This Week: Children’s Defense Fund’s Ella Baker Child Policy Training Institute to Bring 1,500+ Youth Advocates to Knoxville
The conference prepares leaders from 200+ CDF Freedom Schools® nationwide to deliver summer and after-school enrichment for K–12 students and families.
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Media Contact: John Henry, jhenry@childrensdefense.org, Media Relations Manager, 708-646-7679
KNOXVILLE, TN—On Wednesday, Children’s Defense Fund, the nation’s leading advocacy organization for children and young people, will hold its annual Ella Baker Child Policy Training Institute in downtown Knoxville. The event, which lasts through Saturday, equips hundreds of college-aged youth advocates with the skills they will need to lead thousands of young scholars at more than 200 CDF Freedom Schools® nationwide.
This year, more than 1,500 participants are expected to attend the week’s training activities at the Knoxville Convention Center and CDF Haley Farm, in Clinton, Tennessee. CDF Freedom Schools offer summer and after-school enrichment through a research-based, culturally responsive program that supports K–12 students and their families through high-quality academic and character-building activities. In 2024, nearly 12,000 students participated in CDF Freedom Schools across in 26 states and Washington, D.C, including in East Tennessee.
Learn more: CDF Hosts Ella Baker Child Policy Training Institute in Knoxville (2024)
The training also prepares attendees to participate in CDF’s annual National Day of Social Action on [insert date], a nationwide initiative that encourages CDF Freedom Schools scholars to lead civic engagement activities in their local communities. Last year, participants marched through downtown Knoxville to protest book bans in Tennessee and across the country. This year, scholars will advocate for the protection and recognition of public education as a public good.
Knoxville residents and East Tennesseans are invited to attend a panel discussion at the Knoxville Convention Center featuring Tennessee Rep. Sam McKenzie and several CDF Freedom Schools leaders. The conversation will explore what public education has meant in their lives, the consequences of its potential decline, and the impact school vouchers will have in Tennessee following the legislature’s recent passage of voucher legislation earlier this year. After that, attendees will march around the convention center and World’s Fair Park to bring attention to the issue.
Panel Discussion: Public Education for Democracy
When: 10:00 – 10:45 a.m., June 7
Where: Knoxville Convention Center
701 Henley St, Knoxville, TN 37902 (Clinch Ave Concourse Entrance)
*March in support of public education to immediately follow outside Knoxville Convention Center.
CDF Freedom Schools National Director Dr. Kristal Moore Clemons said the event will equip site leaders with the strategies they need to make learning engaging and meaningful for children in their home communities.
“For more than 30 years, CDF Freedom Schools have helped prevent summer learning loss and promote civic engagement among young people across the country,” Dr. Clemons said. “We’re excited to launch another busy and productive CDF Freedom Schools summer, starting this week in Knoxville, where our scholars will gain the resources they need to grow up with dignity, hope, and joy.”
*Journalists interested in covering the training event or arranging an interview are encouraged to contact Media Relations Manager John Henry at 708-646-7679 for more information.
About Children’s Defense Fund
Founded in 1973, Children’s Defense Fund envisions a nation where marginalized children flourish, leaders prioritize their well-being, and communities wield the power to ensure they thrive. The only national, multi-issue advocacy organization working at the intersection of child well-being and racial justice, CDF advances the well-being of America’s most diverse generation, the 74 million children and youth under the age of 18 and 30 million young adults under the age of 25. CDF’s grassroots movements in marginalized communities build power for child-centered public policy, informed by racial equity and the lived experience of children and youth. Its renowned CDF Freedom Schools® program is conducted in nearly 100 cities across 30 states and territories. Learn more at www.childrensdefense.org.