Citywide Tutorial Program, SFUSD - CDF Freedom School

Overview of Freedom Schools

The CDF Freedom Schools® program supplies a supplemental educational curriculum that is research-based and multicultural. The essential components of this resource for high-quality literacy and character-building activities include parent/family involvement, civic engagement/social action, intergenerational servant leadership development, and nutrition/ health.

The Citywide Tutorial Program will use the CDF Freedom Schools program model to boost African American student motivation to read, generate positive attitudes toward learning, and connect children and families to needed resources in their communities. 

The first two weeks are critical; therefore, we will use the waiting list for scholars who miss more than three days.

As scholars enter the CDF Freedom Schools site at 8:00 a.m., they are greeted and served a nutritious breakfast by caring adults. With stomachs full, they move on to “Harambee!” a time of informal sharing when scholars and staff come together to celebrate themselves and each other.

In the classrooms where Servant Leader Interns facilitate classes of no more than ten scholars, scholars are engaged in reading and theme-based hands-on activities as outlined in the Integrated Reading Curriculum. Reading is a cornerstone of the program. Servant Leader Interns lead the scholars in reading several multicultural and inclusive children’s books throughout the summer. These books feature heroes, heroines, and settings reflecting the scholars' cultural images and history. Classroom activities related to the day’s reading use a variety of teaching models, including cooperative learning, role-playing, and group discussions. These teaching models include reading aloud, paired reading, creative writing, and visual arts. This range of activities ensures that children with diverse experiences, talents, and confidence levels actively engage in reading and verbal expression.

As the morning draws to a close, Drop Everything And Read (D.E.A.R.) time is announced and shared by everyone. To emphasize the importance and joy of reading, scholars and adults alike “drop everything and read” silently for 15 minutes, choosing from a rich selection of reading material available from the CDF Freedom Schools site library.

At lunchtime, the feeling of family and community spirit continues as the scholars join adults to eat a nutritious lunch. Afterward, scholars participate in CDF Freedom Schools Afternoon Activities. These are well-planned music, dance, or other culturally enriching activities related to the themes presented in the Integrated Reading Curriculum. Field trips that expand scholars’ horizons may also fill the afternoons. The scholars may also engage in social action projects and rehearse for the summer finale, which is performed for parents, friends, and community leaders.

CDF Freedom Schools® Training Manual