City Neighbors Foundation

🚨 HAPPENING TODAY! Join Us for a FREE City Neighbors Pop-Up Workshop! 🎉

🏙️ THE CITY IS A TEXT: Designing Place-Based Learning Through Baltimore!

What if the city around us became one of our most powerful teaching tools? 💡

Join Jerred Anderson, Middle School ELA Teacher at City Neighbors Hamilton, for an engaging, hands-on virtual workshop exploring how Baltimore's people, places, stories, and communities can bring learning to life!

✨ Come with an idea. Leave with inspiration, practical tools, and the beginnings of your own Baltimore-centered project-based learning experience!

📅 TODAY! Wednesday, October 21
⏰ 6:00–7:00 PM
💻 Virtual via Zoom
💛 FREE! No registration required!

🔗 NEW ZOOM LINK:[Click here to join the workshop](https://ow.ly/lTQY50ZZKSt)

No sign-ups. No fees. Just great educators coming together to learn, collaborate, and reimagine what's possible!

Bring your curiosity, your creativity, and your love for Baltimore. We'll see you tonight! 💙🧡

📣 CALL FOR CITY NEIGHBORS 16TH ANNUAL PROGRESSIVE EDUCATION SUMMIT WORKSHOP PROPOSALS!

The heart of the Progressive Education Summit is our practitioner-led workshops spaces where educators learn from one another, share practices, explore challenges, and imagine what’s possible for innovative, joyful, student-centered classrooms and schools.

💡 Now, we want to learn from YOU!

Apply to lead a one-hour workshop at the 16th Annual Progressive Education Summit on January 23, 2027.

🚨 PROPOSAL DEADLINE: OCTOBER 30, 2026 🚨
Don’t wait, submit your workshop proposal today!

Have a practice, idea, project, question, or approach that other educators could learn from? Bring it to the Summit. Share your practice. Lead the learning. Inspire others.

✨ Submit your City Neighbors Workshop Proposal by October 30!

🎨💡 Our first Pop-Up Workshop of 2026–27 is here!

Join Arts Integration Specialist Jessica Thompson for:

Creative Problem-Solving as a Bridge to Core Curriculum

Explore how creative problem-solving, student choice, and hands-on learning can build meaningful connections across the curriculum.

📅 Wednesday, October 7th
⏰ 6:00–7:00 PM
💻 Virtual via Zoom
💙 FREE — No registration required!

Designed for grades 9–12, but all educators are welcome!

🔗 [Join the City Neighbors Pop-Up Workshop]: https://ow.ly/Ivh150ZSHmI

No registration. No cost. Just show up ready to create! Come experience the strategies as a learner, connect with fellow educators, and leave with ideas you can put into practice right away. ✨

Grab a colleague and join us on Zoom!

📣 SAVE THE DATE!

Something powerful happens when educators come together to imagine what school can be. 💡✨

City Neighbors Foundation is thrilled to announce the 16th Annual Progressive Education Summit, happening Saturday, January 23, 2027, from 9:00 AM–3:00 PM at City Neighbors High School!

For 16 years, the Summit has brought together educators, students, school leaders, and community partners who believe in joyful, child-centered, progressive education. This year, we’re doing it again and we want YOU in the room!

✨ Inspiring workshops
🎤 Keynote speakers
🎭 Student voice & performances
🤝 Connection and collaboration
📚 Resource Fair
💡 Big ideas you can bring back to your classroom and community

Come learn. Come connect. Come be inspired. And most importantly, come help us reimagine and reshape the future of education together.

📅 January 23, 2027
⏰ 9:00 AM–3:00 PM
📍 City Neighbors High School | Baltimore, MD

Save the date- Registration opens soon!

🌿 TWO WAYS TO LEARN, CONNECT & BE INSPIRED THIS FALL!

🌱 EXPERIENCE BALTIMORE SCHOOLS
“Go Outside!” at Watershed Public Charter School

See outdoor, child-centered learning in action! Observe teachers, connect with students, and leave with practical strategies for bringing outdoor learning into your classroom.

📅 Sept. 17 | 9–11 AM
📍 Watershed Public Charter School

👉Register: https://ow.ly/rHVh50ZLvfX

🧘🏽 HAPPY TEACHERS CHANGE THE WORLD
Our Fall Community of Practice is an invitation to slow down, breathe, reflect, and nurture the peace and joy we bring to our schools.

📅 Mondays, Oct. 26–Nov. 30
📝 Apply by Sept. 30

👉 Apply: https://ow.ly/VGuE50ZLvfS

Come learn. Come breathe. Come connect. 💚

PLEASE JOIN US IN WELCOMING LAZETTE WELLS!

We are thrilled to welcome Lazette Wells as the newest member of the City Neighbors Foundation Council!

Lazette is a public-sector leader, financial professional, education advocate, and Baltimore City business owner who brings a wealth of experience and a deep commitment to strengthening schools and communities.

In her role with the District of Columbia Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE), Lazette leads a team supporting schools in the administration of federal child nutrition programs. She also brings extensive nonprofit governance experience through her work with Bluebird Education Network, supporting Patterson Park Public Charter School and Clay Hill Public Charter School in Baltimore City.

Her professional journey spans education, government, financial services, and business operations bringing a unique combination of leadership, financial expertise, and community-centered perspective to our Council.

As a Baltimore City resident and business owner, Lazette is passionate about expanding opportunities for children and families and believes that strong schools are essential to thriving communities.

We are so excited to have her voice, experience, and vision at the table as we continue working to advance innovative, equitable, and child-centered public education.

Welcome to the City Neighbors family, Lazette! We’re so glad you’re here!

🌿 WHAT IF LEARNING STARTED WITH… GOING OUTSIDE?

Kick off the 2026–2027 school year with City Neighbors + Watershed Public Charter School for our first Experience Baltimore Schools learning experience!

✨ GO OUTSIDE!
See child-centered, authentic learning in action right here in Baltimore.

📅 Thursday, September 17
⏰ 9–11 AM
📍 Watershed Public Charter School

👀 Come observe.
💬 Come connect.
🌱 Come get inspired.

Space is limited! APPLY NOW!
Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/experience-baltimore-schools-a-progressive-education-series-1-of-7-tickets-1999025797974?aff=oddtdtcreator

Let’s make 2026–2027 a year of more authentic, child-centered, humane learning. 💚

Welcome to the City Neighbors Foundation Board, Kira Lanier!

We are excited to welcome Kira Lanier to the City Neighbors Foundation Board!

With more than 18 years of experience advancing organizational growth and social change, Kira brings deep expertise in fundraising, strategy, and community engagement. Throughout her career, she has supported organizations across Maryland in the fields of health care, education, and human services. Today, she leads development efforts for Jeremiah Program Baltimore, helping create opportunities for families to thrive.

Kira holds a bachelor’s degree in Women’s Studies from Dickinson College and a master’s degree in Nonprofit Management from Notre Dame of Maryland University.

But Kira’s commitment to Baltimore goes far beyond her professional work! A lifelong Baltimorean, she is part of the team behind the Hampden Highlights Festival, which brings more than 15,000 community members together each year to celebrate local arts, music, and connection. She also volunteers with Stonewall Baltimore and Wide Angle Youth Media.

When she’s not working or volunteering, Kira can likely be found renovating a 120-year-old house, caring for her senior pets, and finding even more ways to pour into her community.

We are grateful that Kira has chosen to bring her heart for Baltimore, nonprofit expertise, and commitment to community to City Neighbors Foundation.

Please join us in welcoming Kira to the City Neighbors family! We are so excited for the perspective, passion, and energy she will bring to our Board and our mission.

Welcome to the City Neighbors Foundation Board, Camille E. Burke!

We are thrilled to welcome Camille E. Burke to the City Neighbors Foundation Board!

Camille recently assumed the role of Chief Operating Officer at Baltimore City Recreation and Parks, a position formerly known as Chief of Staff. In this expanded role, she provides strategic leadership and operational support across the agency, helping advance its mission to improve the health, wellness, and quality of life of Baltimore residents.

A lifelong Baltimorean, Camille brings more than two decades of distinguished public service and a collaborative leadership style rooted in a deep commitment to her community. Throughout her career, she has served in leadership roles with the Mayor’s Office of Employment, Baltimore City Recreation and Parks, Baltimore City Health Department, and Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration.

Camille’s leadership, experience, and passion for Baltimore make her an incredible addition to the City Neighbors Foundation family. We are especially excited about the perspective she brings around community, youth, wellness, public service, and creating opportunities for Baltimore’s young people to thrive.

And while her professional accomplishments are many, Camille will tell you that her greatest joy and pride comes from being a mother to her daughter, Akira.

Please join us in giving Camille a warm City Neighbors welcome! We are so excited to have her leadership, wisdom, and Baltimore spirit on our Board.

Welcome to the City Neighbors Foundation Board, Deion Jordan!

We are thrilled to welcome Deion Jordan to the City Neighbors Foundation Board!

Deion serves as Director of Teaching and Learning at KnowledgeWorks, a national nonprofit advancing personalized, competency-based learning. In his role, he partners with schools, districts, state agencies, and regional organizations across the country to help leaders and educators turn vision into action through strategy, organizational culture and capacity building, leadership development, and sustainable systems.

Previously, Deion was part of the founding leadership team at Crosstown High, an XQ Super School in Memphis, where he helped design and implement the school’s competency-based learning model.

Deion is also pursuing an MBA at the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School, where he is a Fellow in the Center for Innovative Leadership.

A Baltimore resident and passionate advocate for innovative public education, Deion brings a wealth of experience, thoughtful leadership, and a deep commitment to expanding opportunities for every learner.

We are excited to welcome Deion to the City Neighbors Foundation family and look forward to the perspective, energy, and leadership he will bring to our work!