What is the Children's Defense Fund?
The Childrenʼs Defense Fund grew out of the Civil Rights Movement under the leadership of Marian Wright Edelman. Mrs. Edelman directed the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund office in Jackson, Mississippi and worked with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. as counsel for his Poor Peopleʼs Campaign. In 1969, Mrs. Edelman began the Washington Research Project, a public interest law firm that monitored federal programs for low-income families and, out of that initiative, she founded Childrenʼs Defense Fund in 1973. Now, CDF works alongside and amplifies the power of youth and families through advocacy, community organizing, direct service, and public policy.
What are Freedom Schools?
CDF Freedom Schools has its origins in the Mississippi Freedom Summer Project of 1964, which brought college students from around the country to Mississippi to secure justice and voting rights for Black citizens. These early Freedom Schools aimed at keeping Black children and youth safe and giving them rich educational experiences that were not offered in Mississippiʼs public schools. Now in 26 states across the country, the CDF Freedom Schools program today is designed to improve reading, language skills, and interpersonal relationships; strengthen families; connect children to medical and other needed social services; and develop in all participants the skills needed to improve conditions for children and families in their communities.
Why Annapolis?
Annapolis needs a Freedom School in 2027 in order to combat the systemic wealth and racial inequalities in our city. The data speaks for itself.
Statistics from the 10 Public Elementary Schools in Annapolis:
7 out of 10 have a student body that is more than 70% economically disadvantaged
8 out of 10 have a student body that is over 50% students of color.
8 out of 10 are less proficient in English Language Arts than the District.
8 out of 10 are less proficient in Mathematics than the District.
7 out of 10 elementary schools in Annapolis are majority diverse, majority economically disadvantaged, and below district proficiency in ELA/Mathematics/Science.
Our Founder
Mariana Ordonez founded Naptown Freedom Schools in 2026 after interning with the Children’s Defense Fund Freedom Schools national staff in DC. During her ten weeks with the team, she had the opportunity to attend National Training and visit sites, experiencing the Freedom Schools way firsthand. She left the internship believing strongly in the mission and effectiveness of Freedom Schools, and wanting more than anything to bring it to her hometown of Annapolis.
Partners in Progress
