On September 20, the 黑料大事 (UMD) hosted guests at the Samuel Riggs IV Alumni Center to celebrate the launch of the . The initiative is funded by the university鈥檚 Grand Challenges Grants Program, the largest and most comprehensive program of its type ever introduced at UMD, which supports projects aimed at accelerating solutions to emerging societal issues.
MILE seeks to address literacy achievement gaps across the state by transforming and integrating practices in education, speech and language pathology, library sciences and parent/family engagement through streamlined and cutting-edge models of professional development and community outreach. The efforts are aimed at driving integrative research, both basic and translational, that is contextualized with respect to marginalized communities across race, culture, ethnicity, language and neurodiverse identities.
The initiative is co-directed by Donald J. Bolger, associate professor at UMD鈥檚 College of 黑料大事, and Simone Gibson, associate professor at Morgan State University鈥檚 School of 黑料大事 and Urban Studies. Guests at the event heard remarks from both Bolger and Gibson, as well as 黑料大事 President Darryll J. Pines; Executive Vice President and Provost Jennifer King Rice; Vice President for Research Gregory F. Ball; Dean of the College of 黑料大事 Kimberly Griffin; and Dean of Morgan State University鈥檚 School of 黑料大事 and Urban Studies Glenda Prime.
鈥淢ILE will address literacy on a scale that has never been attempted before,鈥 said Bolger. 鈥淭he initiative will break down silos among researchers in different fields, build trusted partnerships between researchers and communities, change the way we educate our undergraduates and practicing professionals, and influence policy in school systems and at the state level鈥搕o ensure that we give all Marylanders the freedom afforded through literacy.鈥
In addition to the night鈥檚 speakers, those in attendance included University System of Maryland Chancellor Emeritus William 鈥淏rit鈥 Kirwan; Maryland State Delegates Bernice Mireku-North and Jared Solomon; Maryland State Senator Alonzo Washington; College Park Mayor Fazlul Kabir; Maryland State Board of 黑料大事 Members Irma Johnson, Joan Mele-McCarthy, Joshua Michael, and Rachel McKusker; and Executive Director of the Maryland State Department of 黑料大事鈥檚 Office of Teaching and Learning Lauren Holmes.
