Community members in the Dorothy I. Height Elementary School (formerly John Eager Howard) INSPIRE planning area strongly advocated for enhanced neighborhood recreation spaces to be part of the plan. They zeroed-in on German Park as the site for INSPIRE program-funded improvements because of its importance to the neighborhood. Regularly, community stakeholders use the park for socializing, play, exercise and celebrations. Additionally, the park is in close proximity to other community assets like the St. Francis Neighborhood Center, Whitelock Farm, and a community garden.  

INSPIRE funding will help support Baltimore City Department of Recreation and Parks as staff implements a new park master plan that was created by the Neighborhood Design Center on behalf of the Reservoir Hill Improvement Council.  Seizing an opportunity to kick-start visible improvements in the park, INSPIRE worked with Art @ Work on the creation of an exciting and unique park mural.

Cultivating Youth Leadership

Art @ Work, a project of the Baltimore Office of Promotion & the Arts (BOPA), Jubilee Arts, and 901 Arts, helped 80 young people design and paint eight murals around the city including the INSPIRE-sponsored effort at German Park.  The project involved painting steps on a prominent pavilion, and the team named themselves “Team Levels” due to the multi-elevation canvas. The project’s lead artist, Julie Horton, led youth in conducting outreach to interview community members about their thoughts about the community. Before painting commenced, youth presented their design idea to the neighborhood for final input.  This youth leadership and community engagement effort resulted in the mural theme of “Break Through,” representing positive growth and progress in the surrounding community. 

In order to effect change, Baltimore youth need to understand the complex forces that shape their city. Learning about Baltimore’s civic and political systems however, is largely absent from public schools. In the My Baltimore Book, Becky Slogeris (a former MICA student and current faculty member) collaborated with teachers and students to create a resource tool that works to fill this gap.

With kid-friendly messages, the My Baltimore Book explains key social studies concepts and prompts students to apply what they learn toward improving their school, neighborhood, and city. The book covers six units on topics like Transportation, Housing, and Health & Safety and culminates with students developing an action plan. The book also provides a reading list that connects to their lives outside of school. 

To date, over 125 schools have used the book. As a result, teachers and students have organized mock elections, mapped their neighborhoods and designed their own cities; and created a needlepoint map of their community. One teacher noted, “Third graders love coming up with innovative ideas. I think it showed them that they can come up with ideas and be agents of change.”

Get the Book!

The My Baltimore Book is available for FREE for all Baltimore City Public School 3rd grade students for the 2017-18 school year. Email hello@mybaltimorebook.com for more information. If you are not a 3rd grade teacher but would like to learn more, write to the same address.

Free Educator Downloads!

Visit mybaltimorebook.com to download a free teacher’s guide, sample activities, and discussion questions for each unit.