We Love Our Partners!

City Springs works with a variety of partners to meet the diverse educational and emotional needs of our students. See the alphabetical list below for information on current partners. Also visit our afterschool program page for a list of partners that provide out-of-school time programming.

The Baltimore Museum of Art

The Baltimore Museum of Art (BMA) is a major cultural destination recognized for engaging diverse audiences through dynamic exhibitions and innovative educational and community outreach programs. The BMA offers a program on art, mindfulness, and peacebuilding for fifth grade students at City Springs in collaboration with Beyond Conflict and Holistic Life Foundation. Throughout the six-week program, students learn mindfulness practices, explore artworks that tell important stories of peace and conflict, discover stories of peaceful conflict resolution, and create artworks that express ideas of peace and inclusion. 

Big Brothers Big Sisters of America

Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) is a mentoring program that makes meaningful, monitored matches between adult volunteers (“Bigs”) and children (“Littles”), ages 6 through 18. Students develop positive relationships that have a direct and lasting effect on their lives. Bigs and Littles meet up at City Springs once a week to eat lunch together, play games, and share their lives.

Child First

Child First Authority’s mission is to develop youth by strengthening and reforming schools. Child First Authority is committed to closing the opportunity gap for children in Baltimore City by providing high quality after school and in-school programs.

City Springs is a community school, which means we provide additional supports that address the needs of students, their families, and their communities. Child First enhances our ability to operate as a community school by providing an on-site Community School Coordinators, making the school a hub of the community. Mr. Ahmad Collick is our Community School Coordinator. You can contact him via phone at 410-396-9165 or via email at acollick@childfirstauthority.org.

We are very happy have an after school program this year at City Springs operated by Child First Authority through a grant provided by the Family League of Baltimore. Please make sure you sign your child up early because a limited number of slots are available. This afterschool program serves grades Kindergarten-5th.

Expanded School Mental Health Program

This program sponsored by Behavioral Health System Baltimore seeks to implement a comprehensive system of services for children and adolescents with or at risk for developing, behavioral and emotional problems. The school-based program was built on a program initiated in 1991 by BCPSS and the City Health Department, which created funding mechanisms to place mental health clinicians in the schools.

The priorities of the program are:

  • Provide direct and indirect services to reduce the impact of mental health
  • Problems on school performance and attendance.
  • Coordinate and supplement existing resources for children and their families.
  • Build the capacity of systems to meet children’s mental health needs.
  • Provide a consulting resource for teachers and other school personnel.

Families interested in receiving services from the school-based clinician at City Springs should call (410) 396-9168.

Holistic Life Foundation

Holistic Life Foundation is a Baltimore-based nonprofit organization committed to nurturing the wellness of children and adults in underserved communities. Through a comprehensive approach which helps children develop their inner lives through yoga, mindfulness, and self-care, HLF demonstrates deep commitment to learning, community, and stewardship of the environment. At City Springs, HLF provides a mindfulness room where students practice breathing and meditation techniques. HLF also facilitates breathing breaks for classes throughout the day and teaches students to lead their classmates in daily breathing exercises.

​Johns Hopkins University’s Adopt-a-Class

Johns Hopkins University sponsors an Adopt-A-Class/Career Day Program to introduce fourth graders at three local elementary schools to hospital careers and to expand their knowledge of career choices in general. Staff and faculty from different JHU departments are assigned to a 4th grade classroom at City Springs. Once a month from October through March, the teams visit the same classroom and deliver a one-hour presentation on healthcare-related topics and careers like surgery, nursing, and primary care.

Johns Hopkins University’s City Springs Science Outreach Project

Johns Hopkins University also sponsors the City Springs Science Outreach Project (CSSOP), a program designed to bridge Johns Hopkins faculty and students with the East Baltimore community through the presentation of monthly science outreach sessions at public schools. Monthly, hour-long science sessions are taught by Department of Geography and Environmental Engineering faculty about basic science principles, such as water tension and electricity, through simple and lively experiments and demonstrations. CSSOP has been partnering with City Springs since 2009, and serves several of our 5th grade classrooms.

Living Classrooms Foundation

Living Classrooms Foundation strengthens communities and inspires young people to achieve their potential through hands-on education and job training using urban, natural, and maritime resources as “living classrooms.” The Foundation currently sponsors two afterschool programs that serve the City Springs community: the Under Armour House at Fayette and the POWER House Community Center. For our more information on these and other afterschool programs, click here.



Parent-Teacher Organization

The Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO) was established to bridge the communication gap between the school and the parents. We are here to listen to all parent views, concerns, and suggestions. We are also here to provide information on school policies, input on budget, and other things that are going on in the school. Through us, parents are able to vote and have a voice. There are monthly meetings for parents, teachers, support staff, and administrators to communicate. The PTO also holds workshops on various topics throughout the year. Please contact the PTO President at (410) 396-9168 if you have any questions, suggestions, or concerns, and if you want to become an active member of the PTO.

School-Based Health Clinic

We are fortunate to have at City Springs a School-Based Health Clinic through the Baltimore City Health Department. In order for your child to be serviced through the clinic, they must be members of the clinic. This means that you must complete the membership forms required. Every City Springs child should be a member of the Health Clinic. Please be sure to complete and turn in the appropriate forms, so your child can receive the appropriate care from the Health Clinic if needed.

The School, Family, Community Council is a group made up of the Data Analysis Team members, a Charter School Operator Representative, two Parent Teacher Organization members, one student member, and two community members. All stakeholders are invited to give input for these monthly meetings. This group will play an active advisory role in the program and budget decision-making that will lead us to the realization of our vision.

Terrapins in the Classroom

The National Aquarium’s Terrapins in the Classroom Program brings Maryland students face to face with the state reptile, the diamondback terrapin. Hatchling terrapins are collected from Poplar Island and provided to schools for students to observe and study throughout the year. During the turtle’s stay, students collect growth data, observe behaviors, learn animal care techniques, and research the natural history of the species. At the end of the school year, students take a field trip to Poplar Island to release the terrapins back into their natural habitat. City Springs has participated in this program since 2014, and a different classroom is selected to care for the terrapin each year.