Freedom School is a free, six-week summer program serving scholars in grades K–5 across the St. Louis region. Hosted by Beyond Housing in partnership with Deaconess Foundation, our program focuses on building strong readers, confident leaders, and joyful learners through culturally responsive education and meaningful community connections.
Program Dates and Times
June 16 – July 25, 2026
(Monday – Friday)
8 AM – 3PM
*Sites will be CLOSED June 19 and July 3, 2026
Enrollment Now Open
Click the button for the Freedom School location where you want to enroll your scholar.
The Legacy Center
6850 Normandale Dr.
Velda City, MO 63121
First Unitarian Church
5007 Waterman Blvd.
St. Louis, MO 63108
Deaconess Center
1000 N. Vandeventer Ave.
St. Louis, MO 63113
Peace UCC
475 E. Lockwood Ave.
Webster Groves, MO 63119
Freedom School is open to scholars who meet the following criteria:
- Currently in grades K–5th
- Able to attend the full six-week program
- Families living in the St. Louis region (City or County)
Questions?
We’re here to help. Reach out with questions about enrollment, volunteering, partnerships or program details.
Carrie Henderson – Project Director
cdffreedomschool@beyondhousing.org
📞 314-376-5980
Program Highlights
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 at Howard University.
The six-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.
Culturally Relevant Literacy
Scholars engage daily with diverse, high-quality books that reflect their identities, histories, and lived experiences.
Enrichment & Field Trips
In addition to reading, scholars participate in arts, STEM activities, social action projects, and exciting weekly field trips.
Free Meals, Supplies & Activities
Breakfast, lunch, books, and all program materials are provided at no cost to families.
A Joyful Learning Community
Freedom School centers joy, belonging, and care: creating spaces where children feel seen, supported, and celebrated.
FAQs
Our Freedom School programs are open to scholars who have completed Kindergarten through 5th Grade.
No. The program, meals, and field trips are provided at no charge.
Students will begin the day with breakfast and a motivational session complete with a guest reader. Engaging activities continue throughout the morning until lunch. The afternoon is filled with hands-on activities.
At CDF Freedom Schools programs, participating scholars are engaged in activities that nurture their minds and promote their growing up with dignity, hope, and joy.
Here is the daily schedule:
- 7:30am-8:30am Morning Arrival
- 8:00am-8:30am Breakfast
- 8:30am-9:00am HARAMBEE
- 9:00am-10:30am Integrated Reading Curriculum Part I
- 10:30am-10:45am Morning Break
- 10:45am-11:45am Integrated Reading Curriculum Part II
- 11:45am-12:00pm D.E.A.R. Time (Drop Everything And Read)
- 12:00pm-1:00pm Lunch
- 1:00-3:00 Afternoon Activities* (past Afternoon Activities included American Sign Language, STEM, African Drums and Dance, Step, Cooking classes, Gymnastics)
- 3:00pm-3:30pm Dismissal
Participating Scholars, parents, and staff are introduced to a remarkable 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 experiences and is a part of the Integrated Reading Curriculum (IRC) in which books, activities, field trips, and games all relate to reinforce each other and align with common core standards.
Servant Leader Interns are typically college students and recent graduates trained by CDF. They use the IRC to:
- Teach participating scholars critical thinking and conflict resolution skills
- Engage youth in age appropriate community service and social action projects
- Develop a program finale showcase in which every scholar has a moment of Freedom School fame