The Lenora M. Green Freedom School Of Trenton

The Lenora M. Green Freedom School Of Trenton, which is a national program of the Children's Defense Fund based in Washington, DC, provides summer academic and cultural enrichment activities that help children fall in love with reading, increases their self-esteem, and generates more positive attitudes toward learning. The Shiloh CDC operates the longest-functioning Freedom School in the state of New Jersey. The primary program of the The Lenora M. Green Freedom School Of Trenton is a 6-week, free summer camp experience for student-scholars residing in the Greater Trenton community. The focus of the program is cultural awareness and enrichment coupled with literacy development.

The program was inspired by the "Freedom Summer" effort which was a major campaign of the Civil Rights Movement led by the late Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and other social activists like Marian Wright Edelman, the first black woman to be barred in the state of Mississippi.

In addition to the summer camp experience, the Trenton Freedom School also endeavors to provide year-round academic tracking for students to help them foster interest in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math outside of the traditional school setting, and to encourage them to continue with advanced courses while in High School. Students will have additional access to Job Readiness, Resume Writing, Team Building and College Prep Workshops.

Children are taught using a model curriculum that supports children and families around five essential components:
• High-quality academic enrichment
• Parent and family involvement
• Civic engagement and social action 
• Inter-generational leadership development
• Nutrition, health, and mental health

Contact:

Gary Taylor, Program Director
lmg-fs@shilohcdc.org