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MMSD launches Wisconsin's first Freedom School; summer arts and career camps continue
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Summary
Superintendent Dr. Gothard reported the district launched the state's first Freedom School at Mendota Elementary, highlighted summer arts and career-technical camps and partnerships with UW–Madison and community organizations.
Superintendent Dr. Gothard told the Madison Metropolitan School District Board of Education on July 28 that summer learning and community partnerships remain active across district schools, including the district’s first Freedom School in Wisconsin and a range of arts and career-technical programs.
Dr. Gothard said Freedom Schools — a program inspired by the 1964 Mississippi Freedom Summer and designed to support literacy, cultural identity and community engagement — is running at Mendota Elementary with 50 participants and daily activities that include Harambee (a daily community ritual of music and affirmations), two new books read per day and creative responses through drawing and writing. The program runs through July 31.
The superintendent highlighted other summer activities: the UW–Madison Badgers visited Leopold Elementary for reading events and distributed books as part of the Mad for Reading initiative; the MSCR Art Cart celebrated its 50th anniversary in partnership with the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art; the MMSD Summer Arts Academy engaged nearly 30 guest artists and offered dance, theater and 3-D arts; and 295 middle-school students participated in a career and technical discovery program this summer with 23 different opportunities including engineering, health science, culinary, coding and robotics.
Dr. Gothard also acknowledged philanthropic support in the consent agenda: Roots and Wings Foundation donated $150,000 to support mental-health priorities in the Department of Student and Staff Support and the Morgan Wallen Foundation provided an in‑kind musical instrument donation valued at $11,293 to Lakeview Elementary.
Dr. Gothard closed by praising staff and community partners and noting that summer programming continues even when the regular school year is not in session.
