Fall Greetings from Freedom's Principal |
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| Freedom Friends,
As we wind down the first quarter, I could not be prouder of our 135+ student Eagles soaring, and truly being impactful while achieving their goals. Highlights include: 34 current students participating in college dual enrollment courses at FSW, with even more students starting in the Spring, student-led organizations such as Young America’s Foundation (YAF), and Turning Point USA (TPUSA), and students engaging in community learning experiences and internships with partners such as Rick Hendrick Automotive and Revs Institute! We also have several success coach-led clubs including “VIBE with DLC” (David Lawrence Center partnership), Chick-Fil-A Leader Academy (Chick-Fil-A partnership), Chess Club, and Yearbook Club!
Furthermore, our YAF club initiated a 9/11 project, where they placed 2,997 American flags outside of Freedom’s building to honor the lives lost in 9/11. It was a truly beautiful and patriotic sentiment. Some members of YAF will be attending the high school conference at the Reagan Ranch in Santa Barbara, California. We can’t wait to hear about this trip! Many upcoming exciting events at Freedom include Senior celebrations, a field trip to the Federal Courthouse, led by Judge Kyle Dudek, our 3rd annual “Friendsgiving,” and a mini field trip to NCH’s Simulation Center. Freedom is truly a unique and special place to be, and it is the highlight of my educational career to be the principal. Thank you for all of your collaboration and support!
Sincerely, Christy Vaill - Principal |
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Freedom AI Featured Nationally
Freedom AI was featured in Volume 11 of Innovation in Action, a bi-weekly news brief published by the Center for Education Reform about the incredible activities of some of our nation's best education leaders. Freedom AI was featured as a Yass Prize Alum for expanding our Sustainable, Transformational, Outstanding, and Permissionless educational model using AI.
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Congressman Donalds Visits Freedom
Freedom staff and students had the wonderful opportunity to host Congressman Byron Donalds for a fireside chat led by our Board Chair Mr. Tom Grady as part of Freedom’s “American Dream” Speaker Series. The Congressman was incredibly generous with his time, and his story, experiences and insights truly captivated the students. It was a fantastic learning experience to have such an intimate encounter with the Congressman, and it was wonderful to see the students' interest and interaction. Experiences like these demonstrate how important our mission is at Freedom and the amazing impact it has on our students and their future. We loved hearing about the Congressman's past, present, and future, and we wish him luck in his run for Governor of the great state of Florida!
Stay tuned for the full fireside chat soon available on Freedom's YouTube channel!
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AI-Powered Learning at Freedom Freedom AI explains why AI-powered learning outpaces traditional instruction. Read our blogpost why this matters, what makes Freedom AI's approach different, how AI can be applied at school and home, responsible AI use, AI expanding equity and access in education, and how AI can help with career readiness. |
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Never Forget: Students Honor 9/11 Heroes
Students from The Freedom Institute paid tribute to the lives lost on September 11th with a powerful Never Forget project—displaying a flag for every victim. Members of the new Freedom Young America’s Foundation chapter arrived before sunrise to set up the memorial, prepare educational materials for their peers, and lead a moment of silence in remembrance. Their dedication and teamwork made for a moving and meaningful tribute.
We were also honored to welcome Chief Mike Hertz from the Commack Fire Department—father of our very own Success Coach, Mrs. Chieco—who shared his firsthand experiences from that day. His heartfelt message deeply impacted our students, who showed tremendous respect and gratitude. In a time when division often takes the spotlight, this day was a beautiful reminder of unity, compassion, and purpose. We are incredibly proud of our students for leading with heart and honoring the heroes of 9/11.
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Freedom on the BizMinds Podcast
We were thrilled to be featured on the BizMinds Interview Podcast, where Mr. Marker, Dr. Poteet and Mrs. Vaill shared the inspiring story behind the Freedom Institute and our mission to transform education through 100% personalization and economic freedom for students and families. They also revealed exciting updates about our cutting-edge AI programs, including the pilot year of Freedom AI High. It was an energizing conversation about innovation, purpose, and the future of learning!
A big thank you to the amazing Naples2Night crew for this fantastic experience! Read the Naples2Night article here. |
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Dr. Chris Lee on NeuroScience
Huge thanks to Dr. Chris Lee for dropping some serious wisdom as our first career guest speaker this year! From neuroscience to social media, his insights on mindset, growth, and personal branding were game-changing. Thank you for engaging with our students. We loved it!
🦅 Check out photos from the event on IG 🧠 Follow Dr. Chris on IG |
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Freedom Receives Grant from Collier Community Foundation |
🎉 Exciting News! The Freedom Institute has received a $5,000 grant from the Collier Community Foundation to help create our new College & Career Room—a dynamic, tech-enabled space where students can prepare for success in college, career, and life. We’re deeply grateful to the Foundation for supporting our mission and investing in the future of Collier County’s youth!
📰 Read full press release here |
| Students Complete Revs Institute Courses |
Several of our students interested in the Automotive Industry participated in Revs Institute's "Steering and Suspension" course this fall. The second Revs Ed course, "Brakes 101", started recently for a new cohort of Freedom students! We appreciate our collaboration and such an awesome opportunity for our students. We love our partnership with Revs Ed! |
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First Student AI Certificate at Freedom |
🎉 Major Milestone Alert!
Meet our first official AI certificate holder from the Freedom Institute’s Career with AI course!
This student is paving the way for a future where artificial intelligence meets opportunity and we couldn’t be prouder! The journey has just begun — who’s next?
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Spreading Her Wings at USF & in the Sports Industry |
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"I’m currently in my second year at the University of South Florida and on track to graduate early, thanks to the college dual enrollment opportunities I was able to take advantage of while at The Freedom Institute.
My time at Freedom gave me a strong head start, not just academically but also professionally. I began my freshman year at USF working for our Athletic Director, which sparked my passion for sports, leadership, and communication. Coming back my second year, I now still work in the USF Exec office as a student assistant, alongside our new CEO of Athletics, and also am apart of the social media internship and content creation team for athletics.
Freedom played such an important role in getting me here, from the resources that strengthened my college applications to the incredible guidance of the Success Coaches who supported me every step of the way. I’m so grateful for the foundation Freedom gave me and how it continues to help me grow and achieve my goals. - Sofie Aspegren '24 We are so proud of you, Sofie! Soar Eagle 🦅 and Go Bulls 🤘!
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Meet Mrs. Chieco - Success Coach | Science Lead |
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Hello Families! I’m Mrs. Chieco, and I’m excited to support our students at Freedom Institute as both a Success Coach and Environmental Science Teacher. I work one-on-one with students to help them set meaningful goals, stay organized, manage stress, and prepare for life after high school. My focus is on helping each student discover their strengths, build confidence, and take ownership of their learning journey.
In our science classroom, we explore real-world topics like ecosystems, pollution, and sustainability through hands-on projects that spark imagination and critical thinking. One of our favorites is the “Build a Perfect Beast” Challenge, where students become bioengineers and design an animal perfectly adapted to a specific Everglades ecosystem. It’s a creative and engaging way to dive into survival strategies, food webs, and environmental pressures all while thinking like scientists. I’m passionate about students being able to discover their unique strengths as they take charge of their learning journey! |
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Upcoming Events at Freedom |
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| We have a busy Fall 2025 scheduled for our Freedom Eagles and Families. |
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| 🇺🇸 Fun Fact Alert! 🦅
Did you know The Freedom Institute is a proud 501(c)(3) nonprofit? Yes — that means your support doesn’t just feel good, it does good (and it’s tax-deductible too!). Whether you’ve got treasures, talent, or time to share, we’d love to have you in our corner.
Click that RED button below to make a gift (because honestly, who better to back than Freedom?!) — or drop Eva a note to get involved! 💌 |
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We are grateful to the DEKKO FOUNDATION for their grant to support our innovative AI Educational Programs. |
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2706 Horseshoe Dr S, Naples, FL 34104, USA |
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