What if schools could support more than just learning?Shantay McKinily of the University of Maryland School of Social Work Positive Schools Center explains how full-service community schools connect families to essential resources like food, housing support, and critical services — helping students feel supported and succeed.When schools become hubs for their communities, they can transform how students experience school every day.Breakthroughs can’t wait. At the University of Maryland, Baltimore, we’re changing the future today.#BreakthroughsCantWaitUMB #CommunitySchools #StudentSuccess #EducationEquity #SocialWork #PublicHealth

University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) faculty, staff, and students joined the Whiting-Turner Contracting Company crew and Ballinger architects Feb. 25 inside the school’s future assembly room to reflect on what this construction milestone represents: change.“This is a new moment for what we call changemakers,” said UMB President Bruce E. Jarrell, MD, FACS. “That’s what the School of Social Work does.”At a topping-off ceremony at 600 W. Lexington St., UMB and Whiting-Turner celebrated the structural completion of the new School of Social Work building that culminated in the raising of the final beam.Read a recap of the event: https://www.umaryland.edu/news/archived-news/february-2026/umb-tops-off-new-school-of-social-work-building.php

On May 18, 2026, the Maryland Board of Public Works gave final approval for a key element of the University of Maryland, Baltimore West Lexington Corridor project, a 99-year ground lease to developers to build housing and retail space in the 600 block of West Lexington Street in Baltimore. The project will use almost entirely private funds and will result in a "College Town" environment on the north end of the University's West Baltimore campus.For more from UMB News, read this story: https://www.umaryland.edu/news/archived-news/march-2026/state-gives-final-approval-for-west-lexington-corridor-plan.php

What if student success started with stronger families and healthier communities?At the University of Maryland School of Social Work, the Positive Schools Center partners with West Baltimore high schools to connect students and families with critical resources.By supporting families, improving engagement, and addressing barriers to learning, this work helps students focus, succeed, and thrive.Breakthroughs can’t wait. At the University of Maryland, Baltimore, we’re changing the future today.#BreakthroughsCantWaitUMB #CommunitySchools #StudentSuccess #SocialWork #EducationEquity

At the University of Maryland School of Social Work (UMSSW), Shantay McKinily, MS, is working to strengthen communities by helping schools serve as hubs of support for students and their families.Supported by a Full-Service Community Schools Grant from the U.S. Department of Education, the Positive Schools Center — which McKinily directs — is helping Renaissance Academy and Augusta Fells Savage Institute of Visual Arts in West Baltimore expand services that address both educational and basic needs for students and their families.Learn more at https://www.umaryland.edu/breakthroughs

Apathy is one of the most common — and most serious — challenges for people living with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.Jennifer Klinedinst, PhD, MPH, RN, FAHA, a researcher at the University of Maryland School of Nursing, explains that apathy reduces a person’s motivation to engage with the world around them. When people stop engaging, they often become extremely sedentary.Sedentary behavior is linked to cardiovascular disease, loss of function, and increased mortality.Understanding apathy is an important step toward improving quality of life for people living with dementia.Breakthroughs Can’t Wait. At the University of Maryland, Baltimore, we’re changing the future today.

What if volunteering could improve the lives of people living with dementia?Jennifer Klinedinst, PhD, MPH, RN, FAHA, a researcher at the University of Maryland School of Nursing, is studying how to address apathy — a common challenge for people living with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.Through the Volunteering in Place (VIP) program, residents in assisted living communities take on meaningful volunteer roles based on their interests and abilities. These activities help residents stay active, engaged, and connected to their community.Breakthroughs can't wait. At the University of Maryland, Baltimore, we're changing the future today.Learn more about the research: https://www.umaryland.edu/breakthroughs

At the University of Maryland School of Nursing (UMSON), Jennifer Klinedinst, PhD, MPH, RN, FAHA, associate professor, is addressing apathy, a common and serious challenge for people living with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.Learn more at umaryland.edu/breakthroughs

On Feb. 3, 2026, leaders from Maryland government and service organizations called for greater measures to combat human trafficking in conjunction with National Human Trafficking Prevention Month. Speakers included trafficking survivor Stacy Jewell, Maryland Lt. Governor Aruna Miller, Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown, Maryland Secretary of Labor Portia Wu, and Amb. Susan Esserman, Founder and COO of the University of Maryland SAFE Center.

On Jan. 30, 2026 the Maryland Cash Campaign's annual kickoff event was hosted by the University of Maryland, Baltimore at UMB's Community Engagement Center. Maryland residents receive assistance preparing taxes and help ensuring they pay the lowest taxes or get the greatest refund they deserve. Speakers included UMB President Bruce Jarrell, Maryland Comptroller Brooke Lierman, and Congressmen Kweisi Mfume and Johnny Olszewski,