Towson University today announced that the College of Education will house the new Maryland Center for Community Schools (MCCS). Each community school in Maryland collaborates with community partners, local governments and other stakeholders to provide wraparound services that address barriers to learning and success. In response to the Blueprint for Maryland's Future legislation passed in 2021, Maryland will go from 454 to nearly 700 community schools over the next 10 years.

"Towson University's establishment of the Maryland Center for Community Schools marks a pivotal step forward in fulfilling the promise of the Blueprint for Maryland's Future and providing equitable educational opportunities,” says Dr. Carey M. Wright, Maryland State Superintendent of Schools. “This initiative helps to equip our schools with the training and resources for the holistic development of our students. I am confident that this partnership will significantly enhance the effectiveness of our community schools and positively impact the lives of children and families across the state."

Community schools, any school that receives Concentration of Poverty Grant which is awarded annually based on need, promote positive, equitable outcomes by providing students and families with the physical and mental health, academic and extracurricular supports needed to thrive.

“We are primed to become the central space in Maryland for this initiative because we have a track record of excellence in educator preparation, outreach and impactful research,” says Dean Laurie Mullen, College of Education. “We’re looking forward to leveraging existing programs in the College of Education and working with partners to provide enhanced training and professional development in support of schools and districts engaging in community implementation.”

The new center will help drive the community schools initiative, funded by the state. It will support staff in community schools throughout Maryland by focusing on training and professional development and creating qualitative and quantitative projects to research and evaluate the implementation at community schools, including those in neighboring Baltimore County.

"Community schools are vital for Baltimore County and for Maryland, providing resources and services that address many needs and supports for our families and communities and helping to remove the obstacles that prevent student and family success," says Dr. Myriam Rogers, Superintendent of Baltimore County Public Schools. "Having Towson University take the lead in championing community schools through the MCCS will be a boon to Baltimore County; our schools, teachers, students and families; and to Maryland more broadly. We welcome this exciting new leadership initiative." 

The investment in public schools requires school staff to have new training to ensure the community schools do all they can for children and families throughout the state.

“I’m so glad that the Maryland State Department of Education will collaborate with Towson University and the College of Education to provide this much-needed training and research to maximize this opportunity for teachers, schools and communities in Maryland,” says Jessica Shiller, a professor in the College of Education and director of the MCCS.

The funding for the center became available on July 1.

Learn more about the College of Education at Towson University and Maryland’s Office of Community Schools.

For media inquiries, email Jamie Abell at .

About Towson University

Towson University is Maryland’s university of opportunities. With more than 150 years of experience pushing possibilities, TU is a nationally recognized leader in inclusive excellence, social mobility, research and discovery. As the largest university in greater Baltimore, TU’s momentum is always accelerating, with more than 20,000 students and 100 bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programs in the liberal arts and sciences and applied professional fields. Located amid one of the East Coast’s cultural and economic epicenters, TU is a beacon and powerful catalyst in the Mid-Atlantic, partnering with hundreds of businesses and organizations, impacting communities and fueling change. TU meets the holistic needs of each student to achieve success, a result of a deeply inclusive culture with a focus on equity among all students, faculty and staff.