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Download & Share We believe that human rights are multidimensional, participatory, and universal, inalienable,and interdependent. highly disciplined. Our strategy involves: Regardless of where people are born or what borders they may cross, human 1. Creative non-violent civil beings have rights by virtue of their disobedience that highlights modern humanity that can never be taken away. segregation and pressures the Because human rights are interdependent, Georgia Board of Regents to repeal we believe that our movements for human Policies 4.1.6 and 4.3.4 dignity are interdependent as well. As Empowering undocumented such, Freedom University partners with 2. Campaigns with documented student youth and fulfilling their human rights organizations working to allies to secure fair admissions advance racial justice, gender equality, and sanctuary policies at private human right to education. workers’ rights, indigenous rights, and universities across the country freedom in all its forms. 3. Legal action at the federal level OUR STUDENTS & that seeks remedy for violations of FACULTY undocumented students’ right to WHO WE ARE Freedom University accepts students ages equal protection under the law Freedom University is a modern-day 16-25 who identify as undocumented freedom school based in Atlanta. We youth. We welcome fully undocumented 4. International human rights advocacy provide rigorous college preparation students, students with Deferred Action for that involves coordination with classes, college and scholarship Childhood Arrivals (DACA) or Temporary international legal mechanisms and application assistance, and leadership Protected Status (TPS), and survivors of the United Nations system development for undocumented students human trafficking. Our students come from in Georgia. Mexico, Central America, South America, Through strategic direct actions, policy the Caribbean, Southeast Asia, West campaigns, and local, national, and HISTORY Africa, India, and Eastern Europe. Our international partnerships, we are only requirement for admission is that changing college admissions policies and Freedom University opened its doors in students commit to believing in themselves, transforming the public debate on the 2011 following the passage of Georgia supporting their undocumented peers, and human right to higher education. Board of Regents Policy 4.1.6, which never giving up on their dream of higher bans undocumented youth from attending education. Georgia’s top public universities, and SUCCESS Policy 4.3.4, which bans undocumented As a result of our work, one out of every students from in-state tuition. While more Our faculty members are fully committed four Freedom University students wins than 20 states allow undocumented to providing undocumented students high a full merit scholarship to college. Our students to attend public universities or quality academic courses that prepare graduates are now students at colleges qualify for in-state tuition, Georgia is the them for admission to selective universities. such as Dartmouth College, Smith only state in the country to ban students Our faculty members are full-time faculty College, Emory University, Middlebury both from select universities and from at Emory University, Morehouse College, College, Berea College, Tougaloo in-state tuition. These policies effectively Georgia State University, and Georgia College, and many others. As a result target and exclude undocumented Tech, and volunteer their time at Freedom of our collaboration with the Freedom students and usher in a modern era U to teach rigorous courses in human at Emory Initiative, Emory announced in of educational segregation in the U.S. rights, social sciences, biological sciences, April 2015 that it would accept qualified South. language arts, and creative arts. Our undocumented students and provide educational programs provide leadership privately funded, need-based financial Since the 2016 election, Freedom development, public engagement aid to those who qualify. We are building University has taken a leadership role in opportunities, and movement skill-building a powerful student movement that will win the national sanctuary campus movement, to empower a new generation of fair admissions policies across the country and has expanded its work to host undocumented youth leaders. and give rise to a new generation of community Know Your Rights trainings movement leaders. and organize trusted networks of pro- bono mental health and legal services for STRATEGY Georgia is recognized globally as a GET INVOLVED undocumented students. historic epicenter in the struggle for human Because we do not charge our students rights. Georgia is home to two Nobel tuition of any kind, our sustainability relies CORE BELIEFS Peace Prize Laureates - Dr. Martin Luther on the generosity of friends and donors We believe that all human beings – King, Jr. and President Jimmy Carter - and around the world: To donate, volunteer, regardless of race, ethnicity, class, the cradle of the U.S. or learn more about our work, please religion, gender, sexual orientation, Civil Rights Movement. In this tradition, visit: or citizenship status – have a right to Freedom University works actively education. We uphold Article 26 of the with students, educators, supporters, Universal Declaration of Human Rights, policy makers, and other social justice www.freedom-university.org which states that everyone has the right stakeholders to advance the rights of to education and that higher education undocumented youth in Georgia and shall be equally accessible to all on the across the country. Our strategy is basis of merit. .
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