From West Baltimore

The sixth and seventh graders featured in "From West Baltimore" attend Franklin Square Elementary and Middle School, Green Street Academy, and Southwest Baltimore Charter. They are all participants in the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) CURE Scholars Program, which offers science enrichment experiences. Each of these students hopes to attend college. "The pressure is really on," says Princaya, voicing all of their concerns about doing well on the standardized tests given in eighth grade. These tests will determine if they qualify for admission to Baltimore’s most competitive highs schools and possibly the trajectory of their lives.Six young teens in West Baltimore, coming from a community plagued with violence, high unemployment, and generational poverty, share their lives in middle school, their fears and hopes. Through their eyes, the traumatic reality of their neighborhoods comes alive. In stark contrast, despite the challenges they face, their vision for the future reveals an optimism for what will be possible in their lives."From West Baltimore" was nominated for an Emmy Award by the National Capital Chesapeake Bay Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.