1. The Choice Programs have drawn critical acclaim nationwide for developing community-based, family-oriented approaches to reducing and preventing delinquency, school drop-out, and joblessness among very high-risk children and young adults.

2. The returned Peace Corps volunteers enrolled in graduate school in the Shriver Peaceworker Program focus on applying the skills and experiences they gained working in the developing world to problems in urban America, including juvenile justice, education, health care, and economic and community development.

3. UMBC’s Upward Bound Program has served students from nine Baltimore County schools since 1989. Each year, a group of potential first-generation future college students are selected in ninth or 10th grade and receive academic support, enrichment opportunities, and personal counseling. They also take part in a mandatory summer residential program throughout their high school years.

4. Since 1991, students in UMBC’s Habitat for Humanity chapter have helped rebuild homes in Baltimore’s Sandtown neighborhood. Students’ fundraising efforts now sponsor a
UMBC Habitat for Humanity house.

5. France-Merrick Scholars are a select group of UMBC students chosen for their academic achievements, leadership abilities, and serious commitment to community service.

6. The Sondheim Public Affairs Scholars Program supports high-achieving students interested in pursuing careers in government, the nonprofit sector, and the community, and it provides internships and other opportunities
for students to acquire the skills to become effective public leaders.

7. The Shriver Living-Learning Center in Erickson Hall is home to a group of about 30 students who share a common interest in community service and take part in service-learning internships offered by the Shriver Center.

8. UMBC athletes spend considerable
time off the playing field in community outreach activities. One program, pairing lacrosse players with disabled children, earned the team a “Volunteer of the Year” award from the State of Maryland.

9. English 386: Adult Literacy Tutoring introduces students to the cultural, political, and social causes of illiteracy, and to basic tutoring methods. The students’ class requirements also include serving a minimum of four hours per week as tutors in an adult literacy program.

10. Graduates of UMBC’s graduate program in policy sciences hold research and high-level administrative positions in state and local governments; in such federal agencies as Housing and Urban Development, Justice, and Education; and in major nonprofit organizations, including Catholic Relief Services and the United Way.