The Literacy Lab
A replication of the acclaimed Minnesota Reading Corps, Literacy Lab embeds rigorously trained reading tutors in PreK classrooms and provides 1:1 tutoring in schools to children in Kindergarten through third grade. In 2019/20, Literacy Lab nearly doubled in size with 65 tutors serving an anticipated 1,155 children in 24 Baltimore City elementary schools. Literacy Lab tutoring participants are between 1.5 to 5 times as likely to be on grade level than students who started at the same grade level and received no tutoring. In addition, Literacy Lab’s Leading Men program annually employs and trains five recent graduates of color in Pre K classrtooms, preparing them to enter a career in education.
University of Maryland Medical System Foundation
The new simulated Operating Room will enable Surgical Tech (and an additional 100 Nursing Assistant) students at Edmondson to begin applied learning in 10th grade, and be fully prepared for hosptial clinical rotations in their senior year (rather than January) with completion of required hours/certification testing by high school graduation. It is expected that the Simulation Lab will increase enrollment in the Surgical Tech CTE pathway and that more students will earn the National Surgical Tech certification.
Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore, Inc.
Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore creates and manages Baltimore’s Waterfront and oversees the Waterfront Management Authority. It will build an interpretive stormwater management feature within a kinetic playground at Rash Field Park. The rain garden will provide opportunities for immersive environmental education. With a focus on age-appropriate childhood development, the site will feature interpretive signage and interactive lesson plans that can be used by local science teachers. This grant provides support for capital costs for the designated stormwater management area.
Youth Empowered Society
Opened in 2012, the YES drop-in center serves homeless youth ages 14 to 25, providing counseling, peer support, connections to resources, and a safe place for the youth to meet their basic human needs. Services provided by YES staff include employment counseling and job placement support; assistance accessing housing; case management; assistance accessing public benefits; and connections to educational programs. In addition, YES partners with other organizations to provide services on site at the Center, including health care, insurance enrollment, pro bono legal services, GED classes and parenting support.. In FY 2019, the YES Center served 323 unique individuals. This grant supports the Center’s operations.
Beloved Community Services Corporation
Beloved Community Services Corporation, led by Rev. Alvin C. Hathaway, aims to provide the tools necessary to bridge the knowledge, economic, educational, digital and political gaps that cause many of the social issues that plague Baltimore. This grant is in support of conducting research on Baltimore City residents’ attitudes on public safety initiatives, with the goal of improving safety and security in Baltimore City.