Southwest Partnership
Education Committee Meeting
December 7 2017
7pm
Meeting Minutes
Present
Vernell Lewis
Kitty Perkins
Sheila Drummond Camm
Erika Brockman
Camille Givens Patterson
Brian Sturdivant
Lou Packett
Becky Newgren
Elizabeth Weber
Jane Buccheri
Ashley Valis
Khandra Sears
Jane Shaab
Lisa Bleish
Sam Burris
Kristine Balasz
Patricia Nelson
Jane Mayrer
UMB Presentation (Ashley, Jane S, Brian, Camille)
(See attached listing of UMB programs in schools and working with K-12 students)
Began presentation with a brief definition of an anchor institution as an explanation for UMB’s engagement in the neighborhoods. Dr Perman, the president of UMB has expanded the Office of Community Engagement. UMB has had a seat on the SWP Board since the beginning of the SWP. Jane and Ashley discussed the history of the BioPark development and the current resources in the BioPark.
UMB has a target area for their community work: east of Monroe St, south of North Ave, west of Howard St, and north of I95/the southern boundary of Pigtown.
They have a Community Engagement Center that provides a number of free programs including exercise classes and fresh food markets. The CEC is the centralized site for a number of programs, rather than going out to individual schools.
There is also a Merchant Access Program, which encourages UMB offices and departments to use their catering budgets at Southwest Baltimore businesses. There has been an increase in percentage of total catering budget spent in the three years of the program.
UMB and the BioPark have a number of K-12 partnerships and programs:
- CURE Program with 80 scholars at 3 schools (2 in SWP area)
- YouthWorks programs: Bioscience, HR, and community fellows
- Have a large community school program through the School of Social Work–only James McHenry is in the SWP area
Would be happy to have a yearly principal’s dinner with Dr Perman for principal’s in the SWP area to build relationships with UMB leadership, and to customize MyUMB days for all the interested schools, giving students an opportunity to tour the campus.
Space is also available at UMB for school events.
The BioPark can connect schools to the mobile bio lab (there is a $5000 cost), provide speakers for career days, and have funded school projects through the Community Fund. There is a focus on James McHenry due to its location (it is within the BioPark footprint), and the possibility that BioPark employees could choose to send their children to James McHenry.
A Bridge to Academic Excellence is a tutoring program where students come to UMB’s campus to be tutored by UMB students. It is a state-wide program, and there is limited participation from Baltimore City students, so that is a resource that could be shared.
UMMC (the Medical Center) is involved closely with six schools: Matthew Henson, Edmonson High School, Vivien T Thomas Medical Arts Academy, Samuel Coleridge Taylor, Coleman, and James McHenry. Vivien T Thomas and James McHenry are in the SWP area.
Lou: good to hear how UMB/UMMC are involved with the schools, want them to be part of the overall community school structure/strategy.
ACTS Presentation: Alliance for Communities, Teachers, and Schools (Lisa Bleish)
ACTS provides technical assistance to community schools–have two other programs. People of the Word is about literacy, identity, race, and resiliency. Community and school participants select books to read together, building community and putting together artistic presentations.
The other program is the Community Teacher Program, which the SWP is interested in and which is intended to help teachers and schools understand the communities that they work in. The program is flexible, but has at least two sessions–one to define and share data on the community and the other to connect with the community and community leaders.
The Committee liked the program and discussed ways in which is could work in the SWP area–ranging from a large discussion for all schools, to individual school presentations, to shared meals and social events etc. One thing that would be great to know would be how many teachers live in the Committee.
Committee Updates
The January meeting will be January 4th at 7pm and will be the election.
We need Committee members to take on/adopt individual schools, as well as form sub-committees to work with groups like the faith community (Ms Dotie and Jen Kim have already volunteered to do this).
Lou would also like the committee to begin holding conversations about race–need to understand history and current racism to understand current state of schools.
