The Freedom Project gets results. Sunflower County Freedom Project alums are now studying in colleges all over the country including UNC-Chapel Hill, Berea College, Howard University, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Rust College, and Louisiana State University.
In each of its graduating classes, 100% of program participants have enrolled in four-year colleges or universities. Freedom Fellows are able to enroll in these competitive universities in part because of their ACT scores, which are, on average, 25% higher than those of their peers. Higher scores on standardized tests can be attributed to several factors. One of these factors is that Freedom Fellows spend an average additional 8.5 hours per week studying or otherwise engaged in academic pursuits. In combination with our six-week summer program, this adds up to over two months of additional academic instruction and practice over the course of a year. As a direct result, Freedom Fellows experience a 15% yearly increase in grade point average, gain an average of 1.1 reading levels during our summer program, and report enjoying their schoolwork more.
These results are certainly compelling for any student interested in pursuing success by way of higher education. However, this is especially meaningful for our students, 96% of whom qualify for free or reduced lunches and 74% of whom will be the first in their families to attend college.
Ford Leadership for a Changing World, 2003
Chris Myers Asch, Sunflower County Freedom Project, National Finalist.
Leadership for a Changing World is a program of the Ford Foundation in partnership with the Advocacy Institute and the Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service at New York University. The program recognizes extraordinary leaders or leadership teams across the United States who are changing lives and transforming communities — often against great odds.
