Celebrate a Champion of Social Justice
September 28, 2010
Our dear friend Clinton Bamberger is stepping down from the OSI-Baltimore board after bringing expertise, wisdom, a sense of outrage and humor to it over the last 13 years. We can think of no better way to recognize Clinton and his many contributions to us and the broader community than to name a Baltimore Community Fellowship in his honor. We hope you will support the Fellows and honor Clinton by contributing to the Clinton Bamberger Community Fellowship. Donate today!

Christopher W. Shea Joins OSI-Baltimore as Tackling Drug Addiction Program Officer
Press Release
October 18, 2010
Christopher W. Shea, former clinical director of Father Martin’s Ashley, has been named program officer for the Tackling Drug Addiction initiative at the Open Society Institute-Baltimore.

New Report Finds Charging Youth as Adults Is Ineffective
October 4, 2010
In Baltimore, most criminal cases of youth who were automatically charged as adults were either dismissed outright or sent to the juvenile justice system when considered on their individual merits, according to a new report.

The Business of Doing Good Works
Lorraine Mirabella
September 12, 2010
In this Baltimore Sun interview, George Soros discusses his philanthropy and commitment to Baltimore.

Top Business Leaders and Pulitzer-Winning Author Join OSI-Baltimore Board
Press Release
September 10, 2010
Three powerhouses in the arenas of business, philanthropy and history and literature – Eddie Brown, Ed Bernard, and Taylor Branch – have joined the board of directors of the Open Society Institute-Baltimore.

Ear to the Ground
 AUDIO
This yearlong radio series, supported by the Open Society Institute, features conversations with individuals navigating Baltimore's schools, addiction treatment centers, social services, and criminal justice system.

Juvenile Courts and School Safety: The Collaborative in Clayton County, Georgia
OSI-Baltimore
June 15, 2010
This OSI-Baltimore event, which is cosponsored by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, is the first in a series of forums to examine various models of collaboration between law enforcement officials and public schools and their effect on school safety and student outcomes.

Gary Ashbeck
Using The Samaritan Women (TSW) as a base of operations, Ashbeck will create opportunities for food sustainability for residents in the Irvington, Yale Heights and Beechfield communities. He will work with residents to start community gardens and establish a community gardening collective and a local community market and encourage residents to eat more healthfully.

Rebecca Coleman
Coleman will launch the Baltimore Creditor Abuse Prevention Project to protect low-income residents who have been victims of creditor abuse, by providing training, assistance and co-counseling services to attorneys who pledge to take on the victims’ cases. The project will increase the number of attorneys representing Baltimore debtors and help consumers become more aware of their rights.

Meshelle Foreman Shields
Foreman Shields will establish GoalDIGGERS: The Sankofa Project, which will encourage African-American girls, ages 14-18, to study their ancestry and heritage using technology, anthropology, and DNA testing. Girls will also participate in journaling and relevant cultural exchanges to learn about indigenous communal mores, bolster their identity and self-esteem and become more civically engaged citizens.

Stephanie Murdock
Murdock will launch “Skateboarding for Success,” which will provide a safe place for youth to skateboard while learning important independent living skills and gaining leadership experience. By partnering with local schools, the program will offer mentoring, beginner lessons, private lessons, park clean-ups, and the motivation and skills necessary for the youth to graduate from high school.

Koli Tengella
Tengella will engage youth, primarily in East Baltimore, in the development of a theater and filmmaking troupe to explore social justice issues, enrich academic studies and learn life skills. The cadre of youth performers will use poetry, dance and hip-hop in short 5 to 45 minute performances that will encourage positive behavior changes and improve academics.

Sarah Tooley
Tooley will solidify 901 Arts, a community-based arts organization in Better Waverly, by improving its organizational infrastructure and expanding its programming. 901 Arts is dedicated to the development of youth leaders and is an integral part of the community’s ongoing efforts to build a safer, stronger, and more vibrant neighborhood.

Jessica Turral
Turral will administer Hand in Hand, an organization she founded to connect juvenile males with mental health, case management, and rehabilitation resources while awaiting trial as adults at the Baltimore City Detention Center and upon release into the community. The program will seek to lower the juvenile recidivism rate while empowering youth.