Freedom Through Knowledge
Education-led community transformation, rooted in culture and care.
Freedom Through Knowledge (FTK) is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to youth development through education, mentorship, cultural exchange, and leadership training. Founded in 2005, FTK began as a grassroots student initiative and has grown into a community-rooted, cross-border organization working in the United States, Brazil, and Haiti.
We support young people through critical stages of personal, academic, and professional development. Our programs are built in partnership with local leaders and organizations, ensuring solutions are culturally grounded, sustainable, and responsive to real community needs.
At its core, FTK believes that knowledge is a pathway to freedom. When young people are supported with education, mentorship, and opportunity, entire communities are strengthened.
Designing stories and building bridges, between youth, culture, and long-term opportunity.
WHAT WE DO
Freedom Through Knowledge focuses on long-term impact, not short-term fixes. Our work centers education, frontline communities, and local agency and leadership.
OUR FOCUS AREAS
Education Access
School support, learning resources, tutoring, and tools that help young people stay engaged and succeed.
Mentorship & Career Pathways
Guidance, professional exposure, and real-world preparation for the transition into work and leadership.
Community Partnerships
We collaborate with local organizations already doing the work, strengthening impact through trust and sustainability.
OUR GUIDING PILLARS
All programs are grounded in FTK’s guiding pillars, which center dignity, culture, and long-term care.
Power & Agency
Liberatory Education
Ancestral & Indigenous Connection
Love in Action
Cultural Preservation
& Creation
Climate Equity
Community Stewardship
Whole-Body Wellness
Responsible Innovation
OUR EVOLUTION
A 20-Year Journey of Community Impact
2005
FTK is founded at Alfred University in New York as a student-led organization focused on awareness, community service, and youth empowerment.
2006–2010
FTK expands to additional college campuses, including Pace University and Queens College. Students engage in leadership development and social-impact initiatives.
2011
In 2011, FTK traveled to Haiti to collaborate with student leaders and produce a documentary on the political and social realities shaping young people's lives.
Haiti, 2011. Student collaboration and cultural exchange
2013–2015
FTK establishes a permanent presence in Brazil, launching full cycles of youth leadership and cultural exchange programs.
Two cohorts of young leaders, approximately 40 students, complete the program.
Community projects include home construction, park restoration, and soccer field rebuilding.
A permanent office is secured in Serra, Belo Horizonte.
Local leadership and operational infrastructure are established.
2016–2024
FTK continues community-based work, alumni mentorship, and international partnerships, refining its long-term vision and sustainability model.
2025
FTK expands its ecosystem with the creation of FTK Studio, a complementary cultural and creative entity designed to support the nonprofit mission through artist-led projects, partnerships, and economic sustainability.
FTK Non Profit remains the foundational, mission-driven core of the organization.
IMPACT & TRACK RECORD
20 years
3 countries
40+ youth leaders
2,000+ people impacted
of community-rooted work
served
trained through full program cycles
through education, housing, and community projects
HOW YOU CAN HELP
There are many ways to support the work and grow the impact.
Give
Donate once or monthly. Support long-term, community-rooted work.
Fund
Sponsor a program, a cohort, or a community initiative.
Partner
Collaborate as a foundation, institution, or aligned organization.
Volunteer
Offer skills, time, or local support.