Public Health Institute of Metropolitan Chicago (PHIMC) is excited to announce Chicago Freedom School as the 2021 recipient of the Mary F. Morten Award for Justice! Chicago Freedom School is being recognized for its vital role in supporting young people during the protests which gained national attention last summer, for its 14-year history of supporting liberatory education for young people, and for catalyzing youth-led social change.
Mary F. Morten, PHIMC Board Secretary, for whom the award is named, notes that “PHIMC and Chicago Freedom School share a vision for equity, for social change, and for a society which supports the health and wellbeing of all people. We also employ similar strategies for building towards this vision -- such as forging coalitions and working to eliminate bias and stigma in the systems meant to support us. Chicago Freedom School embodies justice. Their work with young people is a model for all of us.”
Chicago Freedom School actively participates in PHIMC’s Northeast Illinois Area Health Education Center (AHEC), Illinois Safe Schools Alliance, and School Health Access Collaborative.
The award will be presented during Invigorate: A B.Y.O Brunch for Public Health on Sunday, November 7. This event will occur virtually from 11:00 a.m. through 12:30 p.m. Tickets for Invigorate: A B.Y.O Brunch for Public Health are $50 for individuals and couples or $75 for parties of three or more viewing on the same device.
