Youth Programs

Baltimore's Row Club
Turner Development Group in conjunction with Honeywell sponsors a scholarship program for qualifying teens interested in the Baltimore Rowing Club’s Juniors Program. For energetic, competitive, male and female students between the ages of 12 and 18, crew is the ultimate team sport. 

Past season’s teams sponsored by Turner Development Group and Honeywell, won the race for the Grand Prize Honeywell Cup in the annual Boat Christening and High School Championships. 

Westport teens that could use a fun and healthy pastime and would enjoy rowing in Middle Branch Park should contact the Baltimore Rowing Club and ask about available Juniors Program scholarships. Baltimore Rowing Club, 3301 Waterview Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21230.  410.355.5640. www.baltimorerowing.org

About the Baltimore Rowing Club: BRC is a non-profit organization established in 1979 and located in Middle Branch Park along the southern shore of the Middle Branch Harbor.  BRC promotes the sport of rowing at all levels, for all ages, and strives to be a national leader in the sport. BRC is committed to being a good community neighbor and leader by providing safe and sustainable programs for its diverse growing membership.

Baltimore's Other Winning Football Team

The Pop Warner team from Westport won their Super Bowl in Florida on Friday. The Westport Patriots, 24 Westport and Mt. Winans boys between the ages of 11 and 14, beat the Suncoast Bucs, 27-8, in at the Disney sports complex in Orlando, winning the Pop Warner Super Bowl, Midget division. "The team has overcome many obstacles including the lack of a football field, training equipment, uniforms, and storage and meeting facilities," said a handout from the team. "Many Westport Patriots live in difficult environments and for most of these boys and girls, it was the first time that they traveled out of the area." Baltimore City paid for the team to travel by bus to Orlando and Turner Development Group provided funds for uniforms, travel and other team expenses.

Mario’s Do Right Foundation

Mario’s Do Right Foundation was established in 2007 by Baltimore native R&B singer and songwriter Mario Barrett in an effort to educate and inspire young people adversely affected by drug abuse in the home. When Mario learned of the efforts of Turner Development in local Baltimore neighborhoods, he decided to implement his pilot program. His surprise school visits and community outreach has made quite an impression on many children’s lives throughout Baltimore City.

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Clean Team
In an unprecedented neighborhood cleaning initiative, Turner Development and the Living Classrooms Foundation’s Project SERVE have come together to establish a “Clean Team” in the Westport neighborhood.

The Clean Team, funded by Turner Development and managed by the Living Classrooms Foundation’s Project SERVE, began in late September 2008. The Clean Teams role is to improve and maintain streets, sidewalks, and alleys, helping supplement the city’s baseline services. They help by clearing trash, pulling weeds, and cut back overgrown grass throughout the neighborhood. They also help and assist neighbors clearing out alleys and walkways. Their duties act as an example for neighbors and for other neighborhoods to take a hands on approach when it comes to cleaning your own neighborhood.

For more information about the Living Classrooms organization, log onto www.livingclassrooms.org.
Their hard work and positive attitude is infectious. Say hello to the Clean Team sometime - they are the ones in the dark t-shirts taking pride in a job well done.

Tree Plantings

Parks and People- Thanks to a $60,000 donation from Turner Development Westport Development and the Parks and People Foundation, a new tree canopy is coming to the neighborhood of Westport. Parks & People is working with the Westport community – businesses and residents – to make Westport cleaner and greener – improving playgrounds, cleaning vacant lots, planting trees along the sidewalks, and more.

Tree pits have been readied for planting. New pits dug, old ones revitalized, and dead stumps removed. Planting of literally hundreds of the new flowering trees will soon begin. Neighbors who live near the new trees are encouraged to water and care for the new tress to insure their long term survival.

Parks & People Foundation assists communities in planting trees and creating parks and gardens; it awards grants to community groups for their greening projects; and it helps train and mobilize community organizations and residents to become park “friends” and help care for and maintain city parks.

Parks & People engages and empowers people to care for the marvelous natural resources available in Baltimore City in a way that leads to the revitalization of neighborhoods - environmentally, socially and economically. Since 1984, Parks & People Foundation has worked to improve the quality of life in Baltimore’s neighborhoods. Their staff, volunteers and partners in the community have developed innovative solutions to issues facing the city including the restoration of neighborhoods and their natural resources as well as the academic enrichment and motivation of their children.

For more information, contact the Parks & People Foundation 410.448.5663 or www.parksandpeople.org.

Trees for Tracks As part of CSX Trees for Tracks Initiative – the planting of one tree for every mile of its 21,000 miles of track across the country – Westport is a direct beneficiary of this. Red Maples, Sycamores, and Red Buds have been planted in around Indiana Street Park and along the Cedley and Maisel Streets by volunteers from CSX and Parks and People Foundation. Once planted, Parks and People will take on the task of watering the new trees regularly to make sure they root and grow. This event is brought to Westport by CSX, Westport Community Partnerships, Turner Development Group, and Parks and People amongst others.

Recycling Now everyone in Westport can recycle! What better Christmas gift can you give to a neighborhood, then the gift to help clean it and to promote recycling. With the help of Westport Neighborhood Association, representatives purchased and handed out holiday baskets full of goodies to every single door in Westport. These were no ordinary baskets. They were actually big, yellow Baltimore City recycling bins, and instructions how to use them.

Façade Grants Thanks to Turner Development Group’s $50,000 donation, Westport’s Matching Façade Improvement Grant is up and running. In an exciting new partnership with the Living Classrooms Foundations Project SERVE, Turner Development is offering a matching grant to property owners in Westport to help improve the fronts of their properties. Applicants submit applications for new stairs, doors, windows, paint, porch, etc.. Upon approval of the application, Project SERVE approved contractors will complete the work. Project SERVE workers will be primarily be recruited from the Westport and surrounding neighborhoods. Project SERVE participants gain valuable construction, job, and life skills in the process. Turner Development Group is excited about the unique potential for making a difference– in the neighborhood, in Middle Branch Harbor and in the City of Baltimore. For more information about Project SERVE, please go to www.livingclassrooms.org/employ_project.html

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Rappeling for Charity

For two years in a row, Turner Development Group was proud to play host for Gaudenzia’s Repelling for Charity. In an effort to help raise $6 million dollars for a new inpatient rehabilitation building in Baltimore, Gaudenzia lead a team from Over the Edge (www.overtheedgeusa.com), and Turner Development to organize a fund raiser to send participants Over the Edge! Silo Point was the backdrop as people literally rappelled down 300’ to help raise money for Gaudenzia.



Watch on WJZ
Watch on Fox Baltimore

About Gaudenzia: Gaudenzia’s mission is to help people affected by chemical dependency, mental illness and related conditions to achieve a better quality of life – allowing them to live as productive and accountable individuals. Gaudenzia offers comprehensive outpatient and residential programs that address the specialized substance abuse treatment, prevention and education needs of men, women, and children. www.Gaudenzia.org

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Business Associations
The purpose of the business associations is to promote a greater sense of unity among the members of the business community, enabling them to join forces to improve the business climate. Together they can promote, encourage and assist existing businesses, and help stimulate business development to bring in new businesses, all to improve the economic stability of the community

Thanks to the initiative and perseverance of Colleen Vanskiver, owner of Colleen’s Corner on Wenburn and Cedley Streets, there is now a business association organized and operating in Westport. The purpose of the business association is to promote a greater sense of unity among the members of the Westport business community enabling them to join forces to improve the business climate in Westport.

Together they can promote, encourage and assist existing businesses, and help stimulate business development to bring in new businesses, all to improve the economic stability of the community. At a meeting of business owners held in June, Colleen Vanskiver was elected President, Patrick Turner Vice President, Mark Alt Treasurer, and Carol Henry Secretary.

Baltimore Neighborhood Energy Challenge (BNEC)

Launched by the Baltimore Office of Sustainability and the Baltimore Community Foundation, BNEC is a neighborhood challenge designed to motivate business households to reduce their energy usage. Turner Development has partnered up with communities and neighborhoods throughout Baltimore city and have pledged and have submitted an application to join.

With the help from AmeriCorps assistants, we have recruited 20 volunteer neighborhood energy captains who have been trained by BNEC to educate their neighbors about energy saving measures and help them access information and resources, including grant and assistance programs, market-rate energy services and more.

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Workforce Development
Turner Development is working with the Living Classrooms Foundation to open a Workforce Development Center.

The program helps participants address these issues and become successful by developing a network of support and resources, teaching marketable job skills such as professionalism, communication, and problem-solving, and providing opportunities for academic remediation and continuing education. Living Classrooms’ staff have developed solid working relationships with local employers and have created a nationally acclaimed, employer-driven model for workforce development.

Living Classrooms, employers, and a framework of partnering agencies and individuals become part of each participant’s network of support to continue their employment, engage in lifelong learning, and experience personal growth. The Workforce Development Center will provide a wide range of services including job readiness training, job skills training, life skills training, financial literacy, academic remediation, long term retention and follow-up support.

The Workforce Development Center will link participants with local resources to assist in eliminating barriers that could lead to separation from employment, (such as drivers education, literacy programs, continuing education, daycare, substance abuse counseling, residential assistance, credit counseling, transportation assistance and healthcare information), and will work with local employers to establish partnerships that cross several sectors.

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Wetland Planting



Teaming up with the National Aquarium and the Chesapeake Bay Trust, Turner Development was honored to be apart of one of Baltimore City largest Wetland shore line reconstruction project ever.

Over the years, the Middle Branch area has lost most of its natural shoreline to industry and neglect. The creation of a living shoreline has revitalized natural wildlife habitats, improved water quality, and has brought awareness to the Chesapeake Bay.

Gwynns Falls Shoreline Restoration

Turner Development is leading the long-term effort to restore the banks of the Gwynns Falls Stream that runs throughout Baltimore. The effort to imporove the water quality flowing into the Chesapeake Bay is an enormous task that must start from its sources. Westport Community Partnerships is leading the long-term effort to restore the banks of the Gwynn Falls Stream, which forms the northern border of Westport. The effort will improve the water quality flowing into the Middle Branch and Chesapeake Bay and reveals an unobstructed view of the stream that has been blocked for decades.

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Awards

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