UMD Names Inaugural Do Good Campus Signature Initiatives

Programs that address food insecurity through campuswide collaborations, promote sustainability through experiential projects, and mobilize student social impact projects on inclusive education are among the University of Maryland’s six inaugural Do Good Campus Signature Initiatives, announced Wednesday. 

The new Signature Initiative designation recognizes programs that equip students to become social impact leaders, foster collaborative partnerships and translate academic work into tangible solutions. The inaugural cohort was selected from 27 proposals submitted by colleges and units across the university.

“The University of Maryland is proud to be the nation’s first Do Good campus, and these initiatives bring that vision to life in powerful ways,” said UMD’s Senior Vice President and Provost Jennifer King Rice. “By connecting classroom learning with meaningful action in communities, students are being prepared to lead and contribute to solutions that improve lives across Maryland and around the world.” 

The initiatives, identified with support from the Do Good Campus Strategic Leadership Council, expand opportunities for students to engage in hands-on work, while building the skills needed to make an impact now and lead in careers focused on service and social innovation. 

“These initiatives represent the very best of what it means to be a Do Good Campus,” said Tania D. Mitchell, associate provost for community engagement. “They empower students as changemakers, strengthen partnerships with communities and demonstrate how universities can play a direct role in addressing complex societal challenges.” Mitchell is part of the Do Good campus leadership team, along with Robert Grimm, director of the Do Good Institute, and James Stillwell, faculty director of the Do Good campus.

The university will support the initiatives through funding, partnerships and programming, with additional Signature Initiatives expected in the coming years. 

“Maryland’s Do Good Campus is about empowering students to make an impact today on a cause they are passionate about,” said Grimm, the Levenson Family Chair in Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership. “We look forward to partnering with these initiatives to advance our Do Good efforts.”    

Together, these initiatives span disciplines and communities, reflecting the breadth of Maryland’s Do Good commitment.

The 2026 Do Good Campus Signature Initiatives include:

A new cross-campus effort led by the College of Agriculture and National Resources, Food for All brings together existing programs to deepen student engagement in addressing food insecurity. 

The initiative will connect students to hands-on opportunities—from internships and volunteer work to classroom experiences—focused on alleviating hunger on campus, across Prince George’s County and throughout Maryland. Students will contribute to efforts such as nutritious food production, emergency food distribution, cooking and nutrition education, and research.

Building on existing work—including a National Science Foundation-funded food-waste reduction program and student internships at the UMD Community Learning Garden, Campus Pantry and Terp Farm—Food for All aims to ensure students not only understand the root causes of food insecurity, but actively contribute to solutions. 

Food for All also includes partners in the College of Arts and Humanities, College of Behavioral and Social Sciences, College of Information, School of Public Health, and Division of Student Affairs.

Since 2013, PALS has demonstrated how classroom learning can drive community impact by connecting faculty expertise and student creativity with 70 local governments, nonprofits and community organizations to address pressing sustainability challenges. Administered by UMD’s National Center for Smart Growth in the School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation, the program delivers practical, cost-effective solutions while giving students hands-on, real-world experience.

As a Signature Initiative, PALS will advance its successful model to connect more students in classes across campus with nonprofit organizations to engage in applied problem-solving that improves the quality of life in Maryland communities.

TerpsEXCEED, led by the College of Education, is an inclusive post-secondary education program that provides Maryland students with intellectual disabilities the opportunity to participate in a college experience for two years, culminating in a certificate. The program advances inclusive higher education through a peer mentorship model that pairs UMD students with young adults with intellectual disabilities.

By strengthening mentorship and leadership development, TerpsEXCEED continues to build a more inclusive campus while preparing students for careers rooted in advocacy and service.

The initiative’s next phase will formalize its mentoring leadership program, introduce a senior capstone experience and further study the impact of mentorship on participants, mentors and the broader university community.

This community-centered makerspace connects UMD engineering students with West Baltimore youth and families through hands-on learning.

A new initiative led by the A. James Clark School of Engineering, Terrapin Works Baltimore is a makerspace where people can create, solve problems and build skills that will help them throughout their lives. One initiative is a partnership with the West Baltimore Electric Mobility & Clean Harbor Engineering Pathways to address clean energy challenges relevant to Baltimore’s built and natural environments.

Through a structured, multi-tier pathway, participants will progress from foundational engineering concepts to advanced clean-energy projects. Students and community members will collaborate on real-world challenges, including prototyping sustainable technologies such as electric mobility systems and marine transportation solutions for Baltimore Harbor.

The student-powered, nonprofit news bureau in the Philip Merrill College of Journalism provides critical coverage of Maryland at a time when many local news outlets are shrinking. By supporting student journalists, it strengthens both experiential learning and the availability of reliable, community-focused reporting. 

As a Do Good Campus Signature Initiative, it will expand access to hands-on journalism by funding student stipends, ensuring that financial barriers do not limit participation. The initiative also provides opportunities for Do Good to support students in the field of nonprofit journalism.

Over the past 18 years, the UMD Fellows program, within the Office of Undergraduate Studies, has engaged more than 2,700 students across its Maryland, Federal and Global tracks, preparing them for careers in public service. Each year, more than 240 students from over 50 majors participate, gaining hands-on experience through academic coursework and internships in government agencies, nonprofits, advocacy organizations and international institutions.

As a Signature Initiative, the program will provide paid nonprofit internship offerings and continue equipping a diverse cohort—including first-generation, immigrant and international students—with the tools and experience needed to pursue meaningful careers that address pressing societal challenges. The nonprofit internships are a partnership with Do Good’s Impact Interns program, which connects students with internship opportunities at mission-driven organizations.