City Neighbors Foundation

Check out our sixth episode of Flip-Ed Season 2 “Schools as Sanctuary” with Lara Evangelista and Chandler Miranda at: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2433198/episodes

Thinking about schools as sanctuary “is a way of rethinking the way we do education for the most marginalized kids.”

This was our first episode ever with 2 guests! We’re really spreading our wings now!

Imagine considering schools as sanctuary places, places that create a protected place for all children - schools that create emotional, physical and psychological safety and create buffers from the forces that cause harm. The Internationals Network helps to design and sustain innovative, multilingual learning environments for recently arrived immigrant and refugee students. The work of Internationals Schools does just that - uses this idea of sanctuary as a core design and concept of school that not only benefits their students, but can benefit all schools.

Bring Joy to Your Classroom!

🚨 Don’t miss out on our second round of applications for Centering Joy is ending soon! Apply today!

Picture this: a classroom where joy isn’t just about games and laughter, but about forging deep connections, sparking creativity, and fostering collaboration. What if your teaching could fill both you and your students with genuine happiness?

Join us for our inaugural cohort of Centering Joy: A City Neighbors Design Something! This incredible three-day summer adventure runs from July 8 to July 10, from 9 AM – 3 PM at the beautiful City Neighbors High School campus.

Become part of a vibrant community dedicated to crafting joyful learning experiences. Together, we can break the mold and redefine education!

Are you ready to transform your teaching journey? Apply NOW and step into a world of joyful education!

🔗 [Secure Your Spot Here] https://ow.ly/ALqL50Yst2m

Don't miss Episode 5 of Season 2: "Learning as a Wilderness Expedition" with Mica Fidler!

Ever feel like traditional classrooms stifle curiosity? Mica Fidler challenges that notion, inviting us to reimagine learning as an adventurous journey, much like exploring the great outdoors! Imagine students being wayfinders on their own paths to knowledge!

In this episode, we dive into powerful insights about how the principles of nature can transform our classroom experiences. Discover how ownership and exploration can ignite a passion for learning in every student.

Tune in NOW at [Season 2, Episode 5](https://ow.ly/7s4X50YuPOK) and get ready to reshape your understanding of education.

Join us on this expedition toward progressive education—let's empower our learners together!

Click the link and start your journey today! [Listen Here](https://ow.ly/2gpl50YuPOG)

Last Call for Joy!

First Round of Applications Closes Soon! Apply for Centering Joy by March 15!

Imagine a classroom designed around joy, not just games and laughter, but deep, meaningful connections, creativity, and collaboration. What if your teaching could ignite authentic satisfaction in both you and your students?

Join us for our inaugural cohort of Centering Joy: A City Neighbors Design Something! This transformative three-day summer experience will take place from July 8 to July 10, 9 AM – 3 PM at the beautiful City Neighbors High School campus.

🤝 Be part of a community that creates practices and structures to infuse joy into learning. Let’s break free from traditional constraints together!

👉 Ready to make a difference? Apply now before the March 15 deadline! Your journey toward joyful education starts here.

Here is the application link: https://ow.ly/Fxfm50Yst2o
🔗 [Apply Now]

Check out the latest news from City Neighbors Foundation!https://static1.squarespace.com/static/616da919aca76322724fe817/t/69a5cf0439258f60a13f736a/1772474116816/February+City+Neighbors+Foundation+Email+Newsletter.pdf

During the Baltimore ice storm in January, we recorded this podcast with THE Ron Berger over Zoom from our own homes.

“School has become…in every country I work in…It really is preparing for exams. Like that’s somehow become the point of school. But that’s not what life is about. Life is about the quality of the work you do and the kind of human being you are.”

Check out our new episode of Flip-Ed with Ron Berger, "Children’s Capacity for Beautiful Work". https://flip-ed.buzzsprout.com/

Experience MORE in Baltimore Schools!

Educators and education enthusiasts, mark your calendars for an incredible opportunity to witness innovative, child-centered teaching practices in action!

Join us on Tuesday, March 3, 2026, from 11 AM - 12:30 PM at The Park School of Baltimore for a FREE experience at the *Park School Challenge Course. This is more than just a visit; it’s an invitation to engage with transformative educational experiences that ignite curiosity and foster growth!

Don’t miss out on seeing firsthand how local schools are paving the way for authentic learning. Reserve your spot today and be part of this educational revolution!

👉 Click here to register now: https://ow.ly/uFK750Ymu93 Let’s inspire the future together!

Only 1 DAY LEFT to register for our Winter DIY PD at City Neighbors! ❄️✨

Join us THIS THURSDAY, February 26, 2026, from 5:00–6:15pm at City Neighbors Charter School for an energizing evening of learning, connection, and community. Enjoy 60 minutes of hands-on professional development, followed by a FREE dinner!

This session’s theme: **The Power of Student Reflection**
Featuring two dynamic workshops:
🔹 *What, Why, and How Our Students Can Take the Lead Through Student Led Conferences* with Amanda Dorian-Eby (Give Them Tomorrow Consulting)
🔹 *Building Student Reflection Muscles* with Gena Proctor (City Neighbors Charter School)

DIY PD is all about educators learning from each other—choose from four breakout sessions, share strategies, ask questions, and tackle real challenges together.

Don’t miss this chance to spark new ideas, build your network, and keep innovating in your practice!

👉 Register now: https://ow.ly/lE6e50YlbRU Thursday, 2/26/26 @ 5pm]

Join us for our third Pop-up Workshop! Join with us virtually this evening! Hop on Zoom for a high quality learning session with educator, Dr. LaTrina Johnson.

No registration. No cost.
See you there!
The Workshop: Balm for the Younger Self, A Letter to the You Who Needed to Hear It

This workshop is for anyone who carries a younger self inside them—which is all of us. Parents, educators, students, community members. This work is for you if you've ever wished someone had told you the truth sooner, or if you're ready to tell it to yourself now. This workshop creates space to speak to your younger self with honesty and care. You'll leave with a letter you can keep, revise, or even burn—and with a practice for holding yourself (and others) with the kind of love that doesn't require perfection. This is testimony as healing, plain speech as gift.

Required Materials:
Bring a photo of yourself as a child. In this workshop, you'll write a letter to your younger self—not to fix the past or rewrite your story, but to offer recognition, rootedness, and the kind of love that sees clearly. What does that younger you need to know? What truth would have changed everything? We'll write, reflect, and share in community, practicing the Womanist love that refuses to look away from our complicated truths.
Join Zoom Meeting 6:30 - 7:30 pm https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89343710717?pwd=NbIwGMM8pWQow1tHd0bcibaZzqdbEh.1 Meeting ID: 893 4371 0717 Passcode: 64UPf7

Join our Cloud HD Video Meeting Zoom is the leader in modern enterprise cloud communications.

A Podcast from the City Neighbors Foundation SEASON 2!

Check out our second episode of Season 3 “The Power of Internships” with Senator McCray at: https://flip-ed.buzzsprout.com/

Learn More About Senator McCray

Maryland State Senator Cory McCray sat down with us to share his powerful story about how internships changed his life, the power internships and real-life experiences have in the educational journey of our young people, and how we can consider that concept to inform our schools, classrooms, and structures of education.

Cory V. McCray is a proud son of Baltimore, a journeyman electrician, author of The Apprenticeship That Saved My Life, and a Maryland State Senator. His journey from electrical apprentice to public servant reflects the transformative power of skilled trades, mentorship, and second chances. As an author and legislator, McCray understands the responsibility of preserving legacy while building pathways for future generations, ensuring that stories of struggle and triumph continue to shape Baltimore’s future.

About Flip-Ed
If you could flip just one thing to help our schools and public education thrive, what would it be? We know that the structure of schools and education were built nearly a century ago, based on a factory model - but the world is a profoundly transformed place.

There are people and practices right now - across our nation - that are thinking about school in our transformed world. They are trying innovative and bold ideas that can potentially inspire others to be bold and innovative - even in a schooling system that may not always welcome change.

In this podcast, we are working to find and elevate those ideas that could make all the difference for our children, families and schools. Join us to hear from educators with an idea, a vision, a revolutionary thought that could flip a switch and change schools for our changed world.

Podcast hosts, LaShawn Bowser and Mike Chalupa. Technical Director, Justin Eames. Flip-Ed is brought to you by the City Neighbors Foundation, located in Baltimore MD. Check out our work in education at www.cityneighborsfoundation.org.