Attend
The Freedom School is open to children in Hampton Roads who will be in the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grades this fall, and who believe they can make a difference in the world.
Participation in the FBCH CDF Freedom School is absolutely free of charge!
What is the Freedom School
The Freedom School is a summer enrichment program that encourages fun and exploration. We foster an environment that supports young people (known as “scholars” in the program) to excel and believe in their ability to make a difference in themselves as well as their families, schools, communities, country, and world through hope, education, and action. Our primary focus on literacy provides access to high-quality books that deepen their understanding of themselves and all they have in common with others in a multiracial, multicultural democratic society. The program helps foster scholars’ love for reading to avoid summer learning loss.
Our Pillars
- High-quality academic and character-building programming
- Parent and family involvement
- Social, cultural, and historical awareness
- Civic engagement and social action
- Nutrition, health, and mental health
A Typical Day
Every day is an adventure at the Freedom School. Scholars are exposed to art, science, history, reading, and more all with a focus on stimulating curiosity while having fun. We start each day at the Freedom School with Harambee which means “all pull together” in Swahili. Scholars and Freedom School participants come together to share and celebrate. And every day a community member will join us to read a story.
With a focus on developing strong reading skills each day, scholars will discover the joy of reading, participate in arts and crafts activities, explore age-appropriate social justice topics, and participate in team-building and character-building activities.
The Freedom School will also take scholars on field trips to local museums, nature walks, and other Hampton Roads points of interest. Every day will expose scholars to new things and new ways to look at themselves, the communities in which they live, and the world. For more information about the FBCH CDF Freedom School, see our frequently asked questions or email freedomschool@thefbch.org.
Support the Freedom School
Don’t have a student attending the Freedom School but want to support this important work, you can! The easiest way to support our efforts is to donate supplies from our Wishlist. Click here to see exactly what items we need. Once you complete your purchase the supplies will be delivered directly to the First Baptist Church of Hampton CDF Freedom School.
If your organization has services or supplies that will further our program, we want to hear from you. Email us at freedomschool@thefbch.org with your ideas.
Of course, we also accept monetary donations online by clicking on the donate button below.
This is a summer experience you won’t want any rising 1st, 2nd, or 3rd grader to miss.