Freedom School Opens At Wake Forest Campus

An educational program is starting next week at the Anna Julia Cooper Center that helps students from marginalized communities keep their reading skills up over the summer.

The Children's Defense Fund Freedom Schools were started to combat what's known as "summer slide."

Research shows that kids from low-income families are particularly susceptible to losing skills in reading and other subjects over the summer, and can fall three to five years behind their peers over time.

The program identifies families through elementary schools and city partners. At Wake Forest University, they're also recruiting via the campus's Aramark food service, inviting the children of food service staff and custodial services.

Danielle Parker-Moore is the executive director of the program at the Anna Julia Cooper Center. She says Freedom School on a university campus has a big effect.

“The main goal for me is to be able to have young people who can see themselves attending college, and actually matriculating and going to college," she says. "Because we know the data shows that college allows a different lifestyle and affords different opportunities in life.”

The Freedom School is a nationwide initiative, and since it's beginnings in 1995, they've served nearly 140,000 students.