Govans Elementary School, part of the Baltimore Curriculum Project (BCP) network of neighborhood conversion charter schools, celebrated American Education Week in November. The week includes visits from school by mothers, fathers, and guardians, community partners, and for the much-anticipated Career Day, a host of adults and mentors representing various jobs. This year, WJZ-TV broadcast from

October is National Bullying Prevention Month, an effort to bring awareness to school communities about the effects of bullying and how to prevent it. With Restorative Practices at the center of each of the six Baltimore Curriculum Project (BCP) neighborhood conversion charter schools, BCP educators and staff create a safe, supportive learning environment. BCP school

At Baltimore Curriculum Project (BCP), we believe that schools are more than places to learn—they are community anchors. This has been foundational for BCP for three decades.  Since 1996, we have focused on offering the best instructional method we knew – Direct Instruction. When BCP became a charter school operator, we focused intentionally on converting

2,446 books. That’s a lot of books circulated to the students at Govans Elementary School (GES) for the 2024-25 school year – nearly 70% of GES’s entire library collection.  It was also the 4th highest circulation in all of Baltimore City for Bibliovation Circulations.  “This is a remarkable achievement and a direct reflection of your

In 2021, the first grade teachers at the Church of the Redeemer Parish Day School and Govans Elementary School wanted to create a way to build community. The schools, located a little over a mile apart in North Baltimore, collaborated on the Hi Neighbor! Program, a partnership rooted in celebrating the diversity and connections across

In a vibrant celebration of diversity and cultural heritage, several Baltimore Curriculum Project (BCP) schools hosted International and Multicultural Days this May, turning schools into colorful hubs of global exploration and unity. Festivities included deeper learning by students of the rich diversity represented at BCP schools and opportunities for festivities with family and the larger

Each May, the nation observes National School Principal’s Day on May 1, a day to mark the many ways, every day, principals transform schools and communities.  Baltimore City Public Schools, the educational partner of Baltimore Curriculum Project (BCP), recognizes the need for school leaders to inspire and model the values and approach they wish to

We continue our series of exploring how each of the strong schools in the network of  Baltimore Curriculum Project (BCP) neighborhood conversion charter schools plays a vital role in the revitalization of communities. In April, we explore the anchor role and impact that Govans Elementary School (GES) is having on the greater Govans area in

For the past 15 years, the Diamond Girls after-school mentoring program has been strutting down the runway with its annual fashion show. Each year, the Diamond Girls create their own fashions for the show in a display of girl-powered creativity and confidence. Diamond Girls was founded in 2010 by Govans Elementary School paraeducator Mea Sydnor-Murphy and former Baltimore City Schools principal Peggy Jackson at Belmont Elementary School. When Ms. Sydnor-Murphy joined Govans in 2013, she brought the program to Govan’s Dragons After Dismissal program. This year, Diamond Girls serves about 45 girls in grades 1-5 at Govans.  “The program’s goal is to give girls the tools to shine at life,” says Ms. Sydnor-Murphy.  Shine they did on March 22, 2025, when ten Diamond Girls were invited to present a special fashion show at the National Council of Negro Women luncheon – Spirit of a Woman Biennial Celebration in Baltimore. Dressed in the clothing/uniform representing their career choice and accompanied by a female mentor in that career, the Govans students were the hit of the luncheon.“Last year, the Council president, Awayna Brodie attended the spring 2024 Diamond Girls Fashion Show, which had a career-themed scene,” Ms. Sydnor-Murphy explains. Impressed, Ms. Brodie invited students to present their dream jobs in a fashion show.   Called the “EmpowerHER Walk,” the fashion show paired professional women walking with Diamond Girls at the luncheon, modeling the fashion of their occupation and offering real-life aspirational goals, including:  Lady T, social media influencer and TV Host B’More Lifestyle on Fox 45  Maysa Leak, national recording artist Alisa Gumbs, VP/Deputy Chief Content Officer/Reporter, Black Enterprise Magazine Fire Lt. Twana Allen, Baltimore County Fire Department, the first Black woman to serve as Fire Lt. of the BCFD The students who modeled their dream careers included:  Teacher: Abigail, 4th grade Media Influencer: London, 4th grade CEO: Casey, 5th grade Hairdresser: Braelyon, 2nd grade Makeup Artist: Dallas, 5th grade Police Officer: Gia, 2nd grade Entrepreneur: Zya, 5th grade TV Reporter: Abraeya, 5th grade Travel Agent: Camille, 5th grade Fire Fighter: Hayden, 4th grade All the Diamond Girls are busy preparing for the annual fashion show, held at Govans on May 30, 2025, at 6 p.m. The girls chose the theme, “They’re Not Like Us,” and as a nod to Diamond Girls’ 15th anniversary, alumnae of the program (the “past”) and selected girls in Govans’ PreK and Kindergarten (the “future”) will strut the runway, too.  For the “Denim and Pearls” part of the show, each girl is embellishing her own denim piece of clothing in the afterschool program.  “The fashion show teaches the girls confidence and awareness of who they are,” reflects Ms. Sydnor-Murphy. “Some of our students are shy, but when you put on the music and dim the lights, they bring it on the stage. It teaches showmanship. It’s wonderful to see them so proud of what they have accomplished.”  Enjoy the photo gallery of the recent Diamond Girls career fashion show at the National Council of Negro Women luncheon. Enjoy the fashion show!

Science and math got very hands-on on March 10, 2025, when the Poly STEM Outreach Club, a new, student-created outreach club at Baltimore Polytechnic Institute, visited Govans Elementary School, a Baltimore Curriculum Project (BCP) neighborhood conversion charter school. The entire 2nd Grade enjoyed an hour-and-a-half of fun, engaging labs and experiments, presented in stations by