Servant Leadership through High School Students

High School students participating in Philadelphia Freedom Schools benefit from two overall objectives: Along with assisting with classroom instruction and management, these Junior and Literacy Servant Leaders are also responsible for attending weekly academic lectures and completing a portfolio of work each year.

The Junior Servant Leaders (JSLs) component of Philadelphia Freedom Schools offers high school students the opportunity to learn and earn by offering jobs at the summer program sites of Philadelphia Freedom Schools. JSLs function as Classroom Assistants to Servant Leaders Interns during the morning Integrated Reading Curriculum and engage in afternoon instruction and coaching in the completion of their Service Learning Project. The goal of the JSL component of Philadelphia Freedom Schools is to encourage high school students to embrace servant leadership as a force to heal and foster positive growth in the community.

Wednesday Academy
During summer months, the JSLs also participate in Wednesday Academies on various sponsoring Philadelphia college and university campuses. During the Wednesday Academies, young people engage in a curriculum that incorporates history, writing, life skills, job readiness, college preparation, computer and service learning activities. Additionally, the curriculum includes a book that the JSLs read together throughout the summer.

Literacy Servant Leaders
During the school year the JSLs are referred to as Literacy Servant Leaders who work to enrich the lives of children in the PFS sites by providing tutoring, community service, academic and enrichment activities. LSLs provide after school classroom support to the sites through homework help, mentorship and special project implementation.

Think Tank Meetings
On Wednesdays during the school year LSLs gather on various sponsoring Philadelphia college and university campuses for Think Tank Meetings. The meetings are designed to help them chart a course to success. The LSLs participate in history, computer, college and career exploration courses and are exposed to scholars and programs that can aid in their dream fulfillment. Educational field trips are taken by LSLs throughout the year as a means of enhancing their experiences and exposure.

For More Information on Junior Servant Leaders or Literacy Servant Leaders, please contact Daynell Marbury at dmarbury@cisphl.org