Learning rooted in community
Freedom Scholars Learning Center supports children and families through literacy, leadership, and collective action.
We stand with families building stronger futures
Freedom Scholars Learning Center works alongside children, youth, and families from communities under systemic pressure to strengthen literacy, leadership, and collective power. Our work is grounded in education, cultural affirmation, and community action—believing that learning is inseparable from identity and that young people thrive when their histories, voices, and lived experiences are honored.
We build literacies that last and challenge the systems that hold communities back. Our scholars become part of the work of change.
Spaces where young people belong and lead
We imagine learning environments where children see themselves reflected in every book, every conversation, every choice. Where families are partners, not problems. Where the future belongs to those who build it together.
Our dream
Communities where literacy unlocks possibility and young people shape what comes next.
Our commitment
To stand with families until systems change and children thrive in their own neighborhoods.
How we got here and where we're going
In 2007, a Children's Defense Fund Freedom School opened in Rochester's Beechwood neighborhood. It was simple work, rooted in belief—that children deserved spaces where they were valued, that reading mattered, and that culture was not separate from learning but central to it.
2007
Freedom School begins
Summer literacy opened in Beechwood, offering neighborhood children a place to strengthen reading skills while connecting to culture, developing discipline, and engaging in community service.
2015
Families return, roots deepen
Year after year, families came back. Hundreds of children gained confidence and progress in a community that had been told it had neither.
2020
FSLC is formed
COVID-19 threatened to end the work. Instead, servant leaders, teachers, and community members came together, determined to sustain and expand what had been built.
Today
Year-round work continues
Freedom Scholars Learning Center carries forward the legacy while meeting families where they are, every season, every year.
Our building blocks to lasting change
Our work rests on five pillars that guide everything we do. Each one matters. Each one builds on the others.
Literacy
An integrated reading curriculum that uses culturally relevant literature and engages parents and community members in literacy activities such as book groups, poetry readings, music and literacy presentations.
Cultural pedagogy
Activities that promote self-concept including demonstration of Heritage Knowledge, teaching cultural precepts through programming, and providing examples of cultural excellence from diverse disciplines.
Mentoring
Teach and model the intergenerational responsibility of mentoring to youth teacher/leaders who practice these skills with scholars.
Leadership development
Guide scholars in civic engagement projects and social action skills.
Professional development
Work with families on effective navigation of the social system, as well as identifying and setting long term individual goals, fostering the idea that we can all make a difference.
What guides our work
Our work rests on five pillars that guide everything we do. Each one matters. Each one builds on the others.
.webp)
Evidence Based
The social, economic, and cultural literacies we teach are based on research and reflect the values of our scholars and families. This helps the scholars identify themselves culturally and obtain critical reasoning skills and experience.
Authentic learning
The inner workings of our learning program allow for a sense of genuineness and connection among the scholars, mentors, family, and staff, reflecting the diversity and complexity of the community. Those connections allow sincerity to build, and help create a system of trust.
Child-centered & Affirming
We follow the principle of armed love, meaning the emotional security and encouragement of the child’s well being. Making the child the focus emphasizes the importance of child development.
Non-Judgemental & Restorative
We offer a place for the child to develop without bias or criticism. We are aware and mindful of the differences that make a child unique. Putting aside our differences to allow and accept the differences of others in order to work more in a cohesive manner. Therefore we practice non-judgmental awareness and cultural responsiveness.
Highly Collaborative
We practice working together in a collaborative effort to strengthen the educational process. We create an environment where cooperation and teamwork are valued over competition. We practice collaborative skills such as listening, mindfulness, and cultural awareness to successfully work together.
Want to support literacy, families, and community?
Get involved with Freedom Scholars Learning Center.
