Tocqueville Society Members tour James Lawson Freedom School to experience the lasting impact of the summer learning program

Last month, Tocqueville Society members had the unique opportunity to tour the James Lawson Freedom School campus at Christ Lutheran Church in Allentown.

Established and led by Resurrected Community Development Corporation and in partnership with the Children’s Defense Fund, the James Lawson Freedom School empowers school-aged children and young adults to excel and believe in their ability to make a difference in themselves and in their families, communities, country and world with hope, education and action.

Attendees participated in Harambee, which means “let’s pull together” in Swahili, with the scholars, putting everyone in a positive mindset. The teachers, known as Servant Leaders, led everyone on classroom tours and gave them a behind-the-scenes look on how they implement integrated reading curriculum on a daily basis. The energy was palpable, and Tocqueville Society members left feeling encouraged and inspired.

Rev. Dr. Gregory James Edwards, Senior Pastor of Resurrected Life Community Church UCC and President of the Resurrected Community Development Corporation spoke to the group, sharing “you can’t fall in love with reading until you fall in love with yourself. And that’s what we’re here to do for these scholars.”

Through culturally relevant literacy programming, 77% of participating students maintained or increased their reading skills in 2021. Thanks to funding secured by U.S. Representative Susan Wild, all four of the James Lawson Freedom School campuses grew to reach even more students throughout Allentown and Easton this summer.