About the Program

Baltimore Collegetown's history of civic engagement

In 2010, leaders from across the Baltimore Collegetown Network came together to create a program that would connect students across campuses with the Baltimore community and build the next generation of civic leaders. For nine years, Collegetown partnered with LeaderShape, Inc. to offer a session of the Institute for students who participated in our year-long civic leadership experience. This partnership created a strong foundation and impacted the lives of over 500 students.

Driven by our mission to create the next generation of civic leaders for greater Baltimore and to provide an innovative experience for students, we met with stakeholders and current students to develop a new vision for the program. A strategic planning process which began in 2017 helped us redesign the program into the Baltimore Collegetown Fellowship Program. The new program will feature a social entrepreneurship and leadership course students will take in the fall semester, followed by additional support throughout a full academic year.

Benefits of a civic leadership program

• Develop skills of the next generation of Baltimore citizens
• Teach students how to apply their skills and passions to the Baltimore community
• Connect community engagement and leadership together in one program
• Use a collaborative approach to offer more to students and the community

Goals of the program

• Utilize the Baltimore Student Exchange Program to offer a shared academic experience for students across the network
• Increase student connectivity between campuses
• Develop students as civic-minded leaders
• Focus efforts of multiple campuses on urban issues to strengthen communities
• Engage students in city and campus life
• Retain students in the area
• Share resources between campuses
• Develop a national model for collaboration and university-community engagement