Curious about ways you can get more involved and connect your academic interests to real life experiences? Consider enrolling in the 096 Community Service and Learning Practicum, which provides the opportunity for students to engage in weekly service and reflection with one of our 60+ on and off campus partners.  The featured sites below are currently accepting and on boarding new service-learners. 

Environmental Education 

Site: Great Kids Farm 

Details & Time: Great Kids Farm (GKF) works with Baltimore City Public Schools (BCPS) students to support classroom learning on their hands on farm. GKF is recruiting field trip assistants to assist a GKF educator in working with elementary school groups, assist GKF staff with classroom management, and assist with other small tasks around the farm and office as needed such as planting, organizing materials, washing eggs, preparing school kits, or entering database data.  Pick either Tuesdays or Thursdays from 9am-1pm.  

Contact Kasey Venn, kasven1@umbc.edu for more information  

 Education 

 Site: Literacy Fellows Program

 Details & Time: Build young children's literacy and language skills as a classroom volunteer. Specific tasks include reading with young children, assisting them with writing and vocabulary activities and assignments for two Southwest Baltimore schools, Curtis Bay Elementary/Middle and Baybrook Elementary/Middle. Curtis Bay EMS - Tues & Thurs., 9:15-10:30 am, OR Bay Brook EMS: Mon & Wed, 9:15-10:30 am,PARTICIPANTS SHOULD BE AVAILABLE BOTH DAYS.  

Contact Lori Hardesty, lleonard@umbc.edu  

Food Security 

Site: Access Art @ Morell Park Elementary  

Details & Time: Service-learners will help Access Art Community staff set up, distribute food and clean up for the weekly Health and Food Market which serves the Morrell Park community residents to help combat food insecurity in the neighborhood. Thursdays, 2:30pm-5:30pm (transportation provided).  

Contact Eloise Grose, elgrose1@umbc.edu for more information  

International Education 

Site: Soccer Without Borders

Details & Time: Tutor middle school youth who are newcomers (refugee, asylee, and immigrant) through providing programming that combines soccer with academic support after school. Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday from 3pm-6pm (transportation provided on Tuesdays).

Contact Kasey Venn, kaseven@umbc.edu for more information   

Education 

Site: Choice @ New Era High School 

Details & Time: Tutoring High School students English (Tuesday & Thursday) , Algebra 2, Geometry, World History, Chemistry, and Spanish (Monday and Wednesday)  Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday (pick one day) 3pm-5pm. Transportation can be provided.   

Contact Eloise Grose, elgrose1@umbc.edu for more information  

Education/College Immersion  

Site: Student Ambassadors (on-campus)  

Details & Time:   Collegiate Scholars from Commodore John Rodgers Elementary/Middle School PreK-8th picked for their academic achievements will visit UMBC (March 4th, April 8th, May 6h) Scholars, Usual visits consist of small groups of tours (if enough volunteers, typically PreK-K; 1st & 2nd; 3rd-4th; 5th-6th; and 7th-8th), a fun group project, and then lunch at True Grit's. 

Contact Jessi Godinez, jgodine1@umbc.edu for more information.

Full spring service chart

The National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) is known for its stunning architecture and powerful, immersive exhibits. More than 600,000 visitors experienced the NMAAHC – the newest Smithsonian museum – in the first three months of its opening in Washington, D.C. During the COVID pandemic, the museum wondered how it could best reach audiences unable to visit in person. Enter Baltimore-based tech company Fearless and a team of UMBC alumni bridging computing and the arts.

Fearless, founded by Delali Dzirasa ‘04, computer engineering, led the development of the Searchable Museum to complement the NMAAHC’s “Slavery and Freedom” exhibition. The Fearless and NMAAHC teams worked together to reimagine this exhibit specifically for online audiences.

The Smithsonian’s announcement of the new platform notes, “Over a year in the making, the Searchable Museum initiative is one of the museum’s largest digital undertakings, bringing the museum’s evocative content and immersive in-person visitor experience into homes around the world.”

Read more about how Fearless and a team with many UMBC alumni created this platform in this UMBC News article.