$350,000 State Grant Launches Lindop 92 “Broadview Freedom School”

(Broadview, IL) – West suburban Lindop School District 92 has officially launched the “Broadview Freedom School” for its summer 2023 session thanks to a $350,000 state of Illinois grant.

Lindop school officials hosted a packed town hall for Village of Broadview families on May 16 to roll out its summer school program based on a Freedom School model. The model is rooted in the 1960s Civil Rights Movement, specifically the Freedom Summer of 1964, that sought to empower African American communities through education. The Freedom Summer of 1964 specifically addressed systemic and institutional injustices that were deeply ingrained in the public education system at the time.

“The Freedom Summer campaign was designed by civil rights organizations to confront the racial segregation that was prevalent in the Southern states, particularly Mississippi, where the first Freedom School was founded,” said Superintendent Dr. Janiece Jackson.

African American history, citizenship rights, and literacy curriculum.

“As part of this campaign, the Freedom Schools were established as an alternative for African Americans to promote social change by teaching African American history, citizenship rights, literacy, and other subjects that had been historically underrepresented in curriculum, and Lindop’s Freedom School will have a comparable curriculum," said Dr. Jackson.

The Broadview Freedom School received a $350,000 grant from the Illinois State Board of Education from a $17 million state program as part of Illinois’ effort to create the nation's first state-funded Freedom Schools network. The Broadview Freedom School has been established in partnership with the Village of Broadview, The Answer, Inc., Proviso Township Youth Services, and Michael Romain, founder of the Village Free Press.

Since 1995, more than 150,000 children (K–12), including 230 in Illinois, have had the Children’s DefenseFund Freedom Schools experience, which had 182 program sites nation-wide as of 2017.

“The legacy of the Freedom Schools has been significant and lasting,” said Board of Education President Aaron Hannah. “They have demonstrated the power of education as a tool for social change, the importance of culturally relevant and student-centered learning, and the potential of community-based educational initiatives, and we are proud to bring this rich tradition to Broadview with the Broadview Freedom School.”

Lightford has key role in Broadview Freedom School.

The Broadview Freedom School owes its birth, in large part, to Broadview’s local state lawmaker, Senate Majority Leader Kimberly Lightford, who has praised the Freedom School model.

“These schools represent a long tradition of engaged citizenship, personal empowerment, and academic excellence,” said Lightford, one of the sponsors of the legislation that created the Illinois Freedom Schools initiative. “I know this experience will have a positive impact on students, their families, and the whole community."

Lindop’s Broadview Freedom School, whose Executive Director is Dr. Emily Betz, will enroll 40 students, between grades 5 and 8, in its six-week summer school program, beginning on June 5 and ending on July 21.

For more information, please contact the Broadview Freedom School at broadviewfreedomschool@lindop92.net or 708-786-6485.

davidormsby@davidormsby.com