Every day should start with “Harambee!”
A thirty minute celebration that includes a special guest reader from the community.
Fortunately, every day at the Freedom School does start with Harambee – a thirty minute celebration that includes a special guest reader from the community. Recently, architect Phil Freelon, designer of such notable buildings as the Durham Bulls Athletic Park and the new Durham bus station, stopped by to read “Throw Your Tooth on the Roof”. Students then took time to recognize their various achievements and get excited about the day’s activities.
Fifty second- and third-graders from E.K. Powe Elementary and Lakewood Elementary are participating in the Children’s Defense Fund Freedom School at Duke University, courtesy of Duke’s Office of Durham & Regional Affairs. This six-week program helps students understand how they can each make a difference in the world while simultaneously fostering a love of reading. The Freedom School program includes several components: academic enrichment, parent involvement, mental and physical health, civic engagement and social action. In addition to all the great literacy instruction, the students also get to go on field trips and participate in workshops.
One afternoon the students got a special visit from Durham’s own Scrap Exchange – a non-profit organization whose mission is to promote creativity, environmental awareness, and community through reuse of old materials. The students got to put their creativity to the test. Some made toys, like boats or castles, some chose to make crowns while another made an inventive noise maker!
Developing and nurturing a love of reading while building a strong community are just some of the great things going on at the Freedom School this summer. The best part is that the Freedom School doesn’t end when the six-week program is over. Students will continue to meet after school throughout the year to work on literacy skills. DPS is glad to have great partners like Duke University for the benefit of our students, our schools and our community.
