Freedom Side School

Save the Date, Freedom Side Fam!

Spring has arrived, which means summer is around the corner! We’re shaking off the last of these cold, grey days, and looking forward to our second-annual Garden Party at Pentridge Station! Live music, art and printmaking, food and drinks, and extra special announcements as we head into the summer before school starts!

This is an all ages event, and open to friends and future friends-save the date and invite someone who belongs on the Freedom Side!

Grateful as ever to gather together…see you in May!

🚨 ANNOUNCEMENT 🚨

At long last, Freedom Side is thrilled to share the location of our school’s permanent home!

Starting April 1, we’ve teamed up with Friends of the Woodlands to lease 1 acre of land, two out buildings and a port-o-potty!

Alongside our robust outdoor education program, our curriculum will now feature additional skill-building in masonry, composting & horticulture (lunches will be foraged!) and fire-tending. We’re thrilled to embark on this new chapter, and pray for fewer than five snowstorms a year. 🤞🏽

In addition to our classroom teachers and school coordinator, we are now also hiring for a full-time groundskeeper! Resumes can be sent directly to [email protected]

Just kidding! We won't be at the Woodlands, but we are excited to learn and grow in a beautiful facility, with some incredible access to nature! Our new home is no joke...stay tuned for a more official announcement about our building next week! 🌸 Wanna collaborate with us on outdoor programming for real?! Email [email protected].

Freedom Side School is seeking donations for our new school building!

After a months long building search, we are thrilled to share that we've found a home for Freedom Side School, and moving day is approaching soon! 📦

To prepare for our very first First Day of School, we need to outfit our classrooms, common room, specials room, and offices. 🛋

We are seeking donations of new items including classroom toys, craft materials, furniture, decor, books, and more!

We're also accepting donations of gently used items, and well-loved furniture/toys in great condition! 🧸

If you have an item you think we may be interested in, please complete our In-Kind donation form. We’ll be hosting drop off days for items that meet our needs, and may be able to arrange pick up in some cases.

Follow the form link for more details about what we need, and how you can support us! We're building the school of our dreams, and we couldn't do it without you! 🌼

Freedom Side School is seeking donations for our new school building!

After a months long building search, we are thrilled to share that we’ve found a home for Freedom Side School, and moving day is approaching soon! 📦

To prepare for our very first First Day of School, we need to outfit our classrooms, common room, specials room, and offices. 🛋

We are seeking donations of new items including classroom toys, craft materials, furniture, decor, books, and more!

We’re also accepting donations of gently used items, and well-loved furniture/toys in great condition! 🧸

If you have an item you think we may be interested in, please complete our In-Kind donation form. We’ll be hosting drop off days for items that meet our needs, and may be able to arrange pick up in some cases.

Follow the form link for more details about what we need, and how you can support us! We’re building the school of our dreams, and we couldn’t do it without you! 🌼

🚨 DEADLINE EXTENDED!! 🚨

Now accepting applications through March 30. Visit TinyUrl.com/FreedomSideHiring for more info, or comment below and we’ll send you the link!

We are seeking 4 new grown-ups to join us on the Freedom Side!

Freedom Side School’s very first First Day of School is just around the corner, y’all! We’re doubling our staff to get ready for our first class of students and families. Our team is seeking applicants for 4 new full-time positions. Interested applicants can learn more and apply by visiting tinyurl.com/freedomsidehiring. Applications for all 4 positions are open until Monday, March 30th. We’re currently accepting applications for:

◆ 2 Classroom Co-lead Teachers
→ Classroom Coteachers are integral to translating our mission and vision into action by shaping day-to-day school life for our students and their caregivers!

◆ A School Coordinator
→ The School Coordinator will serve as a key member of our administration team, coordinating essential work associated with both day-to-day school life and broader organizational admin.

◆ A School Social Worker
→ The School Social Worker will be a key member of our student and family support team, providing direct support to both children and their caregivers, and coordinating outside services for families.

🌼 Applications will be accepted until Monday, March 30!
◆ First round 30-minute zoom interviews will be conducted on a rolling basis.
◆ Invitations for finalist round in-person interviews will be sent on a rolling basis.
◆ We hope to extend offers for these positions by mid-May.
◆ The start date* for these roles will be in August, with 3-4 weeks of dedicated in-service and onboarding before our first day of school.

*An earlier start date for the School Coordinator position may be possible for the right candidate.

Have someone in mind who’s perfect for one of these positions? Tag them in the comments or share this post!

Ready to learn more about
Freedom Side? Join us online for Office Hours, every Tuesday from 7:30-9pm! 🗓

Starting March 3, Freedom Side Staff will be available each week to answer questions, share updates about the school, offer application support and share info about job postings and volunteer opportunities.

These are drop-in hours, so no need to register or sign up in advance. Join from your computer, tablet or cell phone!

Interested? DM or comment below if you want us to send you the link. And as always, if you know someone who should come learn and grow with us, share this post or send them our way!

See you soon! 💛

📚There's no school like Freedom Side!✨

We know folks are curious about who we are and what we do, so we wanted to address some of the common questions we hear about Freedom Side School!

Curious about our program? Start here! Still have questions? Add them to the comments below! You can also reach out to us directly via email, or the Connect page on our website. Links are in our bio!

Know a kiddo who belongs on the Freedom Side? Share this post with a grown up who loves them! 🐛💫 🦋

🎉 Happy Birthday, Freedom Side! 🥳

Over the weekend, we braved the cold and celebrated 5 years of Freedom Side School! We gotta say, it was pretty cute!

We enjoyed a beautiful dinner from Yes Yasmine Kitchen, and a one of a kind birthday cake from Frank of Soil Earth Ground! We made time for letter writing to our inside loved ones, arts and crafts, games and karaoke! One of our Inside Advisory Board members joined via Zoom, just in time to sing Happy Birthday (and meet some of our youngest Freedom Fighters before their bedtimes)! 🥰

It was pretty special to gather and celebrate the people who've made this project possible. The dream of Freedom Side was born in the winter of January 2021–since then, an incredible community has grown around Freedom Side, bringing our mission, vision and values to life. 🌱

We are so lucky to build on the dedication and hard work of our Vision Team, and we're grateful for everyone who has joined us since that first meeting! 💞

2026 is our year! As we look forward to welcoming our first class of students in September, we're inviting visionary educators, caregivers, organizers and community members to join us–there's a place for you on the Freedom Side!

Here's to our best year yet. 🎂🎉

We are seeking 4 new grown-ups to join us on the Freedom Side!

Freedom Side School’s very first First Day of School is just around the corner, y’all! We’re doubling our staff to get ready for our first class of students and families. Our team is seeking applicants for 4 new full-time positions. Interested applicants can learn more and apply by visiting tinyurl.com/freedomsidehiring. Applications for all 4 positions are open until Monday, March 9th. We're currently accepting applications for:

◆ 2 Classroom Co-lead Teachers
→ Classroom Coteachers are integral to translating our mission and vision into action by shaping day-to-day school life for our students and their caregivers!

◆ A School Coordinator
→ The School Coordinator will serve as a key member of our administration team, coordinating essential work associated with both day-to-day school life and broader organizational admin.

◆ A School Social Worker
→ The School Social Worker will be a key member of our student and family support team, providing direct support to both children and their caregivers, and coordinating outside services for families.

🌼 Applications will be accepted until Monday March 9th!
◆ First round 30-minute zoom interviews will be conducted on a rolling basis.
◆ Invitations for finalist round in-person interviews will be sent by March 23rd.
◆ We hope to extend offers for these positions by mid-May.
◆ The start date* for these roles will be in August, with 3-4 weeks of dedicated in-service and onboarding before our first day of school.

*An earlier start date for the School Coordinator position may be possible for the right candidate.

Have someone in mind who's perfect for one of these positions? Tag them in the comments or share this post!

🧡 APPLICATIONS ARE OPEN! ♥️

Has your family experienced incarceration? There's a place for your child at Freedom Side!

Freedom Side is a K-5 school for children with formerly or currently incarcerated loves ones. We offer a high quality, tuition-free education rooted in healing justice. Freedom Side prepares our youngest freedom fighters to succeed in the world as it is now, while nurturing them as the leaders who will make the world more free!

Your child may apply to Freedom Side for the 2026-27 school year if:

🌸They live in the Philadelphia Area
🌼They have an incarcerated or formerly incarcerated loved one
🌱They're a rising first or second grader.

If you have questions, or your child is outside this age range- reach out to us! We'll be adding classes each year, and offering year-round support to families as our school grows.

Head to the link in our bio for more information, and tag or share with someone who's family belongs on the Freedom Side– we can't wait to meet you!

We are so excited to share this beautiful poster (and our incredible brand kit) from our beloved pal ! We love her and the all art she makes in service to liberatory futures!

Does your child have an incarcerated loved one?

Are you looking for a high-quality school experience that understands the needs of impacted families?

Freedom Side School is for you!

Swipe through and read on to learn more about what we offer!

Freedom Side is a K-5 Elementary School in Philadelphia, opening our doors in September 2026. At Freedom Side, you can expect a stellar education in an environment where your child can thrive, with specialized support from a team of teachers and staff who understand the needs of impacted families. Freedom Side School is tuition and fee-free for all families.

At Freedom Side, your family's needs won't be stigmatized, and incarcerated parents and caregivers can play an active role in their children’s education.

Your child may apply to be a student at Freedom Side School in 2026 if:

🌼Your family has been directly impacted by incarceration.

🌸Your child lives in the Philadelphia area.

🌼Your child is a rising 1st or 2nd grader.

Ready to apply?

Interested families can reach out by emailing our team at [email protected], or by filling out our Inquiry Form online. We’ll schedule a one on one conversation to answer any questions you may have, and walk you through the application process, step by step.

We can't wait to meet you!
-FSS