The Teagle Foundation's Knowledge for Freedom Initiative at VSU

 

The following quote was provided by a high school counselor in the Wiregrass Region of South Georgia who worked with the Knowledge for Freedom program at Valdosta State University.

"The Teagle Program at Valdosta State University has been a wonderfully innovative and exceptional opportunity for our students. I have consistently heard nothing but positive feedback about the program and the invaluable benefits it has provided for Valdosta Early College Academy students. Your hard work, vision, and dedication over the past four years have made a lasting impact, and we are deeply grateful for your commitment to excellence and student success."
Overview
The College Readiness Through Civic Engagement: A Knowledge for Freedom Initiative program was for high school students in the Wiregrass Region of South Georgia interested in the humanities and political sciences. The initiative ran from 2022-2025 and four cohorts of students completed the program. As juniors, these students received a chance to have in-depth, challenging discussions involving past and present influential figures, specifically discussing how they shaped society today. These students had a unique chance to be heard by professors and their peers, all while receiving the college experience by participating in the summer seminar hosted at VSU. Due to the completion of the grant for College Readiness Through Civic Engagement, the Knowledge for Freedom/Teagle Program at VSU is closed. However, we have many accomplishments and facts about our program up for display on this website. Feel free to check them out!
The following quote was provided by a Teagle Fellow. 
Participating in the Teagle Knowledge for Freedom Summer Program was an eye-opening experience. It felt like a sneak peek into college life, but with a focus on humanities, which isn't something I get to dive into deeply at school. We had engaging discussions about big philosophical, ethical, and societal questions, and the classes pushed me to think critically and express my ideas clearly. Compared to my previous educational experiences, this program was more intense and immersive. The discussions were deeper and more thought-provoking than typical high school classes, and the writing assignments were more challenging. Plus, living on campus added a whole new dimension. It was different from just going to school every day because we were constantly interacting and learning together, which made the whole experience richer and more collaborative.”
To know more about our parent program, National Knowledge for Freedom and Teagle, click here!
Summer Seminar

The fully residential two-week long summer seminar was held at the Valdosta State University campus. The summer seminar was unlike any traditional course and did not include any lectures but included intense discussions about great books that have shaped our democratic foundations, knowledge of citizenship in a liberal democracy, and social and economic justice issues. Students completing critical reading and writing about the works of Thucydides, Plato, Aristotle, Hobbs, Locke, Lincoln, Francis Fukuyama, Du Bois, Martin Luther King, Emma Lazarus, and others. Students developed a deeper appreciation for the humanities as a field resulting from participating in the summer seminar.  

Civic Engagement Project

Following the completion of the two-week summer seminar, students worked on a year-long civic engagement project throughout the fall and sspring. These projects focused on a selected civic issue or problem and involved working with local civic organizations and activists. Possible topics for projects included food security, poverty and homelessness, social and environmental justice, climate change, immigration and refugees, race relations, voter rights and participation, rural health care, rural population decline, rural economic opportunities, and education. Program faculty mentors and VSU undergraduate student mentors helped students with designing and executing their civic projects. Upon completion of their civic projects, students presented their civic projects as a poster or three-minute video presentation at VSU’s annual undergraduate symposium held in April of the following year. 

What our students have to say:

“I would recommend this program to others because you learn so much about the real world outside of the high school bubble or the safe zone. You learn how to coexist with strangers and how important education is. I would tell others to join to make wonderful memories and to join so you have a safe place to understand college life. Your opinions and knowledge matter to this program. They want you to know how important you are and your education is. I love this program and everyone should take advantage of its benefits.”

“My experience in this program has made me a more thoughtful person. I have practiced putting myself in others shoes. The program not only made me realize that college is more than a place to earn a career but its a place where you find yourself, the best of friends, and a safe place for you to grow and become a better scholar. This program is different from any other experience I have had in the education field, especially because I am from a small town where everyone knows everyone. I have had to meet strangers and co-exist with them. It was definitely not easy. I also had to be away from home for the longest I have ever been away from home before. That was hard but the people around me and the knowledge I learned has been so helpful. I can’t wait to start the college life now that I am more prepared for what is to come.”

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Wiregrass Region of South Georgia
Students traveled from near and far to be a part of the Knowledge for Freedom program at VSU.The following counties were eligible for the College Readiness Through Civic Engagement: A Knowledge for Freedom Initiative: Appling, Atkinson, Bacon, Baker, Ben Hill, Berrien, Brantley, Brooks, Camden, Calhoun, Charlton, Clay, Clinch, Coffee, Colquitt, Cook, Crisp, Dougherty, Decatur, Early, Echols, Grady, Irwin, Jeff Davis, Lanier, Lee, Lowndes, Miller, Mitchell, Pierce, Quitman, Randolph, Seminole, Telfair, Terrell, Thomas, Tift, Turner, Ware, Wilcox, and Worth.