The 1619 Freedom School reports they have received $450,000 in two separate grants. The 1619 Freedom School, which aims to close the literacy gap between Black and white students in Waterloo, received a $250,000 grant from the TruStage Foundation. That money will be utilized for teacher development, curriculum book acquisition, and scholar supplies and materials. The W.K. Kellogg Foundation also awarded the 1619 Freedom School $200,000 to be disbursed over two years as part of their commitment to providing high quality, culturally affirming literacy instruction. The 1619 Freedom School was founded by Waterloo native and Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones, who authored the 1619 Project. The Freedom School operates as a free, after school program for Black fourth and fifth graders.
