Teach for America – Baltimore
Teach for America: Baltimore has been recruiting and developing teachers and leaders to expand educational opportunities for Baltimore’s children growing up in poverty since 1992. Today, there are 1,200 Teach for America alumni and teachers in Baltimore–80% continue to engage in work impacting low-income communities.This grant will continue TFA’s work in 1. recruiting top talent ( 95 new and diverse teachers–over 50% people of color); 2. building leaders in the classroom, schools and City (a total of 20 TFA principals and 3rd year teacher retention rate of 66%) and 3. Connecting TFA network to accelerate educational outcomes in Baltimore (the 2nd year of a new network strategy engaging alumni in collection impact).
The Family Tree, Inc.
The Family Tree reaches over 20,000 people a year with parenting and caregiving programs and supports. This grant provided support for the Family Tree to increase its capacity to provide Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-up (ABC), an evidence-based parenitng intervention for caregivers of infants and toddlers who have experienced early adversity.
The Work First Foundation
With funding from the Abell Foundation, in 2009, America Works (through its nonprofit Work First Foundation) launched the Baltimore Ex-Offender Reentry Employment Program. The program provides a two-week-long job-readiness workshop for cohorts of six to seven ex-offenders. The program targets ex-offenders under 40 years of age, and those who have been recently released from prison or jail. To date,1,318 ex-offenders have graduated from the two-week training course, with 804 being placed into jobs (a 61% job placement rate). Participants earned an average of $9.39 at placement, with 65 percent remaining employed for six months or more. Since June 2017, the Baltimore City court system has been referring low-income individuals to the program as they await trial, rather than jailing them because they cannot afford to pay bail. To date, 305 pretrial defendants have enrolled into the program. Of those, 227 have gone to trial, with 78 percent experiencing a positive outcome.
TNTP, Inc.
TNTP has recruited, prepared and placed an average of 110 non-traditional teachers annually in Baltimore City Public Schools since 1997. Their efforts, both policy and programmatic, to increase the number of high quality teachers of color entering Baltimore City and Maryland public schools have resulted in a pool that is 50% black and 60% people of color. TNTP will continue its policy work at the State level to successfully adopt new Teacher License regulations that will remove certification barriers and advocate for a legislative grant program that will remove financial barriers for teachers of color.
Tuerk House, Inc.
Tuerk House is State Licensed and Joint Commission accredited and offers a full continuum of drug treatment programs, from inpatient residential withdrawal management to halfway house as well as intensive and standard outpatient services. Funding from the Abell Foundation will support the Tuerk House’s four-stage renovation project to improve and expand its 75 year old structure. The entire renovation process will increase TH’s overall capacity from 73 to 104 beds, create improved dining and group spaces, and add nursing and counseling offices.