Julia Benford is a retired trauma technician with a lifetime of experience caring for people. She has a deep desire to help others and she shows that by being a big part of our Treatment Foster Care program. She has a deep desire to help others and she shows that by being a big part of our Treatment Foster Care program. She has been a part of the program for two-and-a-half years, fostering three children in that time. Mrs. Benford has taken on the responsibility to care for children most people would find difficult to handle and she cares for them as if they are her own.

High school students who work face unique challenges. While they may thrive in the workforce and benefit from the financial gains and real-life experience of holding a job, they often have difficulty balancing work and school. They need educators who understand their situation and can help them stay on track to graduate. The Children’s Guild Alliance launched The Academy for Working Students (TAWS) to address the struggles of working high school seniors. The innovative TAWS program gives students the opportunity to create a flexible school schedule that fits around their work commitments.

Recently, second-grade teachers from Monarch Academy Glen Burnie were inspired to travel to Ethiopia. Their interest in Ethiopia was sparked after author Jane Kurtz led a workshop for students on how to write children’s books. Ms. Kurtz shared experiences from her childhood in Ethiopia and her work with Ethiopia Reads and Open Hearts Big Dreams, two organizations that partner to provide books to children in Ethiopia.

Devin is a 7-year-old second-grade student at The Children’s Guild School of Prince George’s County. He has Asperger’s, a developmental and social disability on the higher end of the autism spectrum, and his mother is cautious about trying out new things and putting Devin into unfamiliar environments. When given the opportunity to participate in League of Dreams, Mrs. Murray says, “I didn’t know how my son would respond.” Even though she had her concerns, she took Devin and his two brothers to participate in the events and learn the game of baseball together.

“I owe my new career to TranZed Apprenticeships,” says Patrick McLean, an apprentice and junior programmer for Amports, a premier automotive services company and port terminal operator. When employers were not willing to take a risk and allow Mr. McLean to transition from the mental health field to the technology industry, TranZed Apprenticeships offered an alternative pathway for Mr. McLean to gain the skills he needed and make the much-desired career change.