The Choice Program at UMBC is a community-based, family-centered case management approach to diversion and youth development. Focusing on providing support in at-risk environments, The Choice Program empowers youth and engages families through a multitude of services adapted to individual needs. The program seeks to foster resiliency in young people by promoting protective factors to mitigate risk in their daily lives.
External link for The Choice Program at UMBC
1000 Hilltop Cir.
Public Policy Building
Baltimore, Maryland 21250, US
Well said Kianna! #ChangeAgent
How has the empowerment of woman changed over the years, and how has mentoring played a role? MENTOR Maryland DC's Kianna Bermudez, CNP shared her perspective with us, watch for some great insights✨🎥 #MentoringAmplifies #WomensHistoryMonth
The Choice Program at UMBC reposted this
Risk & Compliance Thought Leader | Board Member & Advisor | DEI Speaker | Doctor of Business Administration
🔥🏀 BAM NCA x Amazon BEN | Charity Basketball Activation 🏀🔥 We’re bringing sports, tech, and community empowerment together at the ELEVATE & INNOVATE Charity Basketball Activation—and you don’t want to miss it! In partnership with Amazon’s BEN, Believe Without Limits, and I AM MENtality, this event is all about driving impact through connection, learning, and fun. 📅 Saturday, March 29 | ⏰ 12:30 PM – 5:00 PM 📍 @Digital Harbor High School | 1100 Covington St, Baltimore, MD 🔗 Register here: https://lnkd.in/eJKcmEu7 Event Highlights: 🏀 Microsoft vs. Amazon Inner-ERG Basketball Game 🏀 Youth Skills Challenge – Future stars take the court 💰 Financial Literacy Session – Build money confidence early 🤖 Microsoft Copilot AI Workshop – Learn how to work smarter with AI 💼 LinkedIn Rock Your Profile – Professional branding made easy 🎮 @Xbox Gaming Zone – Because balance matters 🍔 Food Vendors – Enjoy local flavors while you connect 💙 At BAM NCA, we believe in empowering communities through meaningful engagement. Join us as we uplift Baltimore’s youth and future leaders through a unique blend of sports, education, and technology. 🚀 Let’s ELEVATE. Let’s INNOVATE. Let’s make an impact. #BAMCharityHoops #TechForGood #EmpowerBaltimore #CommunityEngagement #ERGImpact #LinkedInLocal #LevelUp #Microsoft #Amazon
The Choice Program at UMBC reposted this
Let’s set the record straight — DEI isn’t about exclusion, favoritism, political agendas, or taking something away from one group to give to another. #Diversity, equity, and inclusion is about removing barriers so that everyone, regardless of background, ability, or identity, has a fair opportunity to succeed. It’s why: ✔️ Companies invest in mentorship programs ✔️ TV shows have subtitles ✔️ Family restrooms exist ✔️ Remote work is offered ✔️ Pay transparency matters ✔️ Ramps in public spaces are possible Diversity, equity, and #inclusion is about ensuring that every person has the chance to contribute, to belong, and to thrive. And that’s a world worth striving for. Ready to join a community working toward this world? Join us at our virtual summit, The Power of Inclusion: https://lnkd.in/efvmGQ7p #SocialChange #WorkCulture #InclusiveLeadership #CulturalCompetence #SocialJustice
The Choice Program at UMBC reposted this
The offices of Maryland’s attorney general and public defender [have] released their first report in an ongoing project [the Maryland Equitable Justice Collaborative] to address the state’s disproportionate incarceration of Black people. AMONG THE KEY TAKEAWAYS - RESTRICT LAWS THAT AUTOMATICALLY CHARGE YOUTHS AS ADULTS Under current law Maryland, teenagers charged with one of 33 offenses — including misdemeanor gun possession — are automatically sent to adult court. The majority of those cases eventually are bumped back down to the juvenile court system, where a young person’s case is resolved more quickly, and with greater access to resources such as therapy for underlying trauma and counseling aimed at helping them take accountability for their actions, advocates say. But moving from adult court to the juvenile system can take weeks or months. Youth justice advocates in Maryland have tried for more than a decade to end the practice of charging children as adults, but the effort has failed repeatedly before the General Assembly. In the report, the collaborative recommended amending state law to end the automatic charging of children as adults for most, but not all, crimes. Lawmakers heard testimony this year on a compromise bill that would reduce the number of crimes for which 16- and 17-year-olds are automatically charged as adults from 33 to about a dozen, but the proposal has not yet passed out of committee. (From the article posted below) [Please see the comments section below the article posted below for a link to the full report]
Congratulations Russell! #ChangeAgent
Today, we celebrated four years of Next Level Leaders. The current cohort was joined by members of previous Next Level Leaders cohorts for a morning of connections, storytelling, and presentations that will insight change within organizations across Maryland. We would like to congratulate the 23 cohort members who celebrated the conclusion of their cohort, and cheer them on as they continue life-long connections, and change within their respective organizations. Thank you to The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company for believing in and supporting our vision. 🥳
The Choice Program at UMBC reposted this
"This type of indifference to children’s humanity led to the deaths of Kalief Browder in New York and Kayelyn Drake in Mississippi. As a 16-year-old, Kalief was held in solitary confinement for two years while awaiting trial at New York’s infamous Rikers Island jail. He killed himself two years after his release. Just last year, 16-year-old Kayelyn committed suicide after being detained in an adult jail following her arrest. The deaths of Kalief and Kayelyn should make us ask an important question — will lawmakers in Annapolis act in time to prevent a similar tragedy? Or will we be naming a law in honor of a Maryland child who also didn’t need to die?" https://lnkd.in/eUCx3R9B
We hope to see you there!!
Senior Associate Director @ The Choice Program | Reimagining systems for more equitable futures
Ten years after the Baltimore Uprising, The Choice Program at UMBC's Youth in Action invites you to join us for ART RYSING: Testimony — a powerful community gathering to remember, reflect, celebrate, and create. Through art, we will give collective testimony to the world, crying out for justice for our youth and envisioning a Baltimore where peace and unity thrive. Saturday, March 22 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM IMET Building (Inner Harbor, 701 W Pratt Street) This is a FREE event featuring local youth voices, creative expression, and opportunities to stand together in solidarity and hope. RSVP now on Eventbrite to save your spot: https://lnkd.in/e-d88kkS Help us spread the word, and we hope to see you there as we rise together through testimony and art.
Congratulations Shemiah!! #ChangeAgent “Shemiah Dickens, coordinator of student leadership at TU, says the workshops with BCPL were an amazing end for the students in the final phase of the program. She says it was also a great way to show the community the exceptional students that attend Towson University.” https://lnkd.in/e5_j-GSq
Black youth comprise 31% of the youth population in Maryland, but 61% of youth arrested and brought to juvenile intake and 81% of youth charged as adults. Listen to Jayne Miller speak to local and national leaders about how to address this glaring disparity…
What does effective community-based programing look like as an alternative to the juvenile justice system? On her podcast Maryland Capital, journalist Jayne Miller gets three important perspectives from Liz Ryan, former Administrator of the Office of Juvenile Justice & Delinquency Prevention under President Joe Biden, Kelly Quinn, Managing Director of the Choice Program at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and Alysha Williams, a third-year student at the Community College of Baltimore County and co-leader of Youth in Action. They also talk about currently pending legislation that would limit the number of Maryland kids who are charged for alleged crimes in adult criminal court—which Maryland does more, per capita, than every other state but Alabama. https://lnkd.in/gWYHCYGt
Congratulations Trenae! #ChangeAgent
Entrepreneur | J.D. Candidate | Strategist | Business Consultant | Speaker | Visionary | Conflict Manager | Negotiator | ForbesBLK
Honored. Humbled. Inspired. I am beyond grateful to be recognized as a 2025 Honoree for Who’s Who in Black, powered by The Afro News! Seeing the incredible honorees in this space, I am more motivated than ever to continue striving for greatness. The impact I leave on the world will always be my legacy. Every opportunity to uplift and inspire the next generation is a blessing, and I don’t take it lightly. This is bigger than me! ✨ #WhosWhoInBlack #TheAfroNews #Legacy #Purpose #Grateful