Improving Education
The Abell Foundation has supported the work of Jarrod Bolte and his non-profit, Improving Education, over the last four years as they use improvement science to change the way schools work to improve reading outcomes for children. In 2020/21, City Schools has contracted with Improving Education to launch and faciliate a Networked Improvement Community (NIC) of 19 schools to assist teachers, administrators, and community providers in redesigning instructional and support mechanisms to improve early literacy outcomes for students from K through fifth grade. Working with 40 Literacy Coaches, 200 teachers and 6,000 students, Improving Education will share its literacy protocols in school innovation and early literacy instructional design. Abell Foundation funds will enable Improving Education to continue some deep coaching work in the 19 schools to inform future practice. Improving Education expects to increase the number of participating students in grades K-5 meeting grade level reading proficiency by 15 percentage points from the beginning to end of year.
Initiative for a Competitive Inner City Inc. (ICIC)
ICIC will offer its entrepreneur training program, Inner City Capital Connections (ICCC), to Baltimore businesses. The business technical assistance program started in 2005 to help urban entrepreneurs better position themselves to access capital, increase revenues, grow their businesses and create jobs. The program specifically targets companies located in low to moderate income areas, especially companies owned by people of color and by women, and they also accept businesses that draw 40 percent of their employment from low to moderate income communities.
Intercultural Counseling Connection / Fusion Partnerships
Intercultural Counseling Connection provides therapeutic services for asylum-seekers and forced migrants in Baltimore through a pro-bono referral network of mental health professionals, as well as high quality interpretation in any language. Its clients are from over 30 different countries and have experienced extreme violence, including torture. Intercultural Counseling Connection serves about 100 clients a year in individual and group therapy. This grant is for general operating support.
Job Opportunities Task Force
The Job Opportunities Task Force (JOTF) works to develop and advocate policies and programs to increase the skills, job opportunities, and incomes of low-skill, low-income Maryland workers and to dismantle the criminalization of poverty. Funding from the Abell Foundation will support JOTF’s management of a Community Bail Fund to release individuals being held on an unaffordable bail from the Baltimore City Detention Center and to ensure their appearance for court. In addition, JOTF case managers will provide supportive services to assist clients with successful reentry.
Kids in Need of Defense
Founded in 2008, KIND is the only national organization dedicated solely to providing pro bono legal representation to unaccompanied immigrant and refugee children in immigration court. KIND has in-house legal professionals and also leverages pro bono legal professionals to represent more than 500 unaccompanied children a year. KIND’s Baltimore Field Office is able to gain U.S. protection for 95% of clients for whom it completes legal proceedings. This grant supported KIND Baltimore in hiring a second social services coordinator to help ensure clients’ non-legal needs are being met, including: crisis management; health and mental health’ educational support; safe housing; and food security.