DEI Summer Event Inspires 100+ Inspiring Young Scholars

This past July, UC Davis hosted more than 120 middle and high school students for a day-long campus visit.
“It’s important for these young people to see different possibilities for their future and to feel that they belong in the higher education environment,” said Ebony Lewis, UC Davis DEI’s chief strategy  officer and Aggie Black Excellence lead. 

Freedom Schools Campus Visit

The event, called the Freedom Schools Campus Visit, was part of the Children’s Defense Fund Freedom Schools program– a six-week summer literacy and cultural enrichment program designed to serve children and youth in grades K–12 in communities where quality academic enrichment programming is limited, too expensive or non-existent. 

The Freedom Schools program is run by the Roberts Family Development Center (RFDC), which provides a literacy-based learning experience aimed at fostering an I-can-make-a-difference attitude in the scholars and the staff who facilitate the program. Freedom Schools use a standards-aligned integrated reading curriculum to expose scholars to new concepts, ideas and ways of looking at the world, while building their literacy, comprehension and writing skills. 
“The goal of the visit was to inspire and engage young scholars through campus tours, workshops, and various activities,” Lewis said. “It also gave us the opportunity to strengthen our relationship with important community partners such as the Roberts Family Development Center.”  

UC Davis Visit Includes SAYS and Admissions Workshops

The Freedom Schools Campus Visit began with a tour of UC Davis and was followed by a welcome event with Chancellor May. Students engaged Chancellor May in their Harambee, which is a Kiswahili word that means “let’s pull together” and captures a community-building activity that encourages scholars to celebrate themselves and each other. In the afternoon, the middle school students attended a workshop by Sacramento Area Youth Speaks (SAYS) and the high school students attended a workshop with Josiah Greer, assistant director of African American recruitment with Undergraduate Admissions.
"The Freedom Schools campus visit was a space where we aimed to inspire our young scholars and underscore that they are welcome and belong at UC Davis and in higher education,” Lewis said. “One key takeaway from Chancellor May's remarks, which I reiterated as we wrapped the day, was centered on this idea: Not all superheros wear capes. Each of you have your own skills and strengths, so tap into your super powers!"

A Deepening Partnership

Freedom Schools are a partnership between UC Davis Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. Financial support of the campus tour event came from K-16 Education Collaborative grants and RFDC. While it was not the first time Freedom Schools students visited UC Davis, 2024 did mark the first year that the UC Davis DEI and Undergraduate Admissions sponsored a visit to RFDC prior to the event. The meeting was significant because it allowed the students to familiarize themselves with staff prior to visiting a university campus, and it represented a deepening partnership between UC Davis and RFDC. During this visit, UC Davis staff, including DEI staff Christopher Nguyen Pheneger and Mariana Galindo-Vega, introduced themselves to students, shared their educational and professional journeys and provided information about UC Davis and Chancellor Gary May. The students were given an opportunity to write down questions to Chancellor May, which were later addressed during his welcome speech at the Freedom Schools Campus Visit in July.