Serve Children - Deaconess Foundation

Purpose

Deaconess’ strategic plan calls for engaging local United Church of Christ congregations to support the Foundation’s child advocacy ministry. In partnership with the largest child advocacy organization in the United States, the Children’s Defense Fund, Deaconess sponsors a network of CDF Freedom Schools®. CDF Freedom Schools provide meaningful engagement opportunities for congregations by placing them in proximity to the needs of children in order to inform faith-based advocacy.

History

CDF Freedom Schools are intergenerational, culturally competent summer programs, built on literacy, leadership and social advocacy. The curriculum is rooted in the Civil Rights Movement’s Freedom Summer, and was originally conceived and proposed by Charles Cobb, a UCC college student.

Future

Deaconess embraces the Freedom School intent of being a “movement building mechanism” and intends to advance it as such for area UCC congregations.

Structure

The seven-week program provides literacy building activities, empowerment, meals, snacks and activities, including field trips, at no charge to families. The CDF model also includes extensive testing and evaluation to measure academic progress.

Enrollment

The sites serve a total of 175 scholars recruited from Saint Louis Public Schools, Hazelwood and Webster Groves School Districts and the UCC congregations. Enrollment is free and open to all families.

2020 CDF Freedom Schools® Program Information

Considering the environment in light of COVID-19 and concerns regarding scholar safety, Deaconess Foundation will not sponsor a local CDF Freedom Schools program in 2020.

Please contact Deaconess Foundation with all inquiries/questions at
cdffreedomschools@deaconess.org or 314.436.8001.
Please do not contact the individual host sites.

Christ the King UCC

11370 Old Halls Ferry Rd.
Florissant, MO 63033

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Deaconess Center
for Child Well-Being

1000 North Vandeventer Ave.
St. Louis, MO 63113

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Peace United
Church of Christ

204 East Lockwood Ave.
Webster Groves, MO 63119

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Saint John’s Church
(The Beloved Community)

4136 North Grand Blvd.
Saint Louis, MO 63107

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Next enrollment period for CDF Freedom Schools will begin in 2021.

Frequently Asked Questions

Children, parents, and staff are introduced to a superb collection of books that reflect their own images and reinforce the CDF Freedom Schools theme I Can Make a Difference. This collection of books reflect a wide variety of cultures and experience and is part of an Integrated Reading Curriculum (IRC) in which books, activities, field trips, and games all relate to and reinforce each other.

Servant leader interns, college students and recent graduates trained by CDF, use the IRC to teach children conflict resolution and critical thinking skills, engage children in community service and social action projects, encourage children to participate in art and athletic activities, and help children to develop a program finale in which every child is given the chance to shine.

Interested in learning more?

Email CDF Freedom Schools

Volunteer with Us

Individuals and small groups are invited to join us to lead and/or assist with engaging activities during after-care from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. at each of our four CDF Freedom Schools sites.

Interested?
Call (314) 436-8001