The Heart & Soul of Freedom School

For 28 years, Katie Carmichael (above, right) has served as a champion for her students, a leader in the Freedom School summer program, and a driving force behind community engagement efforts, embodying the school's commitment to social responsibility and educational equity.

Written by Anna Maria Della Costa.

Katie Carmichael is a lot of things to a lot of people.

At Providence Day, where she’s taught in the Lower School for 28 years, she’s a champion.

For Freedom School, the six-week summer program she directs on campus for underserved children in Charlotte, she’s their advocate for an equitable education.

She’s a leader. She’s a hero and role model.

And to Providence Day junior Sia Matai, who had Carmichael as a second-grade teacher, she’s a force to be reckoned with.

“Her ability to manage a room full of seven or eight-year-olds is a force,” Sia says. “Being a teacher for so long, she clearly has a passion for teaching, and it is evident. Everything she does in and out of the classroom is done thoroughly and with the intent of helping someone. She also formed relationships with us that we will be able to hold onto for a lifetime.”

Carmichael is called the “heart and soul” of Freedom School, a program that began on campus in 2012. Providence Day, which teams with Freedom School Partners, serves about 55 scholars by boosting their literacy and confidence, among other things, during summers — a time when learning loss is common.

Providence Day hosts supply drives for Freedom School scholars throughout the school year. Last year, Providence Day donated more than 241 boxes of supplies, including everything from bathing suits to backpacks and magazines. In January, students and faculty will be collecting cleaning supplies and toiletries.

“It’s little pieces of everybody contributing,” she says. “I feel like I’m the Wizard of Oz. No one really sees me, but I get to tap into the generosity of our community and their time and treasures.”

Providence Day is the first independent school in the nation to host a Freedom School. It focuses on three resources needed to develop scholars’ potential and inspire a love of reading and learning — literacy skills, character strengths, and a community that believes in them.

Multiple Upper School students and community members volunteered for the program during the summer - in 2019, more than 3,500 hours were logged between more than 500 Providence Day volunteers.

“We’re like a family,” Carmichael says of Providence Day. “If there are needs that are identified, you can find the people who want to step up and participate. Here, it’s not just showing up; you might be part of something. People want to be a part of something. Also, the students see and understand what poverty can look like. It’s not just something that should get our attention during a holiday or something that happens in a third-world country. It’s right down the street.”

Breathe the PD Mission

Providence Day’s mission is to have a sense of social responsibility, Ian Kutner, an Upper School English teacher for nearly 25 years, says. He helped start Freedom School at Providence Day because it allows students to live and breathe that mission.

Despite his influence with Freedom School, he says Carmichael is the one who’s kept it running.

“She’s the big hero,” Kutner says. “We would not have the Freedom School without her. “To be that devoted to people on campus year after year,” he says, “that is the story. I was just the seed planter. [Carmichael] is the farmer in the fields year after year.”

Freedom School scholars spend their summer days on Providence Day’s campus, focusing on classroom work, field trips, and activities like art lessons and jewelry making. Each day, they practice Drop Everything And Read when they read for 30 minutes one-on-one with a volunteer. The intervention program - participants are teacher recommendations - is also meant to help scholars gain more confidence.

“I believe in the importance of education equity,” says Carmichael, who quoted Condoleeza Rice, the former U.S. Secretary of State: “If I can look at your zip code and I can tell whether you’re going to get a good education, we’ve got a real problem.”

Carmichael says: “It’s true for Charlotte. Everybody deserves to have a chance at a good education. Some people are more fortunate than others in terms of access. It’s so sad. There are so many kids in poverty in Charlotte.”

On average, 90 percent of parents surveyed report an increase in their child’s confidence in their reading ability after participating in Freedom School, according to Freedom School Partners, which is based in Charlotte. More than 85% of Freedom School scholars gain or maintain reading ability compared to under-resourced children, who typically lose two to three months of learning during the summer.

“Our mission is to inspire our scholars to love reading and learning, believe in themselves, and create extraordinary futures,” says Annalise Wilson, the marketing and communications manager for Freedom School Partners. “Our ability to provide six weeks of high-quality summer learning experiences is rooted in our deep relationships with our site partners across Charlotte, like Providence Day School.”

She adds: “We are thankful for their continued support and look forward to more summers full of the joy of learning.”

Kutner says it’s Carmichael’s support that makes Freedom School shine.

“It’s her depth of commitment, her love for the scholars who come here and for her own students she nurtures to be part of the Freedom School learning process,” he says. “Her love for helping those in our community is unmatched.”

Making a Difference

Freedom School summers have an even bigger impact on Providence Day students.

Senior Alex Jessey has spent the last three summers volunteering. Alex’s duties included everything from greeting the scholars in the morning, helping them get food during lunch, and working with them on their subjects. He read one-on-one with scholars and accompanied them on field trips.

“Freedom School is important to [Providence Day] because it is so important that we give back to the less fortunate given our situation,” Alex says. “Everyone at [Providence Day] is so blessed, and it is important we share both our physical resources and time with the community.”

Alex and Sia believe Ms. Carmichael’s devotion to Freedom School is contagious — the reason why they will continue giving back to the community.

“Freedom School has taught me the value of giving back,” Alex says, “and that even as teenagers, we can make a big difference in our community and change the trajectory of kids’ lives.”

Sia, a volunteer for the last two summers, believes having a Freedom School site is at the heart of Providence Day’s promotion of a passion for lifelong learning. With poverty causing such a gap in literacy rates, it is great to see their confidence in reading and all-around confidence grow throughout the summer.

“I believe it is our duty and job to provide our resources to the greater Charlotte community and lend a helping hand when needed,” Sia says. “I have learned that these small moments are worth gold. Whether it be a hug from a scholar or listening to them read with great fluency, it is amazing knowing that I was making a firsthand impact on their success. I would not trade this experience for anything in the world, especially with a leader like Ms. Carmichael.”

For Carmichael, it is difficult to come up with the words for what Freedom School and Providence mean to her.

“I love this school. I live and breathe this school,” she says. “I’ve never been prouder of Freedom School. I never thought about how much it would change us. It’s helped our students see life beyond our campus and the importance of being engaged in their community.”