The 1619 Freedom School is the proud recipient of Spring 2025 grant from the Otto Schoitz Foundation
Waterloo, IA: The 1619 Freedom School received a $26,000 grant from the Otto Schoitz Foundation as part of the $3,434,000 in grant awards to 27 nonprofit organizations working to enhance health, opportunity, and resilience across the Cedar Valley. With this award announcement, the Foundation’s total investment in the community has surpassed $25 million—a significant milestone since its inception in 2016.
The Spring 2025 grant recipients represent a wide range of organizations working to strengthen our community—from delivering vital support to our most vulnerable neighbors to launching innovative programs that address housing and employment challenges. Among them, major grants were awarded to support expansion efforts at the Northeast Iowa Food Bank and Iowa Heartland Habitat for Humanity—two organizations with a track record for delivering lasting impact.
“We’re pleased to support both established leaders and emerging changemakers working to improve quality of life across the Cedar Valley,” said Christine Kemp, Board Chair of the Otto Schoitz Foundation. “Whether it’s fighting hunger, offering legal assistance to low-income households, or helping children and families thrive, these organizations—large and small—are essential to creating a stronger, more inclusive community for everyone.”
About the Otto Schoitz Foundation: The Foundation partners with not-for-profit organizations aligned with its mission to improve the health and wellbeing of all individuals in the Cedar Valley. Named after local philanthropist and industrialist Otto A. Schoitz, a Danish immigrant who became Waterloo’s top benefactor during his lifetime, the Foundation also shares roots with the Wheaton Franciscan Sisters who established a regional health care system nearly 150 years ago. The Otto Schoitz Foundation continues the tradition of serving to the benefit of its community following the legacies of philanthropist Mr. Otto Schoitz and the Wheaton Franciscan Sisters.
About 1619 Freedom School:
The 1619 Freedom School is a free, community-based, after-school literacy program where students improve literacy skills and develop a love for reading through liberating instruction centered on Black American history.
We serve public school students grades 3-6 who are at least one grade level behind in reading.
Our scholars are taught in a nurturing environment by certified teachers from a proprietary, culturally responsive curriculum. Each scholar receives his or her very own take home library and bookshelf.
Parents interested in enrolling their children should contact the 1619 Freedom School at info@1619freedomschool.org.
Please visit the school’s website at www.1619FreedomSchool.org.