What We’re Learning

What We’re Learning

We believe that a community of creative problem-solvers, faced with complicated, seemingly intractable challenges, is well-served by thought-provoking, research-based information and analysis. We support the development and dissemination of research in two ways:

Abell Reports

Abell Reports are commissioned reports by subject matter experts, academics, and investigative journalists that provide studies of selected issues on the public agenda.

Abell-Supported Research

These projects – undertaken with grant funding by academics and nonprofit research and advocacy organizations – advance learning on issues key to Baltimore City.

Stay Updated!

Sign up to get notified as new publications become available.

    Featured Reports

    Abell Report: License to Work

    Thousands of Baltimore jobseekers struggle to secure and retain employment because they do not possess reliable personal transportation. This report examines how barriers, such as driver’s license requirements, vehicle ownership costs, and spatial employment and transit patterns, prevent Baltimore residents from accessing stable employment opportunities.

    Abell Report: Beyond the Headlines

    As the city celebrates historic reductions in gun violence, the media continues to broadcast headlines warning of crime by city youths ages 17 and younger. This report analyzes data available from key entities engaged with crimes charged to young people.

    Photo courtesy of the Goucher Prison Education Partnership.

    2024 Annual Report

    A reflection on the promising new approaches and new resources that have been brought to bear in the last decade.

    Publications Library

    Evaluating the Cost of Lead Hazard Control and Abatement in Baltimore City

    Too many children continue to be exposed to deteriorating lead-based paint in their homes. This Abell report examines what it would take for Baltimore City to tackle the urgent problem of lead paint poisoning.

    Solar on Superstores

    Big box stores and supermarkets offer optimal locations for solar installations, with potential for rooftop and parking canopy systems to reduce facility energy costs by half while advancing Maryland’s renewable energy and climate goals.

    Turning Up the Heat on Cooling Down the Planet

    Maryland is no longer a leader among states in implementing policies and programs to avoid the most serious environmental and public health consequences of a rapidly changing climate. This Abell Report explains how Massachusetts eclipsed Maryland and identifies key characteristics of successful leadership to accelerate state actions in Maryland.

    Supporting Executive Function in Schools: A Look at Three Promising Program Models

    Executive Function (EF) is important for success in school and in life. This Abell Report digs into the research on EF and explores three programs operating in Baltimore and nationwide.

    Public Health and Cannabis Legalization

    As Maryland lawmakers consider the legalization of recreational cannabis, this Abell-funded report by the Maryland chapter of the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCADD-Maryland) considers the implications for public health policies. How have other states navigated these policies? What can be learned from their experiences?

    Header photo courtesy of Venture for America.