Baltimore, MD, June 15, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Baltimore Children & Youth Fund (BCYF) welcomed Baltimore residents, families, community leaders, and city officials to 4MLK at the University of Maryland BioPark last week for its 2026 Community Exhibition, a two-floor, interactive showcase of how public youth funding is supporting creativity, leadership, and opportunity for young people across Baltimore.
Notable attendees included Baltimore City Council President Zeke Cohen, Del. Luke Clippinger, City Councilwoman Phylicia Porter, Councilmember John Bullock, and representatives from Baltimore’s youth development, nonprofit, civic, and philanthropic sectors.
At the exhibition, Baltimore residents and families explored featured projects developed through BCYF’s learning lab, interactive exhibits from youth-serving organizations, live performances, storytelling activations, and opportunities to connect directly with grassroots leaders serving young people across the city. By bringing residents and city officials face-to-face with the organizations, projects, and leaders supported through the fund, the exhibition offered a firsthand look at how public tax dollars are strengthening Baltimore’s youth ecosystem.
"Events like the Community Exhibition remind us of what's possible when a city makes a real, visible commitment to its young people—an investment that's accountable to families and shaped by the communities it's meant to serve," said Baltimore City Council President Zeke Cohen. "Through the Baltimore Youth Master Plan, we're giving our young people a genuine role in guiding the next chapter of this work."
Featured experiences at the event included exhibits from BCYF-funded organizations including CHARM, Nuestras Raíces, Expanding Boundaries International and The Equity Project Foundation, youth performances and open mic moments, a Baltimore Youth Master Plan (BYMP) station where residents shared ideas and signed up to help shape the future of youth programming. The exhibition also featured a “Mayor for a Minute” video booth where participants recorded their dreams for Baltimore; a #bcreds trivia and registration station, complimentary refreshments, and opportunities to network.
“Seeing families connect with grassroots leaders, young people perform and share their ideas, and residents sign up to help shape the Youth Master Plan brought the fund’s purpose to life,” said Alysia Lee, President and CEO of the Baltimore Children & Youth Fund. “The organizations in our exhibition are doing important work every single day, and evenings like this give Baltimore a window into the impact public dollars are creating across the city.”
Event Images & Broll: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/y95phb3f7pl23vit8kb7y/AMOvp0o3-b7UAasYj7tS4d4?rlkey=tl34jyb0ij7e45x2j49s1unyz&st=ovmdflrh&dl=0
[Photo Credit: Kyle Pompey/BCYF]
About the Baltimore Children & Youth Fund
The Baltimore Children & Youth Fund (BCYF) is a nonprofit, city-funded initiative dedicated to improving the lives of young people across Baltimore. BCYF employs a dual investment strategy—pairing direct funding for youth-serving organizations with training and learning supports that promote long-term sustainability and strengthen Baltimore's youth ecosystem. Through this approach, BCYF delivers vital financial and educational resources to community-based organizations in education, health, safety, and enrichment, ensuring every young person has access to the opportunities they need to thrive. To learn more, visit http://www.bcyfund.org.
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Brandon Hansen Baltimore Children & Youth Fund 410-505-8459 comms@bcyfund.org
