Baltimore Curriculum Project

The Baltimore Curriculum Project (BCP) has its origins at the Calvert School, which had been tasked with taking their method of direct teaching and adapting it for use in some of the public schools in Baltimore. BCP has been partnering with Baltimore City Schools for the past 15 years.Their mission is to develop, implement, and advocate for an innovative, sustainable, and replicable education model that improves student outcomes. In so doing, the Baltimore Curriculum Project helps raise educational standards and opportunities for disadvantaged youth and Baltimore City schools.  BCP empowers neighborhood schools to improve curricula and student outcomes by providing them with the tools that they need to succeed.  BCP has seen incredible results both in student achievement and teacher confidence in the classroom from their unique one-on-one approach.

BCP Schools include:

City Spring Elementary/Middle School
Frederick Elementary School
Govans Elementary School
Hampstead Hill Academy
Wolfe Street Academy

Ongoing

Ideally, these volunteers would work with children over the course of at least a semester, though preferably for a year or longer; this benefits both the child and the volunteer, because it creates a stable adult in the child’s life and allows the volunteer to see the growth of the child’s work.  These opportunities would preferably occur within the course of the school day, but could also be integrated into the after-school program, if needed.• Listen to children read out loud, help with their fluency, have someone to talk to (perfect practice makes perfect).

• “Restorative Practice”: Volunteers to listen to the children just about life and what’s on their mind.
• Sit and listen to the children read what they wrote, help the student communicate their thoughts in words
• Working with children on their fluency and writing skills through communication exercises.
• Quiz kids on math facts and assistance with science, social studies and literature.Short-term:
• Develop content for after-school programs
• Craft Show Group – Plan and implement eventOne-Time:
• Assistance with school events (e.g. school plays/performances, health fairs, judging science projects, social studies fairs, sports programs, cheerleaders, arts programs, etc.)
• One day events: community garden in the spring
• Wolfe Street Courtyard garden maintenance
• Alley clean ups
• Garden spruce ups
• Cheerleaders for events (sports, celebrations, Arts – see an excerpt from their Winter Program here:  WATCH VIDEO – sometimes the kids just need the support of an audience!

Ongoing/Macro-level/Scholarly Projects

• Community assessment of the schools (e.g. research chronic absenteeism and its relation to health, statistics about the 4 partnering schools)
• Analyze Database (progress and profile for all elementary school students, not as good data for middle school students)
• Education policy work (e.g. helping with speaker series/forum, help writing policy white paper)