During the months of June and July, FCC welcomed Freedom School into our building each Monday-Friday. Freedom School is a program of the Children’s Defense Fund that seeks to build strong, literate, and empowered children prepared to make a difference in themselves, their families, communities, nation and world today. 71 students participated in the program this summer.
Each day started with Harambee, a gathering time of singing, dancing and stories. The program provided an exciting Integrated Reading Curriculum including carefully chosen developmentally appropriate and culturally relevant books. The children participated in field trips and other activities in the community. They also took part in a Social Action Day in which they focused on ending poverty. They learned about the far-reaching affects of poverty such as increased violence in neighborhoods and the quality of food available in neighborhoods. The program ended with a special programming in which the students presented what they had learned during Freedom School to family, friends and community members.
Freedom School is one way that First Congregational Church seeks to embody difference faithfully as students gather in our space to make a difference in how diversity, poverty and other social justice issues are learned about and carried on both now and in the future.
No comments:
Post a Comment