The Office of Community and Civic Engagement (OCCE) serves as UMB’s liaison to communities across the state of Maryland on behalf of the Office of the President.
Focusing on communities in West Baltimore that border the UMB campus, OCCE develops and nurtures Universitywide partnerships with external stakeholders, including K-12 public schools, community organizations, nonprofits, and local businesses. We assist UMB’s professional schools with coordinating community engagement initiatives. Additionally, OCCE coordinates faculty, staff, and student volunteer and service-learning initiatives to respond to needs identified by community partners.
Many of our ventures take place in the Community Engagement Center (CEC), which is the cornerstone of UMB’s Community Campus, a location and a concept that demonstrate a deep commitment to strengthening West Baltimore in collaboration with the neighbors who live there and local business owners. The new CEC is close to seven times larger than the former center, which opened its doors in 2015.
The CEC is where neighbors of all ages come to engage in free quality programs, services, supports, trainings, and activities. Our aim is to provide a safe environment that supports the empowerment of our neighbors while strengthening the neighborhoods of West Baltimore. With this newly renovated space, the CEC is even better equipped to reach and serve more people as we work toward our goal of improving the health and well-being of our neighbors.
