Jessica’s Story: Finding Meaning through Volunteering
It’s 4:30 pm on a sunny Brooklyn afternoon. As the warmth of spring and eventually summer begin to embrace the city, most teens would prefer to be anywhere but school. But they are here, at a struggling Brooklyn High School playfully engaging in activities with their drama coach, Jessica Frith. This, she says, is what...
Broadway in the House!
Broadway actress and current Spiderman lead Rebecca Faulkenberry visited students at Freedom Academy High School’s drama club on Monday, May 21. The visit was arranged by drama club instructor Jessica Frith, a volunteer with 20/20 Vision for Schools. Jessica and Rebecca have been friends since childhood, when they met acting side by side in a community...
Freedom Games: Drama Club
PHOTOS The Freedom Academy Drama Club launched at Freedom Academy High School on March 5th under the leadership of Jessica and Daniel Frith, veteran actors and drama instructors. Enjoy Freedom students as they learn by doing through a series of theater games and workshop activities on March 26th. The drama club is preparing to write...
Now Publishing: Freedom Academy Press
20/20′s partnership with Freedom Academy High School in Brooklyn expanded this month to include online journalism and drama clubs which officially launched on March 5th. The journalism club resurrected the Freedom Academy Press, converting it to an online blog which debuted in time for the start of Spirit Week on March 22. Follow the goings...
“Save our School. Fight for Freedom.”
UPDATE of 12/12/11: As of December 9, the Department of Education decided to keep Freedom Academy open for at least another year. That’s not to say the fight is over, just that Freedom has a year to develop and demonstrate a turnaround plan with the continued assistance of 20/20 Vision for Schools and other community...
A sixth grader at IS 8 in Queens described the impact of the "I Am Now" program on him: "I became a better man. ... When I was gonna fight somebody over something, we settled it like young men." The photo shows him performing the original song "Overachievers" at a school assembly. 
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