Public hearings are not always thought of as spaces of imagination. They are often associated with budgets, presentations, and formal processes. Yet every year, when BCYF gathers community members to discuss our Annual Plan, I am reminded that these spaces
BALTIMORE YOUTH MASTER PLAN: STAGE A BUILDING THE FOUNDATION Stage A marked the public launch of Baltimore’s first comprehensive, community-driven Youth Master Plan (YMP). Rooted in decades of youth leadership and grassroots advocacy, the YMP builds on BCYF’s voter-mandated commitment
For generations, young people have been expected to be seen and not heard. It shows up in classrooms, in boardrooms, and in policy decisions that shape their lives without ever asking for their input. It’s subtle, often unspoken, but deeply
http://bcyfund.org/wp-content/uploads/The-Gathering-2025.mp4 The Baltimore Children and Youth Fund’s third annual Gathering brought together partners from across the youth ecosystem for a day filled with learning, joy, and community rooted leadership. This year’s theme, Roots and Reach, invited all of us to
This summer, BCYF took an important moment to listen—inviting community-based organizations to share their experiences with the Summer 2026 pre-cycle application process. What we heard was both affirming and energizing. Across the survey responses, organizations overwhelmingly shared that BCYF’s application
In October 2025, Baltimore Children & Youth Fund grantee partners traveled to Harlem for the Harlem Children’s Zone Opening Plenary, a travel-supported, in-person learning experience designed to deepen understanding of one of the nation’s most respected place-based youth development models.
From Mentorship to Momentum: Baltimore’s Youth Development Leaders Gather to Build the Future On May 21, BCYF hosted its final gather! event of the learning lab series for 2025. This powerful evening brought together youth-serving mentors, nonprofit partners, and changemakers
On June 3, 2025, the Baltimore Unity Hall was transformed into a vibrant, intergenerational hub of celebration, connection, and creativity as over 250 Baltimoreans gathered for The Community Exhibition, the culminating event of BCYF’s the learning lab. This joyful
This year, the Baltimore Children & Youth Fund (BCYF) made waves at SXSW EDU 2025, bringing together a delegation of nonprofit leaders, youth advocates, and changemakers to engage in national conversations on education, youth development, and equity-driven innovation. BCYF’s
We’re thrilled to share the mini-documentary capturing the essence of our 2025 Opening Plenary—a pivotal moment in our journey toward systemic change in youth development. Held from February 23–26 in New Orleans, the Opening Plenary marked the launch of BCYF’s
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