In February 2018, the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) launched a Police Athletic/Activities League (PAL) chapter for young people in West Baltimore. UMBPAL is a collaboration between UMB’s Community Engagement Center (CEC) and Police Department (UMBPD), and is one of just two PAL programs based at a university in the United States.

Nearly 30 African-American elementary and middle school students and eight African-American police officer mentors participate in regular after-school sessions and special field trips. 

Activities include physical fitness, career exploration, community service, visual arts, reading enrichment, and computer animation. A puppeteering workshop led by the founder of a neighborhood theater enables children to exercise their creativity and public speaking skills through performance and much more.

A primary goal of UMBPAL is to nurture relationships between police officers and neighborhood girls and boys. After the inaugural year, two-thirds of PAL children reported having greater respect for law enforcement officers and 80 percent said that they had improved outlook on their future because of the mentoring program.

“It’s an innovative approach to not only connect law enforcement to the community but also to stress the importance of higher education to these kids.”

- JEFF HOOD
  National PAL Executive Director

For information, please download our UMB Police Athletic Activities League brochure..

“I think this will build a great relationship between the entire community and the police department at UMB and hopefully police officers all over. I think we are breaking a lot of barriers right now.”

 - HAZEL LEWIS
   15-year veteran with UMBPD and UMBPAL mentor

A unique and remarkable feature of UMBPAL is the ability to leverage the resources of UMB and the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC) to offer a distinctive curriculum. UMBPAL officers and staff have been trained by the UMB School of Social Work’s Positive Schools Center to use restorative practices, community circles, and trauma-informed care to support the youths social and emotional development. Students from UMB’s School of Nursing meet with boys and girls for project-based learning that emphasizes fun as well as academic enrichment. And emergency room surgeons and nurses from UMMC’s R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center have worked to certify the entire UMBPAL chapter – young people and their mentors – in Stop the Bleed, a life-saving technique.