Angel Reese, professional WNBA athlete, Baltimore native, and founder of the Angel C. Reese Foundation, surprised Living Classrooms Crossroads Middle School students with a special visit this spring. Joining the culminating celebration of HER Lab, Angel shared her personal journey and spoke about the importance of STEM and expanding opportunities for young women.

HER Lab is a STEM program designed for Crossroads Middle School female student-athletes, created in collaboration with Project Scientist and 2K Foundations. The program introduces young women to career paths where they are underrepresented through engaging, hands-on learning experiences. Over the course of the program, students explored coding, music production, STEM in cosmetics and fashion, sports-based STEM applications, the aerodynamics of hair braiding and African braid culture, and career exploration.

Angel, who attended St. Frances Academy and spent time at our UA House community center as a young athlete and is now giving back to her community. We are grateful for the $25,000 grant from the Angel C. Reese Foundation, in partnership with Project Scientist and 2K Foundations, which made this experience possible.

Join Us!

Living Classrooms, in partnership with the James Beard Foundation, and James Beard Board Member, Jeff Cherry, will host an exclusive, multi-course, wine-paired dinner curated by acclaimed chefs and led by Spike Gjerde – James Beard Award-winning chef and nationally recognized leader in the farm-to-table movement, known for his commitment to locally sourced, thoughtfully prepared cuisine.



Held on the eve of Sail250, this intimate evening will bring together amazing chefs to prepare an incredible meal, as Baltimore prepares to welcome the world in celebration of America’s 250th anniversary.

Click here for More Information, Tickets & Sponsorship Opportunities

On Saturday, April 25, Broadway East Community and Living Classrooms Foundation, in partnership with the City of Baltimore, State of Maryland, Bloomberg Philanthropies, and Building Bridges Across the River, announced the naming ceremony and sign unveiling for the Ms. Joni HeartSmiles Holifield Park, formerly known as Rutland Park.

The name honors Joni Holifield, founder of HeartSmiles, a youth-powered nonprofit dedicated to helping young people discover their purpose, in recognition of her extraordinary impact in the Broadway East neighborhood, across Baltimore, and beyond.

Prior to the ceremony, Living Classrooms' Project SERVE (Service, Empowerment, Revitalization, Validation, Employment) workforce development program led a community clean-up, transforming the park with new gardens and clearing debris from the area. We also installed a new sign created by Living Classrooms' Fresh Start program, which provides vocational, academic, and social skills development for adjudicated youth. The students built the sign as part of their woodworking skills training.

Thank you to everyone who joined the clean-up and helped Living Classrooms and our partners led by Dr. Doris to celebrate Joni Holifield’s impact while bringing new life to a beautiful, shared space in the Broadway East community.

"A group from Living Classrooms Foundation came out today and cleaned the lot adjoining my home and they did a wonderful job. I just wanted to take the time to acknowledge them and their efforts.

When I tell you this crew was about their work, they were a pleasure to watch. They were respectful and kind. I can’t thank you and them enough!"

- Written by Margaret Haines, a Broadway East resident

Project SERVE (Service, Empowerment, Revitalization, Validation, Employment training) is a Living Classrooms workforce development program that supports returning citizens in overcoming barriers to employment while helping to clean and revitalize communities. Since 1998, Project SERVE has helped thousands of returning citizens gain access to training, employment, and necessary resources to ensure successful reentry into the community.

April 7th marked the opening day of Living Classrooms Maritime Education Program's 41st season. Three of our historic ships, the Lady Maryland, Mildred Belle, and Sigsbee set sail with 100 seventh graders from Hardy Middle School for a Living Classrooms learning experience exploring Baltimore Harbor and the port. The weather was clear and windy, and the student crew aboard the Lady Maryland and Sigsbee raised sails and castoff for an adventurous day.

The Maritime Education program at Living Classrooms emphasizes applied learning through direct experience, engaging students in hands-on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) education and maritime history, focusing on the War of 1812 and celebrating the significant contributions of Black mariners in the region. Since 1985, Living Classrooms has delivered hands-on education aboard our historic ships, enriching the lives of hundreds of thousands of students living in Baltimore City, counties across Maryland, Washington, DC, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and beyond.

This May, the Bearman Gallery proudly presents For Us. By Us, an art exhibition featuring inspiring 2D works by Coppin State University students, faculty, and alumni. For Us. By Us. is a proclamation of self-determination highlighting pieces created throughout the academic year. The collection uses a wide range of media, including paints, mixed media, photography, and ceramics. Each work reflects the students’ creativity, dedication, and artistic growth.

Living Classrooms is honored to host this impressive showcase and celebrate the culmination of a year of hard work by these emerging artists.

Opening Reception

Join us on May 10 at the Bearman Gallery from 6:00-8:00pm for an opening reception. Meet the artists, experience the exhibit, and celebrate creative young talent. Thank you to our amazing curator, Kibibi Ajanku, for all her hard work and for showcasing her own installation, Indigo Magic, in the Bearman Gallery this month.

The Bearman Gallery is open to the public weekdays from 9:00am-4:00pm.

This month, Living Classrooms proudly celebrated the graduation of two workforce development cohorts. Congratulations to our nine Plumbing Pre-Apprenticeship and seven CNA/GNA graduates for successfully completing their training programs!

Both programs provide hands-on skills training, preparing participants for the workforce. Plumbing pre-apprentices earned certifications in OSHA 10, First Aid & CPR, plumbing fundamentals, tool proficiency, and mock jobsite experience. CNA/GNA students earn their CNA/GNA certification through an intensive course covering basic medical knowledge, hygiene, and specialized caregiving techniques. Our graduates demonstrated commitment, resilience, and hard work every step of the way. Ten graduates are moving on to internships, apprenticeships, and full-time positions in their field with SURE Development Company, TMI Contractors, Johns Hopkins, and Mercy Hospital. Two plumbing graduates, now interning with SURE Development Company, previously participated in Living Classrooms’ Operation Respond initiative, a trauma-informed program that provides crisis intervention and workforce training for individuals impacted by gun violence. We look forward to their continued growth and success as they advance in their careers.

Special thanks to AIR LLC for their partnership in launching this Plumbing Pre-Apprenticeship training, which has seen strong early success.

To learn more about the opportunities Living Classrooms offers, please visit our web site.

Accepting Nominations for 2026 Rising Stars Program

Living Classrooms Rising Stars Program engages young professionals under the age of 40 who are excelling in their careers and share a commitment to community impact. Honorees are nominated and selected based on their professional achievements and philanthropic efforts.

Rising Star honorees participate in networking events throughout the year while raising funds and awareness to support Living Classrooms. The Rising Stars 2026 program will culminate with an awards celebration taking place in conjunction with Living Classrooms Foundation's 38th annual Maritime Magic and in the Baltimore Business Journal.

On April 22 we continued our daily commitment to environmental stewardship and education with events in Baltimore and Washington, DC.

In Baltimore, our Maritime Education team and a group of Crossroads students from our BUGS (Baltimore Urban Gardening with Students) Program partnered to continue our annual restoration of the oyster reef around Fort Carroll on the Patapsco River. Living Classrooms has been partnering with schools in Baltimore to replenish the oyster reef around Fort Carroll since 1997, planting over 200,000 spat just last year. Our BUGS students cleaned, counted, and sent over 500 oyster spat out on the Mildred Belle to be planted.

In Washington, DC our Environmental Education team and Casey Trees held a tree planting lesson for students at the Browne Education Center. Students learned how to plant and identify trees, and how to care for them. The students then helped plant gingko trees, tulip poplars, and two types of cherry blossom on school grounds making their urban campus a little greener.

$30,000 Journey for Good Grant to Support Hospitality Job Training in Washington, DC

This April, Living Classrooms Foundation received a $30,000 grant from Journey for Good, a non-profit dedicated to fighting poverty with food, shelter, education, and workforce development opportunities. The grant will support a new Hospitality Job Training Program in Washington, DC. The program will follow the American Hotel and Lodging Educational Institute's (AHLEI) curriculum in front desk, housekeeping, and maintenance, as well as teaching soft skills. The program will begin in mid-August. If you are interested in learning more or becoming an employment partner, please call (202) 488-0627 or email denthouse@livingclassroomsdc.org.

We are grateful to Journey for Good for their partnership in expanding workforce development opportunities for our communities in Washington, DC.

Volunteer at Sail250 Maryland & Airshow Baltimore

There are still opportunities available to volunteer at Sail250 Maryland & Airshow Baltimore. Volunteers can support information booths, serve as ship line monitors, assist with the Apple Pie Bake-Off and Crab Soup Cook-Off, lead arts and crafts with children, and more. To learn more please contact Living Classrooms Director of Volunteerism, Allie Dudley or click here to sign up.

April marked National Volunteer Month, and we are grateful for the strong support from our partners and community members. Volunteers led site clean-ups, prepared gardens for student use, assembled hygiene kits, and more. Thank you to LifeStraw, Under Armour, Baltimore City Office of IT, Whiting Turner, Exelon, OneMain Financial, Atlas Restaurant Group, Helmets to Hardhats, Bozzuto, DAP, DC United, The St. Paul's Schools, Constellation, and Pandora Jewelry!

Already this year, Living Classrooms has worked with 1,028 volunteers for a total of 3,297 hours. We are incredibly grateful to all our volunteers and partners for their support of our programs and mission, you make our work possible!

If you would like to volunteer with Living Classrooms, visit our web site!

Looking for pictures from your volunteer event? Check out our Flickr!