The first week of Freedom School was a huge success. From the morning Harambee to the Integrated Reading Curriculum, our students are able to explore, read, connect and grow together. The week ended off in traditional Freedom School fashion. On Fridays at Freedom School, children receive books to keep. Because of tremendous book donations from the Cathedral's St. Veronica's Guild and members of the Church of the Epiphany, we are able to give even more books to scholars each week this summer!

The Children's Defense Fund Freedom Schools® program at Emmaus House is a summer program serving students from kindergarten through fifth grade. Its aim is to motivate young scholars to read, build positive attitudes towards learning, and empower them to make a difference in themselves, their families, their communities, and their world.

On average, over 90% of scholars who were evaluated maintained or gained in their instructional reading level over the six-week program as measured by pre- and post-program standardized testing.

For more information about the CDF Freedom Schools® program at Emmaus House, please contact Ann Fowler at (404) 525-5948, ext. 27 or annfowler@emmaushouse.org.

This summer, Emmaus House set out to help students to avoid the "summer slide" in reading ability by hosting a Children's Defense Fund Freedom Schools® program.

Pre and post evaluations conducted with a sample of scholars, using procedures recommended by the Freedom Schools® program, indicated the following:

• 100% of scholars who were evaluated maintained or gained in their instructional reading level over the six-week program as measured by pre and post standardized testing.
• Of those, 79% of students tested improved their instructional level in reading.
• Students who maintained their reading level all showed gains in either accuracy, comprehension or fluency within that reading level.
• Children in grades 4-7 saw the greatest gains.

Rosalyn Devine, a reading specialist who sits on the Emmaus House Advisory Board, wrote the following about the summer slide and the impact of our program:

Many of us have fond memories of the summer months. These may include visits to the beach or the mountains, special time with family and friends, lazy days and nights and a needed break from the demands of the school year. What we don’t necessarily remember is the “summer slide.” Unfortunately, I am not referring to the slide at the park that we all enjoy, but instead the well-documented decline in academic progress that occurs for many children during this extended break from the traditional school environment. Here are some facts about the summer slide:

• Low-income students, like those served by Emmaus House, lose on average more than two months of reading achievement during the summer months (Cooper, 1996).
• Unequal access to summer learning accounts for more than half of the achievement gap between lower and higher income youth. Researchers have concluded that two-thirds of the 9th grade reading achievement gap is attributable to unequal access to summer learning opportunities during elementary school. (Alexander et al, 2007).
• The summer learning losses appear to be cumulative over time, contributing even more to the gap between low and higher-income students (RAND Corporation, McCombs et al, 2011).
• Speaking on behalf of the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading at a U.S. Department of Education event, Annie E. Casey Foundation executive vice president Ralph Smith (2011) summed up the urgency of the summer learning loss problem:

“Too many children are losing too much ground over summer vacation, especially low-income children… This is not a school problem; this is a community problem, and we've got to organize ourselves to solve that.”

The good news is that studies have found that summer programs for kids can help reduce or eliminate the gaps, and that the effects of these summer programs last over time. This summer, children at Emmaus House have found what they need through the Children’s Defense Fund Freedom Schools® program. For six weeks, children at Emmaus House have worked to curb the summer slide and close achievement gaps. The CDF Freedom Schools® program motivates students to read, generates positive attitudes toward learning, and increases self-esteem. It also creates opportunities for partnerships with families and children to help them connect to resources in their communities.

As a reading specialist and member of the Advisory Board at Emmaus House, I have been fortunate to assist with this program by assessing the progress in reading that these students have made. I am happy to report that all students assessed have maintained or gained in their instructional reading level this summer because of the Freedom Schools® program at Emmaus House. This is something to celebrate as we work together to stop the summer slide.

If you are interested, you can find more information and facts by following these links: Rand Education, The Annie E. Casey Foundation, and this Horizons National video on summer learning.

– Rosalyn Devine

It all begins each morning with Harambee ("let's pull together"), a high energy gathering of our Children's Defense Fund Freedom Schools® scholars. Inspirational songs and enthusiastic chants get everyone moving, motivated, and ready to embrace the day to come.

One of the highlights of Harambee is Read-Aloud, when a special guest comes to read to the 70 scholars who attend the camp each day. Guests have included a bishop, judge, film director, foundation executive, and many others who serve as role models.

One of our Read-Aloud guests was Dr. Robin Robbins, the new Principal of D. H. Stanton Elementary School here in Peoplestown. Here is how she described her experience of Harambee:

Spending time at Harambee made me realize that I am the luckiest principal in Atlanta Public Schools! I was able to see many of my students from D.H Stanton Elementary School engage in a very fun and interactive summer experience through HARAMBEE! I hope to one day learn the many chants, rituals, and norms that I experienced that morning! Such a magical experience for my children!

Harambee is just the beginning of a fun and enriching day where reading is the main event. Ann Fowler, Director of Education Services and leader of the program describes the mission of our camp this way:

One of the goals at Camp Summer Hope, a CDF Freedom Schools® program, is to help readers and non-readers fall in love with books. To help achieve that goal, the Children's Defense Fund has provided us with a rich library of books representing the best work of writers and illustrators in the country. My favorite time of the day is Drop Everything and Read (D.E.A.R.) time, when all scholars and adults on site silently read a book of their choice for 15 minutes.

We know that reading at grade level is an important measure of future academic success. However, at D. H. Stanton Elementary School, 31% of students do not meet this important target and even more see the advances they make during the school year erode during the summer months (the "summer slide"). Our goal is to "turn the curve" on this challenge by helping our scholars to improve their reading abilities and to develop a love of reading that can last a lifetime.

One of our primary goals at Emmaus House is to increase educational achievement for children and youth through our summer and year-round programs. Through our participation in the CDF Freedom School's® program, we believe that our children and youth will make huge strides as they work toward academic success. 

Dr. Robin Robbins, new principal at D.H. Stanton Elementary School, reads to the scholars at Harambee.