The mission of the Educator Support Collaborative is to activate Baltimoreans to thank and support our City’s Public School Educators.

We build and sustain a Culture of Care for Baltimore City educators through volunteer activation, community partnerships, and coalition building. Our focus: educator wellbeing and appreciation.

The pandemic intensified educator stress. Students face learning loss, social-emotional challenges, and trauma—while teachers manage these needs alongside their own wellbeing. Many question if they can sustain another year.

Students need their teachers. When we support educators, they can better support our children. Baltimore’s community has a vital role in showing teachers they’re valued.

ESC’s First Pilot Initiative: Activating 60+ Baltimore Area Companies and Individuals To Create Educator Wellness Lounges

Our first initiative to respond to educators’ stated needs is our Educator Wellness Lounge Makeover Pilot. This pilot is a collaboration among the design community, City Schools, and multiple partners to spark engagement to support educator wellbeing. Collaborating with educators at Baltimore City Schools, the Design community has reimagined and refreshed traditional teacher lounges, creating new and improved Wellness Lounges. With warm lighting, soothing paint colors, comfortable seating and kitchenettes stocked with coffee, tea and snacks, the Educator Wellness Lounges have been tailored to the unique needs of each individual school.

Who We Are

A group of 30+ diverse, concerned citizens gathered in the Spring of 2022 to ask what the community could do to support our city’s educators. This included representatives from the Y, UMB Positive Schools, Funders, Arts for Learning, BCPSS, Baltimore Magazine, Baltimore Family Alliance, the Heart of the Schools, former teachers and others. They surveyed educators and explored a variety of options. What emerged was a plan to create opportunities for the community to celebrate and support our teachers.