Central Gulf Coast CDF Freedom Schools

The Children’s Defense Fund (CDF)’s mission is to ensure every child a Healthy Start, a Head Start, a Fair Start, a Safe Start and a Moral Start in life and successful passage to adulthood with the help of caring families and communities. The CDF Freedom Schools® program is a direct service initiative coordinated nationally by the Children’s Defense Fund in partnership with local community organizations. It is an educational and cultural enrichment program that provides summer options for children and strengthens family and community involvement.

The mission of our local Central Gulf Coast CDF Freedom Schools® program is to provide, at no cost, a literacy and cultural enrichment program which empowers children in our area living in low-income families to excel and believe in their ability to make a difference in themselves, their families, communities, country and world with hope, education and action.

The Children’s Defense Fund (CDF) Freedom Schools® Way reflects the underlying philosophy that guides interactions, communication, and practices to which all staff, volunteers, scholars, and parents who work for, and participate in, CDF Freedom Schools programs abide. In practice, the CDF Freedom Schools Way encompasses the following values:

• Respect for the emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual safety of self and others
• Beliefs, values, and practices that demonstrate the highest standards of honesty and integrity
• Cooperative participation for the advancement of group goals
• Acceptance of individual responsibility and service to humanity

In upholding the CDF Freedom Schools Way, the staff of CDF Freedom Schools programs collectively foster environments in which all scholars are empowered to make a difference in themselves, their families, communities, nation, and world. All staff hired to work in CDF Freedom Schools programs must be selected on the basis of the extent to which they possess the attributes listed below:

• Accountability
• Approachability
• Compassion
• Patience
• Integrity
• Commitment to CDF’s mission
• Desire to be part of a national social justice movement and
• Willingness to go the extra mile to help a child.

In closing, the CDF Freedom Schools Way is the CDF Freedom Schools code of conduct, guiding all CDF Freedom Schools meetings and trainings, and all local program operations.