Making a Difference with Movement and History
Looking to make a positive impact right here in Anne Arundel County? As part of our ongoing series highlighting local nonprofits, we’re featuring several organizations making a real difference in our community.
Whether it’s lending a hand as a volunteer, contributing financially, or offering your unique talents, there are plenty of ways to get involved and support these causes.
The Ballet Theatre of Maryland (BTM)* in Annapolis, the state’s premier professional ballet company, has enriched Anne Arundel County’s cultural landscape for over 45 years. With a diverse repertoire including classical ballets like “Swan Lake” and “The Nutcracker,” and original contemporary works, BTM presents more than 20 full-length performances each season. These productions bring high-caliber dance to local audiences and attract visitors to the area, supporting the regional arts economy.
Beyond performance, BTM is committed to arts education and community engagement. Its Conservatory of Dance offers a comprehensive program for students ages 3 through adult, with specialized classes such as Adaptive Dance for individuals with mental and physical disabilities. Through school assemblies and outreach programs, BTM helps cultivate an early appreciation for the arts among local youth. BTM plays a vital role in nurturing creativity, expression, and cultural growth throughout Anne Arundel County.
How can you help? Visit balletmaryland.org to learn more about volunteer opportunities and upcoming performances, or donate to support their mission.
Girls on the Run Greater Chesapeake inspires girls to be joyful, healthy, and confident with fun, experience-based curricula that creatively include movement. Its physical activity based, positive youth development (PA-PYD) programs feature evidence-based instruction, trained coaches, and a commitment to serving all girls.
The Girls on the Run program for third through fifth graders teaches life skills, such as managing emotions, resolving conflict, helping others, and making intentional decisions. The program culminates with girls positively impacting their communities through a service project and completing a celebratory, non-competitive 5K event, providing the framework for confidence through accomplishment.
The Heart & Sole program supports sixth through eighth grade girls by focusing on their physical, emotional, and social well-being. It creates an inclusive space where participants build confidence and connect with others. The programs are designed to enhance girls’ social, psychological, and physical skills and behaviors to help them successfully navigate life experiences. Girls on the Run Greater Chesapeake began in Annapolis in 2005, and now, 20 years later, they’ve proudly impacted over 25,000 participants’ lives. Keep an eye out for the new school and community center sites ahead of their fall program season.
How can you help? Visit gotrchesapeake.org to learn more about volunteer opportunities, bring Girls on the Run to your school/site, or donate to support their mission.
Historic London Town and Gardens*, tucked along the scenic South River in Edgewater, Maryland, offers a rare blend of colonial history and botanical beauty. A short drive from Annapolis, this 23-acre park and United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Site of Memory invites visitors to wander through vibrant woodlands and ornamental gardens, explore the Historic William Brown House and reconstructed colonial buildings, and discover stories of a once-bustling port town that shaped Maryland’s past.
Historic London Town and Gardens plays a vital role in the cultural and educational life of the region. Annually, the staff welcomes over 20,000 visitors and hosts more than 3,500 children on educational field trips. They also provide free access to over 1,300 individuals through partnership with the Anne Arundel County Public Library and programs like Blue Star Museums and Museums for All.
These programs aim to serve the diverse communities of Anne Arundel County by connecting people of all ages to local history and horticulture. Recognized as an official American Public Garden, this landmark bursts into color each spring and serves as a serene retreat year-round. Visitors can enjoy yoga among the blooms, sip wine at a summer concert, or simply take a quiet stroll under the shade of magnolias. Historic London Town and Gardens is where the past and present bloom together.
How can you help? Visit historiclondontown.org to learn more about volunteer opportunities or donate to support their mission.
*denotes Annapolis Moms Media Community Supporters.
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