Hogue: ‘Let’s ROCK the Freedom School!’
The College of Education will open the Purdue CDF Freedom School Program in the Summer of 2023.
Led by faculty member Breanya Hogue, an assistant professor of Literacy and Language Education in the College’s Department of Curriculum and Instruction, it will be housed within Purdue’s Center for Literacy and Language Education and Research (CL2EAR), directed by Christy Wessel-Powell, assistant professor of Literacy and Language Education.
The Children’s Defense Fund (CDF) Freedom Schools® program is a nationally-recognized and research-based, multicultural six-week summer literacy program that engages K-12 scholars and their families through five essential components: high quality academic and character-building enrichment; parent and family involvement; civic engagement and social action; intergenerational servant leadership development; and nutrition, health and mental health.
“As an undergraduate I was an intern for this program and it provided me with endless strategies and opportunities,” Hogue said. “This work is essential not just for students and families, but for training up better educators.”
Rooted in the Mississippi Freedom Summer project of 1964, the CDF Freedom Schools® program has historically been and continues to be a part of the Black Community Crusade for Children. The Freedom School model uses an integrated reading curriculum (IRC) designed for intergenerational learning and facilitation. Culturally relevant books provide opportunities for students to build confidence about the ways they, their peers, and loved ones can become empowered, capable, and aware of their ability and responsibility to make a difference in the world.
“The four ‘Servant Leader Interns’ that will lead the daily instruction will be undergraduate pre-service teacher early education majors and they will be trained within the Freedom Schools model,” Hogue explained. “This will provide them with a diverse summer teaching experience and training that will allow them the opportunity to work with community partners, families, and students within a community model.”
Graduate students will also be enrolled in a literacy coaching and qualitative inquiry methods course (EDCI 591) where they will coach interns and assist with data collection alongside faculty researchers.
Official program dates for the Purdue CDF Freedom Schools® Program are June 12-July 21, 2023, and will be held at the First United Methodist Church West Lafayette. The program will provide a summer literacy opportunity to 30 K-3rd grade children and families of the Greater West Lafayette community at no cost.
“I would like to acknowledge the program’s Executive Director, Rev. Duane Carlisle of the First United Methodist Church West Lafayette, and the faculty, staff, and graduate students that have already assisted with preliminary preparations and planning,” Hogue said. “I appreciate your support and dedication. Let’s ROCK the Freedom School!”
To enroll your child/children in the Purdue CDF Freedom School Program this summer, please complete the Enrollment Interest Form. Space is limited and preference will be given to families that exhibit financial barriers or needs.
Breanya Hogue’s research agenda includes implementing and studying culturally responsive and proactive pedagogies, practices, and strategies with pre-service teachers that can shape their teacher dispositions and impact students, families, and communities. Prior to attending Purdue University, she worked as a 5th grade teacher in Jefferson County Public Schools in Louisville, Kentucky. She attended the University of Louisville where she earned a BSEd in Elementary Education followed by an MSEd in School Counseling. She is also currently finishing her dissertation and will soon obtain her PhD in Literacy, Culture, & Language from Indiana University Bloomington. Hogue’s interests include pre-service preparation for urban education, diverse children’s literature, and assisting with the creation of quality literacy programs and initiatives. She is also a children’s book author and enjoys publishing books influenced by her teaching experiences and encounters with youth.
Source: Breanya Hogue, PurdueFreedomSchools@purdue.edu
Writer: Jonathan Martz, martz0@purdue.edu
Website: https://education.purdue.edu//cl2ear/research-initiatives/purdue-cdf-freedom-school-program/