|
The Meridian Freedom Project is an after-school and summer academic and cultural enrichment program for middle and high school students. As part of a three-pronged network, it partners with similar Freedom Projects in Sunflower and Rosedale in the Mississippi Delta.
The Phil Hardin Foundation was instrumental in getting the original Freedom Project in Sunflower off the ground two decades ago. When Meridian residents a few years ago wanted to develop their own program patterned after Sunflower, the Hardin Foundation was an early, major supporter on an annual basis. Then in 2018, the foundation made a four-year commitment to all three Freedom Projects totaling $460,000, with Meridian's share being $300,000 over that time. The grants were designed to support program expansion and long-term sustainability for each site.
The Freedom Projects focus heavily on raising the academic bar and expectations of students, setting their sights on college access and success. Through a variety of experiences, including educational travel, drama and literature, they inculcate in their students an appreciation of their heritage as heirs to the legacy of the civil rights movement in Mississippi and the "Freedom Schools" that opened up new vistas for many African-American children.
The Hardin Foundation also supports the Meridian component of Freedom Summer Collegiate, which is affiliated with the Freedom Projects and recruits doctoral students from some of the nation's leading universities to teach college-level seminars to high school students. Through a partnership with Millsaps College in Jackson, Freedom Summer Collegiate students receive college credit for their work.
