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One Person Can Change the World

Nova Southeastern University's Knowledge for Freedom program is a free year-long program designed to prepare high school juniors in Broward County, Florida for college. The program provides students with a three-week immersive campus experience during the summer and gives them the tools necessary to create change in their community and apply for college throughout their senior year. During the summer experience, students will study the humanities with NSU professors, reside in residence halls on NSU's campus, and enjoy various social and leisurely activities for a full campus-life experience.

The program starts each summer with a new cohort of students and ends the following year.

  • Summer 2024 Program Dates: June 11–July 2, 2024

    • Student and Parent/Guardian Orientation: June 1, 2024

    • Commute to Campus
      • June 11–June 14, 2024
      • July 1–2, 2024 

    • Residence on Campus
      • June 16–June 21, 2024
      • June 23–28, 2024
  • Extended Application Deadline: April 30, 2024

Contact Knowledge for Freedom if interested in applying

Program Overview

The program includes

  • A free three-week college experience during the summer for 15 high school juniors, which consists of 

    • Food and housing on NSU's main Fort Lauderdale/Davie campus for the final two weeks of the summer program (students will go home for the weekend on Friday night and return on Sunday night)

    • College-level humanities seminars with NSU professors to study transformative texts about equality and change in America from thinkers like Theodore Roosevelt, Martin Luther King, Jr., Toni Morrison, and more 

    • Full daily schedules (8:30 a.m.–7:00 p.m.) consisting of meals, class time, workshops, reading time, and free time 

    • Guidance and resources from professors, teaching assistants, the Alvin Sherman Library, and NSU’s Writing Center to help students plan and implement a Change Project—a project to create change in their community 

    • Workshops on the college application process, FAFSA, research, writing, and more 

    • Recreational and well-being activities like scavenger hunts, campus tours, games, and exercises 

    • Field trips to historic sites and museums in South Florida like the Haitian Heritage Museum, Mizell-Eula Johnson Beach State Park, and Pérez Art Museum Miami 

  • Support during students' senior year to help with college and financial aid applications and their Change Projects

To be eligible for the program, you must be

  • A high school junior in Broward County, Florida

  • Interested in attending college

  • Interested in studying the humanities

  • Able to attend all classes and activities throughout the program

  • Able to commute to campus for the first week (June 11–June 14) and final two days (July 1–2)

  • Able to live on campus for the final two weeks (June 16–June 28)

Candidates will be selected based on their responses to the essay and personal information questions. Your written responses should demonstrate your creativity, writing ability, and personality. Preference will be given to students who have a GPA of 3.0 or higher and a satisfactory academic record.

 
 
  1. Contact knowledgeforfreedom@nova.edu to request the application link.

  2. Complete the first three supplemental application forms below and upload them to the online application.

    1. You may digitally sign the forms or print, sign, scan, and upload them. To digitally sign the forms, you may use the “draw” feature in your browser or programs like Adobe Acrobat. 

  3. If selected as a semifinalist for the program, you will need to complete the final four supplemental application forms below by April 30, 2024.

Supplemental Application Forms

Due Upon Application (Extended Deadline: April 30, 2024)

Complete if Selected as a Semifinalist for the Program (Due shortly after your notification of acceptance into the program)

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Andrea Nevins, Ph.D., M.F.A.

Program Director, Dean, Farquhar Honors College

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Aileen Farrar, Ph.D.

Lead Faculty and Assistant Program Director, Associate Professor and Associate Chair, NSU's Halmos College of Arts and Sciences

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Melissa Dore, Ph.D.

Assistant Program Director, Director of Academic Support and Administration, NSU's Halmos College of Arts and Sciences

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G. Nelson Bass III, J.D., Ph.D.

Guest Lecturer, Associate Professor, NSU's Halmos College of Arts and Sciences

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Vicki Toscano, J.D., Ph.D.

Guest Lecturer, Associate Professor, NSU's Halmos College of Arts and Sciences

 

 Students in the 2023 NSU Knowledge for Freedom program standing behind large NSU letters

2023 Change Scholars

The NSU Knowledge for Freedom program launched in the summer of 2023 with our first cohort of students. During the summer, 15 high school juniors became college students for three weeks as they attended college-level seminars, resided on campus, and developed projects to create change in their community on an issue important to them.

Experience the first year of the program through our E-Zine, where students documented their biographies, experiences, and Change Projects. 

Explore Our E-Zine


Our Gallery

From class time to down time, we captured every moment from the program with pictures. 

  • Learning from NSU professors in the classroom
  • Enjoying recreational activities on campus
  • Field trip to the Marine Environmental Education Center
  • Murder mystery dinner
 

Two students at a table leaning over paper with laptop in front of them

Calling All NSU Students

Are you a current undergraduate NSU student interested in assisting faculty in the classroom and mentoring high school students throughout the program? Become a Teaching Assistant (TA) or Resident Assistant (RA)! Preference will be given to undergraduate humanities students and students in the Honors College. 

TAs will assist with teaching and supporting high school students. TAs will help present course material, help coordinate in-class activities, and help provide writing support and mentorship to students. In addition to serving as peer mentors and providing support for students and faculty, the TAs will gain further exposure to the humanities through the preparation and presentation of seminar lessons and the development of classroom exercises. They will also participate in field trips and other non-curricular activities. TAs will:

  • Attend each class (one class per day)

  • Assist in writing and research workshops and college preparation activities

  • Be supervised by the lead faculty coordinator (Dr. Farrar)

  • Receive training from Dr. Charlene Désir on how to provide support for students with emphasis on immigrant and minority communities and mental health awareness

TAs can anticipate working 20-37.5 hours a week during the program. Training for this position is tentatively scheduled for May 27 to May 31, 2024. Trainings typically occur from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Application Deadline Has Passed

Pay: $15/hr

RAs will work with the high school students attending the program. This position requires RAs to supervise students in the residence halls for two weeks and serve as mentors throughout the three weeks of the program. RAs will also supervise non-curricular activities. RAs must be committed to connecting with participants genuinely and significantly, creating a sense of belonging by creating a culture where all individuals feel cared for through various methods of recognition and support.

RAs can anticipate working 20-37.5 hours a week during the program. Training for this position is tentatively scheduled for May 27 to May 31, 2024. Trainings typically occur from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. June 16 to June 28, 2024, will be the period of time in which students are in the residence halls. RAs are expected to work throughout all three weeks of the program. 

Application Deadline Has Passed.

Pay: $15/hr

 

Learn More

For more information, contact knowledgeforfreedom@nova.edu

The Knowledge for Freedom program is hosted by NSU's Farquhar Honors College and funded by the Teagle Foundation