BLAQUE Kansas City’s Freedom School is a transformative program for local elementary school students that ignites curiosity, excitement, and purpose around reading.
Freedom School will not take place in 2026. To learn about when it will return and get your student involved, please sign up for our newsletter.
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And many students in Kansas City schools are already disadvantaged by a lower-quality education than their peers nationwide.
Freedom School has broken that cycle for more than 300 Kansas City students with six weeks of affirming, innovative, community-centered learning, all taught by college students.
Modeled after the Children's Defense Fund Freedom Schools framework, our Freedom School is where students realize books are not just words, but doorways to discovery, identity, and endless opportunities.
Every day is a celebration of learning, kicking off with Harambee, a session of songs, chants, and motivational readings. Every day features lessons in reading, writing, humanities, mathematics, science, and history.
Kansas City college students home for the summer serve as teachers, giving elementary students the chance to learn from someone who shares their background, their city, and their story.
Freedom School is a culturally affirming space where children are seen, celebrated, and reminded that their stories matter. Educational outcomes vastly improve when children have educators and leaders who look like them.
College student teachers gain paid, meaningful teaching experience that feeds into the broader teacher pipeline, strengthening Kansas City’s educator workforce one summer at a time.
Let’s write a great next chapter together. If you’re a parent, you can enroll your elementary school-aged child in Freedom School (when it’s running). If you’re a Kansas City-area college student, we would love to have you join us as a teacher.
Freedom School will not be held in 2026. Sign up for our newsletter to receive updates, or reach out to us to share your interest in teaching and background.
In 1964, college students from across the country traveled south to advocate for justice and voting rights for Black citizens. The Freedom Schools they created gave Black children access to rich educational experiences in reading, writing, history, science, and constitutional rights, promoting independent thinking.
In 1995, The Children’s Defense Fund launched the first two Freedom Schools to address summer literacy needs for children without access to quality programs. Today, we are proud to continue that model and mission as we serve hundreds of Kansas City students: every child deserves an education that lets them grow, lead, and tap into their own power.
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Freedom School is BLAQUE Kansas City's six-week summer literacy program for local elementary students. Kansas City college students who are home for the summer serve as teachers, giving elementary kids the chance to learn from someone who looks like them, grew up in the same city, and is living proof of what's possible.
While we are not hosting Freedom School in 2026 as we focus on our other current programs, we remain deeply committed to the program and its future. Sign up for our newsletter for updates on when Freedom School will return.
Freedom School serves Kansas City's elementary students in grades one through five, with a focus on building literacy skills and creating an enriching, affirming summer experience. College students who are home for the summer are able to teach, giving them paid teaching positions and meaningful early career experience that feeds directly into the broader Kansas City teacher pipeline.
Freedom School keeps students actively reading, learning, and growing during those critical summer months, and surrounds them with near-peer teachers who remind them every single day that their potential is limitless. More than 300 students have been served so far.
Stay informed about our work and upcoming opportunities in Kansas City.