The Freedom School is the brainchild of Marian Wright Edelman and the Children’s Defense Fund (CDF). The schools got their impetus from the Mississippi Freedom Summer Project of 1964, where college student volunteers provided instruction to Black students in the segregated south in reading, writing, humanities, mathematics, and science along with subjects not taught in Mississippi public schools, like Black history and constitutional rights.

The CDF opened the first two CDF Freedom Schools sites in 1995 to address the needs of children who lacked access to high-quality literacy programs during the summer. The CDF Freedom Schools program today is designed to improve reading, language skills, and interpersonal relationships; strengthen families; connect children to medical and other needed social services; and develop in all participants the skills needed to improve conditions for children and families in their communities.

CDF Freedom Schools® provides summer and after-school enrichment through a research-based and multicultural program model that supports K-12 scholars and their families through five essential components. We focus on high-quality academic and character-building enrichment, parent and family involvement, civic engagement and social action, intergenerational servant leadership development, nutrition, health, and mental health.

Each Freedom School program is different depending on the needs of the community. There are 191 program sites in 36 states, including Washington, D.C. serving over 11,000 scholars. The First Baptist Church of Hampton is proud to bring this enriching program to Hampton Roads.

At the First Baptist Church of Hampton, we believe we have a responsibility to restore and revitalize families and communities. We believe that the mission of the church extends far beyond our four walls to transforming communities to be better places.  We’ve been God led to open the doors of a Freedom School to help young people become lifelong learners and advocates for progress. By equipping the youngest generation, we’re sculpting a brighter tomorrow where we celebrate every young person’s potential and affirm their profound impact on the world. The FBCH CDF Freedom School will ignite the curiosity of our scholars while focusing on strong reading skills that will equip them for life.

A commitment to consistently attend is key to who will be accepted into the program. Accepting a spot as a Freedom School scholar signals your commitment to have your child at the school every day . Scholars who attend the program regularly have been proven to get the most from the program.

The First Baptist Church of Hampton (FBCH) Freedom School is an educational and cultural enrichment program that fosters an environment that supports young people (known as “Scholars”) to excel and to 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 and culture provides access to high-quality books that deepen their understanding of themselves and all they have in common with others. The program helps foster Scholars’ love for reading to avoid summer learning loss. The Freedom School is a free six week summer program that serves 50 Scholars entering 1st-5th grades.

Our Pillars

• High-quality academic and character-building programming
• Parent and family involvement 
• Social, cultural, and historical awareness
• Civic engagement and social action
• Nutrition, physical, and mental health

The Freedom School is absolutely free for all of our scholars.

Nutrition and health are key pillars of the Freedom School. Daily breakfast, lunch and snacks have been planned using nutritious guidelines.  

Yes, families are responsible for providing transportation to and from the Freedom School.

A unique part of the program is that along with our trained administrative team, the Freedom School is a training ground for future leaders by training servant leaders to work with our scholars. Servant leaders are college students who have been trained to provide leadership and guidance on all facets of the FBCH CDF Freedom School program. We’ve chosen servant leaders who will engage, excite, and encourage our scholars to do their very best.

Parent involvement is very important to the Freedom School. Just as important as it is that our scholars come every day, it’s equally important that parents are involved. We hold a mandatory weekly parent meeting to update parents on what’s happening that week and to get any feedback you might have.

The FBCH Freedom School program would not be successful without the support of individuals, organizations, and businesses like yours. There are several ways that you can support the important work that we do at The Freedom School. 

Adopt A Scholar – All Freedom School Scholars and families participate in the program at no cost to them. You can help by adopting a Scholar. Donate $300.00 annually or $50.00 a month to support this years’ Scholars and Scholars in the years to come. To adopt a Scholar, visit our Donate page.

Provide Supplies – You would be amazed by how many supplies we use during our 6-week curriculum. You can help by visiting our Wish List.

Donate Books – Not only do our Scholars read every day during our D.E.A.R (Drop Everything and Read) time, at the end of the program our Scholars can start, or add to, their personal library by taking books home. We accept age-appropriate books for 1st – 5th graders. We accept new and gently used books from all authors but work hard to build our collection of books by Black and Brown authors. Every child deserves to see themselves in the books they read. If you are interested in donating books, email us at freedomschool@thefbch.org.

Become a Corporate Sponsor – Monetary or in-kind donations can help us provide transportation, field trips, special programming, and more ensuring the best experience for our Scholars. If your organization is interested in the growth and character building of young people we would like to talk with you. Reach out to our Corporate Engagement team member at cdoctor@thefbch.org for more information.

Make a Monetary Donation – Of course, we also accept monetary donations online by clicking on the donate button.

Questions or additional ideas? Email freedomschool@thefbch.org and someone will promptly reach out to you.

If you have any further questions about the First Baptist Church Freedom School, feel free to email us at freedomschool@thefbch.org.

You can also find additional information about the history and work of the Children’s Defense Fund Freedom Schools around the country by visiting: https://www.childrensdefense.org/our-work/cdf-freedom-schools