Freestyle Montessori Urban Summer Program

Our goal is to bring the vision of child-centered, early childhood education to urban communities. Child-centered education is founded on the idea that if children are provided with structure and the freedom to explore, they can develop the critical skills necessary to succeed. Help us to help young disadvantaged students have the opportunity to grow and learn!

The Numbers

The greatest challenge our country faces today is providing young people with the tools they need to succeed. Unfortunately, far too many schools are failing to address the needs of students, parents, and teachers. Countless research reveals that America’s public education system is in a state of extreme distress. Those at the bottom, particularly urban minorities, are at the greatest disadvantage and are being left behind at alarming rates. How bad are the numbers? According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress, by eighth grade only 10 percent of black students are proficient in math and only 11 percent are proficient in reading (NAEP, 2012). As a subgroup, black males have the worst graduation rates in 38 states and the District of Columbia, while Latino males have the lowest graduation rates in 11 states (Schott Report 2012).

Our world is becoming increasingly knowledge based, and as a result intellectual governance will be required to lead our country into the future. No wonder then that black dropouts face a harrowing future, one in which 60 percent will spend time in jail or prison (Massey). Sadly, minorities drop out of high school at a far higher rate than the majority population, and of the few who do go on to college, most are unprepared for the rigorous academic environment.

We must find solutions!

Research shows that the most important time of human development is during a child’s early years. Ensuring that young children are exposed to critical concepts of math and reading has a tremendous impact on future learning and the development of logical and critical thinking skills. The statistics have already made it clear that change is needed. We believe that America’s current teacher-centered, factory model of education is failing to prepare urban youth for the realities of the knowledge based 21st century.

What if?

What if we diverted a significant amount of effort to early childhood education? What would happen if education was child-centered, if children were provided a space to learn, grow, and explore from an early age? We think that such a turn in education would have a dramatic impact on the educational outcomes of urban youth. By placing a greater emphasis on their development early on, we can make a difference.

Support us!

So if you support making a difference in education reform and also support innovative early childhood summer and after school programs, as well as year round schools that target minority students from prekindergarten to 5th grade, please support our cause! All children deserve a chance to grow and learn!

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