David Hoffman, Musa Jafri '24 interviewed in Baltimore Sun

David Hoffman, J.D., Ph.D. '13, director of the Center for Democracy and Civic Life, was interviewed for the Feb. 2024 Baltimore Sun Education supplement article, "Shaping tomorrow's leaders: Experiential learning fosters skills, empathy, and professionalism."

BreakingGround, a grant program that supports civic innovations at UMBC, launched in fall 2012. In the article, Dr. Hoffman shares more about how the program helped amplify the innovative work already happening in UMBC classrooms. He explains, "'People were engaging students in creative problem-solving and exposing them to real-world issues, but it wasn't always recognized as civic engagement. BreakingGround was born out of a desire to make these efforts more visible, connect educators, and support impactful experiences.'"

Jafri described examples of how BreakingGround is enriching his classroom experiences. "'Last semester, we worked with a state storyteller through the BreakingGround fund, creating music around classic stories from African American culture. It helped us explore themes of resilience, cultural diversity, and promote these values within our community....We're proving that education isn't just about acquiring knowledge but about making a meaningful impact on the world around us.'"