Baltimore BORN realized a number of great successes with the students enrolled throughout our operations.   BORN is confident that the students will continue to impress with their motivation and talents as they build their network and positive impact on the city of Baltimore.

As BORN transitions from its existing model, the goal is to establish a means by which BORN is able to have a continuous positive impact on a greater number of Baltimore young men.  Thank you for supporting the mission of the organization and the young men of Baltimore BORN.

The boys gather around Jackie Robinson's iconic number.

On an emerging spring morning, the 5^th grade boys gathered early at the BORN house for a pancake breakfast before heading to Oriole Park at Camden Yards for a guided tour of the stadium.  The students have spent weeks reading Jackie and Me and discussing the impact that Jackie Robinson had on the game of baseball.   In the novel, the historical elements of game, the stadiums and the fans were highlighted and drove the students to realizations of the time period and the obstacles that Jackie had to overcome.   Jackie’s number is honored at Camden Yards, and the tour started with recognition that the iconic number 42 is retired throughout Major League Baseball in remembrance of Jackie’s accomplishments.  The day continued with our guide, Ann, walking the boys through the historic warehouse, spending time in the box seats, and visiting the press box and media control room.  Finally, the boys had an opportunity to sit in the Orioles dugout to get a field level view of the stadium and hear about the agricultural considerations of field maintenance.   The day proved to be a great way to honor a legendary African  American and welcome spring.

“Hey, you boys play ball?”

It rolled off her Alabama tongue almost as easy as “War Eagle,” the battle cry of her favorite team, the reigning national champion Auburn Tigers. That question interrupted a debate in the lobby of the Conrad Hotel in Indianapolis between Chester Pitts, player and leader on the Seattle Seahawks, a pair of sports lawyers and me, about the expectations of a student-athlete. Chester and I replied, “Yes” and made room for her and her friend to join our discussion.

Aside from calling two adult men “boys,” she said something else during the course of our conversation that gave me pause. Quickly after proclaiming Remember the Titans — a movie starring Denzel Washington about the integrations of a Virginia high school played on the backdrop of a memorable football season — the best movie she had ever seen, she proudly proclaimed: “My sons don’t even know what segregation is.”

Continue reading this article here.

Ronald Ferguson. Photo by Gretchen Ertl, The New York Times

“Alexandria, VA- There is no more pressing topic in education today than closing the achievement gap, and there is no one in America who knows more about the gap than Ronald Ferguson.

Although he is a Harvard professor based in Cambridge, Mass., Dr. Ferguson, 60, spends lots of time flying around the country visiting racially mixed public high schools. Part of what he does is academic, measuring the causes of the gap by annually surveying the performance, behaviors and attitudes of up to 100,000 students. And part is serving as a de facto educational social worker, meeting with students, faculty members and parents to explain what steps their schools can take to narrow the gap.”

Continue reading this article here:  http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/14/education/14winerip.html

Article Source: The New York Times, Michael Winerip

Earl Johnson, Executive Director of One Green Home At A Time. Photo by Kim Hairston, The Baltimore Sun

The One Green Home At A Time Foundation is making big changes in the Oliver neighborhood in East Baltimore, directly in the community that Baltimore  BORN serves. In fact, David Borinsky and One Green Home At A Time generously donated one of these beautiful homes to Baltimore BORN in November 2010. By renovating a large number of vacant homes using high-end amenities and environmentally friendly building techniques, the foundation aims to completely revamp this neighborhood. The organization not only focuses on the homes themselves, but on community involvement  for residents as well.

Read this article here: Group rebuilding Oliver neighborhood one green home at a time.

Source: The Baltimore Sun. Written by Nancy Jones Bonbrest, Special to The Baltimore Sun

The Baltimore City School System is creating a new model for summer programs using activities like robotics, forensics, sports, and the Michael Phelps swim school, to combat summer learning loss.

Baltimore City’s revamped 2010 summer-learning program is “being hailed as a potential model for the country after it produced notable results that reversed a district trend of murky progress and low attendance. The program is part of a larger effort to combat summer-learning loss nationwide.

According to statistics from city schools, more than 16,500 students enrolled last year in summer school, an increase of more than 3,000 in 2009.”

Read the entire article here: City schools’ revved-up summer program gets results – baltimoresun.com.

Article by Erica L. Green, The Baltimore Sun

Three years ago, Sylvia Paylor was ready to upend her family’s life so her fourth-grader could get a good education. Concerned about the neighborhood middle school, she told daughter Ayanna that when she left Cecil Elementary, they might have to move in with another family to save money for a private school.

But then Paylor met Andrés Alonso, the new city schools superintendent, who had already pushed a dozen schools toward overhauls. “I asked him flat out: What am I supposed to do?’ ” Paylor recalls. “He told me that if I hold on and wait, by the time she was ready to go to middle school, she would have choices.”

Continue reading this article by clicking here: National movement under way for school choice – baltimoresun.com.

Article by Erica L. Green, The Baltimore Sun

For weeks, the 5th grade boys closely read, discussed, and wrote about Joseph Lemasolai Lekuton’s Facing the Lion. The BORN students learned a great deal about nomadic life in Kenya and the trials and triumphs of the author while making connections to their own experiences. In order to extend their knowledge, BORN visited the Baltimore Museum of Art on January 8th in order to see some of the African Art Collection and witness the colors and culture of the people about whom they had been reading. Our docent, Mr. C, not only showed the boys great pieces of artwork, but also gave great background and geographical information. The boys were also able to view and experience some modern art by African-Americans, classic pieces like Rodin’s The Thinker, and the Andy Warhol Exhibit. The boys were intrigued by the large mosaics and bronze work, and enjoyed interacting with some of the pieces in the Warhol Exhibit. After a great tour, BORN was lucky to have a delicious meal at the Hard Rock Café Baltimore. The boys enjoyed the burgers with cheese and bacon, and the music and atmosphere had them all dancing in their seats. It was a great day, full of learning and building positive relationships. We can’t wait for the next trip!

The boys dance and enjoy their meal at the Hard Rock Cafe. Click image below to play video.

Baltimore City Schools will use the funds to create better methods of measuring student growth and evaluating teacher performance. The award will be also contribute to improving professional development, technology in schools, and improving struggling schools in the city.

This recent funding will work in conjunction with the city’s plans to drastically increase teacher salaries, and to tie student performance to salaries.

To read this entire article, click here.

Source: The Baltimore Sun, Erica L. Green