Established by a visionary gift to UMBC from George and Betsy Sherman, The George and Betsy Sherman Center is committed to excellent urban schools that transform lives in the communities they serve.

We believe that in every community, public schools have an extraordinary and unique capacity to offer opportunity and change lives. Within each school, committed teachers are the most important factor in whether the transformational power of education becomes real for students and families. Surrounding each school, community and family partners are essential for children to thrive, particularly in a child’s formative early years.

What we do:

1. Support excellent teaching with an emphasis on STEM and Early Childhood;
2. Build deep and transformative educational partnerships with schools and communities;
3. Expand community and school capacity to provide strong early childhood experiences;
4. Support pathways connecting students in partner communities with educational opportunities at UMBC;
5. Apply engaged research to guide and assess our work.