FSLC SUMMER REPORT 2025
“Rights are grounded in our values.”
– Rev. Dr. Starsky Wilson, President & CEO, CDF Freedom Schools
Public Education is a PUBLIC GOOD – the best of what education can be.
LETTER FROM THE ED
As we celebrate the 5th anniversary of the FSLC Freedom School Summer Literacy Enrichment Program, we are reminded that the true measure of meaningful service lies not in the milestones we reach but in the ripple effect we leave behind. Every child impacted, every voice elevated, and every moment of growth contributes to a legacy that endures far beyond the summer months.
This year, our program continued to expand and innovate. Over the course of six weeks, our scholars were immersed in a dynamic curriculum that integrated: STEM, Civic engagement, Research, Financial literacy, Culturally responsive literature, Agriculture, Youth leadership, and Community service.
We took bold steps to modernize our approach by launching an AI-powered chatbot (ROC AI x FSLC Freedom School Chatbox) and introducing iReadify, a culturally responsive digital reading platform for scholars to access at home. These tools were not just technological upgrades they were bridges to accessibility, representation, and empowerment.
But our work extended far beyond literacy. Our scholars tackled real-world issues through Op-Ed writing, protests, rallies, and joint petition efforts with partners like YWCA White Plains and Red Hook Initiative Freedom Schools. Together, they called for the RCSD to increase access to culturally responsive literature in public schools. That is what PUBLIC GOOD in action looks like.
Equally inspiring was the powerful involvement of our families and caregivers. Acting as reading coaches, leading workshops on grief and mental health, and volunteering tirelessly, their presence and support embodied the very spirit of community. It often felt as if they were an extension of our team—paid not in dollars, but in devotion.
Even under blistering heat, long days, and sleepless nights, our 2025 FSLC Freedom School Summer Program not only endured it excelled. During our site visit, CDF-NY Regional Director Khin Mai remarked that our site “expanded on the FS model in ways she hasn’t witnessed at other NY CDF Freedom Schools.” That affirmation speaks to the covenant we hold with our scholars, families, and community, a promise to make PUBLIC GOOD not just a seasonal goal, but a sustainable mission in a world of uncertainty.
As you read this report, I hope you don’t just read our story you feel it. You feel the change taking root in our scholars, in their families, in our community. This is what hope, education, and ACTION look like alive and growing.
ALWAYS FORWARD,
ROC AI
ROC AI Summer Camp 2025 was a week of immersive learning and exploration centered around the theme “Public Education as a Public Good,” brought to life through inter-lab experiences. Throughout the week, our scholars collaborated with University of Rochester Department of Computer Science to conduct research, engage with VR and 3D learning technologies, and co-create a digital garden in Minecraft using bee inspired programming (BIP). This digital garden project allowed students to see, in real time, how their choices influenced what grew serving as a powerful metaphor for how our online behaviors (clicks and searches) shape the digital content we encounter. By building digital worlds while reflecting on their own, scholars not only deepened their understanding of artificial intelligence but also unlocked new pathways for future opportunities in the field.
FSLC AI CHATBOT
In partnership with the University of Rochester Computer Science Department, our Level II scholars explored the intersection of artificial intelligence and culturally reflective literature using our Integrated Reading Curriculum. The project’s goal was to bridge the gap between children’s natural language and AI communication. As our U of R partner Hecong shared:
“Even after looking at the databases, there are no books or stories like the ones from this curriculum to teach agents. When it comes to culturally reflective language and literature on a research scale, those resources simply don’t exist.”
As part of the study, scholars engaged with and helped fine-tune four different AI agents each with distinct communication styles—alongside a control group using natural speech. This research seeks to develop an educational syntax that aligns with scholars’ preferred ways of speaking, ultimately supporting their academic growth.
NATIONAL DAY OF SOCIAL ACTION - PUBLIC EDUCATION IS A PUBLIC GOOD
Scholars and community members from Freedom Scholars Learning Center, Inc. (FSLC) gathered in downtown Rochester at City Hall to lead a powerful demonstration as part of the 2025 National Day of Social Action (NSDA). This year’s Rochester event was themed “Public Education I Public Good: The Power of Culturally Responsive Curriculum." At the March & Rally, scholars were given opportunities to speak, perform, and lead chants about the importance of access to high-quality public education and how culturally responsive curriculum can help students thrive academically and socially.
Freedom Scholars Learning Center Joins National Day of Social Action to Champion K-12 Public Education and Cultural Relevance in Curriculum Rally held in Rochester in support of education
Local education group rallies for public education reform in Rochester Rochester’s Day of Action for Public Education
Students and supporters push for more diverse and inclusive curriculumWHEC.com
ROCHESTER MUSEUM AND SCIENCE CENTER (RMSC)
FIELD TRIP
This summer, our scholars explored the Rochester Museum and Science Center, where they participated in hands-on science education, animal science, robotics, and a variety of interactive exhibits. One of the highlights was visiting the planetarium, where scholars enjoyed immersive 3D shows that brought the wonders of the solar system to life.
CORNING MUSEUM OF GLASS (CMOG)
FIELD TRIP
At the Corning Museum of Glass, scholars engaged in exciting hands-on activities centered around glassmaking. They explored the world-renowned glass art collection, watched live glassblowing demonstrations, and even created their own sand sculptures.
As a special treat, scholars received swag bags filled with CMOG memorabilia to remember their experience.
PARTNERSHIP HIGHLIGHTS
IBERO, INC. – PROJECT RISE YOUTH AMBASSADORS (PRYAS)
Project Rise Youth Ambassadors (PRYAs) is a youth-led initiative by Ibero, Inc. focused on leadership and advocacy within the Rochester community. This summer, PRYAs collaborated with our SLI and JSL teams to provide instructional support, mentorship, research assistance, and group activities that nurtured child development. Throughout the six-week program, PRYAs volunteered weekly and played a pivotal role in preparing scholars for the National Day of Social Action. Learn more about Ibero’s youth service initiatives: https://www.ibero.org/youth-services/
VERY INVESTED PARENTS (VIP)
Very Invested Parents (VIP) is a parent-led group supported by The Children’s Agenda, a nonprofit advocacy organization in Rochester. This summer, VIP partnered with FSLC Freedom School to launch a Summer Reading Challenge, rewarding every scholar who read and logged 50 or more books with a personal pizza. All participants also received achievement awards for their efforts. Learn more about VIP and The Children’s Agenda: https://thechildrensagenda.org/
IREADIFY
iReadify is a digital library offering a wide variety of children’s books, audiobooks, and interactive educational content featuring diverse characters, cultures, and voices from around the world. Through our summer partnership, scholars logged over 36 hours of reading on the iReadify platform during evening sessions across just 15 program days. Learn more about iReadify and their mission: https://www.ireadify.com/
LISA LIBRARIES
Lisa Libraries supports organizations serving children in underserved communities by donating new books and small libraries. Thanks to their continued support, we’ve distributed at least 300 books each summer for the past three years. This summer alone, we gave away over 350 books, with 38% being graphic novels and 40% focused on STEM subjects empowering scholars to build their own home libraries. Learn more about Lisa Libraries: https://lisalibraries.org/
WORD R.I.C.H.
Word RICH (Reading Intervention through Cultural Heritage) is a literacy intervention program specifically tailored to accompany and empower the Freedom School Literacy Model. The program marries the cultural and linguistic values of our children with effective and commonly-used literacy diagnostic and intervention practices. This includes rhythmic, kinesthetic, multimedia, and cultural knowledge-based approaches to further develop scholars’ reading abilities. While a primary goal of Word RICH is to help scholars accomplish grade-level literacy through the science of reading, the ultimate goal is to help students wield the gift of literacy to practice the science of freedom.
PRIMARY INTERVENTIONS
Traditional Drop Everything and Read (D.E.A.R.) time protocols were altered. K-2 scholars completed fluency exercises with decodable texts with their Servant Leader or Junior Servant Leader. 3-8 scholars completed fluency exercises with passages that strengthened background knowledge for the book they were reading that day. High need scholars engaged in Amplify Boost, a computer game customized to strengthen their reading limitations. Students were coached through by the reading specialist and volunteers and practiced skills like Phonemic Awareness, Phonics, Vocabulary, Fluency, and Comprehension.
OVER THE COURSE OF THE SUMMER
135 assessment and intervention sessions were completed by the reading specialist and volunteers. Over 36 hours of reading intervention services were provided. Over 350 books were given away for personal libraries.
IN A POST-PROGRAM SURVEY GIVEN TO UNBIASED SELECTION OF SCHOLARS:
100% of them stated that Freedom School made them a better reader and thinker.
96% of them stated that they have a more positive attitude about reading books because of Freedom School.
FOR SCHOLARS WHO DID PRE-ASSESSMENTS AND POST-ASSESSMENTS:
97% of scholars improved their overall reading scores. The previous summer, 51% of scholars improved their scores. This is a 52% increase of scholars improving their scores.
The average DIBELS score increase was 80 points. For context, an increase of 80 points in DIBELS, depending on the grade, is about half a school year's worth of literacy growth or more.
Reading Fluency increased by an average of 15%.
