The mission of the Educator Support Collaborative is to activate Baltimoreans to thank and support our City’s Public School Educators.
The Educator Support Collaborative is dedicated to helping to build and sustain a thriving Culture of Care for Baltimore City educators. We aim to understand what our educators need for support and then respond through volunteer activation, collaboration with community partners, and coalition building. Based on educator feedback of needs, our focus areas are educator wellbeing and educator support and appreciation.
The effects of COVID have added layers of stress to the jobs of educators. Students are struggling to recover from learning loss, increased social-emotional needs, grief, and trauma. Educators are expected to meet these increased student needs while managing their own wellbeing. As a result, many are asking how they will get through another year, and if they will return at all to the classroom.
We know our students need their teachers, now, maybe more than ever. The Baltimore Community has an important role in showing our educators that we care, value and appreciate them.
Will you join us in supporting our educators?
ESC’s First Pilot Initiative: Activating 60+ Baltimore Area Companies and Individuals To Create 6 New Educator Wellness Lounges
Our first initiative to respond to educators’ stated needs is our 6 Educator Wellness Lounge Makeover Pilot. This pilot is a collaboration among the design community, 6 City Schools, and multiple partners to spark engagement to support educator wellbeing. Collaborating with educators at 6 Baltimore City Schools, the Design community has reimagined and refreshed traditional teacher lounges, creating new and improved Wellness Lounges. With warm lighting, soothing paint colors, comfortable seating and kitchenettes stocked with coffee, tea and snacks, the Educator Wellness Lounges have been tailored to the unique needs of each individual school. Learn more about each makeover on our projects page.
Who We Are
A group of 30+ diverse, concerned citizens gathered in the Spring of 2022 to ask what the community could do to support our city’s educators. This included representatives from the Y, UMB Positive Schools, Funders, Arts for Learning, BCPSS, Baltimore Magazine, Baltimore Family Alliance, the Heart of the Schools, former teachers and others. They surveyed educators and explored a variety of options. What emerged was a plan to create opportunities for the community to celebrate and support our teachers.
Our inaugural pilot project was 6 Educator Wellness Lounge Makeovers. This pilot is a collaboration among the design community, City Schools and multiple partners to spark engagement to support educator wellbeing.
Part time Staff:
Cindy Paradies, Project Manager Wellness Lounge Pilot
Suzy Schlosberg, Intern
Advisory Board Members:
Chris Battaglia, Baltimore City Schools Office of Community Engagement
Kim Wiggins, Baltimore City Schools Office of Community Engagement
Kelly Ennis, Verve Design Partnership
Charelle James, Baltimore City Schools
Steve Kaiser, Kaiser Associates
Sara Milstein, Y of Central Maryland
Nikomar Mosley, Positive Schools Center
Donald Eaddy, The Y In Central MD
Shantay McKinily, Positive Schools Center and Promise Heights School-Based Programs
Sarah Sandoval-Mohapatra, Digital Harbor Foundation
Roger Shulman, Fund For Educational Excellence
Charmayne Turner, Y of Central Maryland
Paul Wolman, Founder