College Night

Every Monday night, young people from Baltimore City area are invited to UMBC for a College Night. This service-learning experience through the Shriver Center allows young people to eat dinner in the dining hall, participate in an educational activity, and go to the gym for a recreational activity. It is led by UMBC student coordinators who organize the activities for each Monday and support their peers as College Night volunteers. UMBC students enrolled in College Night receive a service-learning notation on their transcripts.

While College Night has been happening for many years, incorporating TRHT into what the Shriver Center does meant rethinking the semester-long experience to align it with the model. As a result, training materials and reflections were revised to assure volunteers understood the broader context within which they were working.

In 2019, UMBC formed a youth college night committee where young people began to shape the activities and experiences they hope their peers will see at College Night. By reframing College Night in this way, volunteers and coordinators were willing to engage with students and in the service experience from a new perspective and at a new level.

This change led to a special fall semester College Night that incorporated racial healing circles among Baltimore City Public Schools students and the UMBC volunteers. The circles became an opportunity for volunteers and youth to engage as peers, and to share their experiences with race and education. About 60 young people participated in circles, in art projects, and a performance by young people from WombWork Productions, Inc.