TMA awards $21,250 in grants to 10 colleges and universities in Maryland and D.C. for 2026 9/11 National Day of Service & Remembrance Projects
(Frederick, MD) – For the second consecutive year, Transform Mid-Atlantic - along with its place-based partners across the Alliance for Campus Community Engagement (ACCE) - has received funds from 9/11 Day and the Corporation for National and Community Service (AmeriCorps) to provide sub-grants to its member colleges and universities. Ten campuses across Maryland and D.C. have received $21,500 in funding to host student volunteer-generating service and remembrance events to commemorate the 2026 9/11 National Day of Service and Remembrance as the United States marks both its 250th year of independence and the 25th anniversary of 9/11. In total the Alliance is awarding over $90,000 to campuses across the country.
In additional to providing students with opportunities to participate in direct volunteer service alongside community partners, each project will include a reflection component focused on the history and legacy of 9/11.
In total, grantees in Maryland and D.C. will engage an estimated 3,000+ volunteers with dozens of community-based organizations during events taking place from September 1 – September 25, 2026.
- Allegany College of Maryland will host a campus-wide remembrance event called 9/11 Student Meal in Memory and Honor of Victims and First Responders for 57+ student and community volunteers to learn about the legacy of 9/11 and to engage in a service project through ACM's College to Community Partnership to write thank you cards to first responders in Allegany County, Maryland and beyond.
- Bowie State University will host Hidden Heroes 9/11 Day of Remembrance, which will engage 225 student volunteers in a day of service as they assemble 300 care packages for first responders and EMT staff in Prince George's County, Maryland in partnership with the Office of the County Executive. The event will conclude with a luncheon and panel discussion with first responders and student participants.
- Carroll Community College will use grant funds to host its 9/11 Tribute and Volunteer Event through which students from across the campus will be invited to gather and learn about both the legacy of 9/11 and participate in volunteer activities supporting the Carroll Food Locker Program. The college's library and local veterans organizations will create a space for students and community members to reflect on the meaning of 9/11 Day.
- The George Washington University’s Honey W. Nashman Center for Civic Engagement and Public Service will be incorporating its commemoration of the 9/11 Day of Service with its annual Welcome Day of Service where 2,200 students will volunteer at 60 service sites throughout D.C., Maryland, and Virginia. Students will serve across various projects within schools, community centers, parks, and nonprofits to meet the needs of GW's community partners.
- Howard Community College will host its 9/11 Day of Service and Remembrance to engage over 100 students and community members in a two days of service and reflection. Community members will hear from first responders/fire and EMS volunteers during a panel focused on the "why" behind their service, followed by a NARCAN training and first responder snack kit packing. During the second day, students will celebrate first responders during a luncheon, after which they will pack breakfast and hygiene kits for local non-profits that support unhoused veterans.
- Montgomery College will be providing at least 35 students with an opportunity to join its Soaring High: Raptors Feed Veterans and Honor Heroes for 9/11 Day project. During this multi-day service event, students will view a documentary focused on the experiences of first responders and survivors of the attack on the Pentagon, after which students will write letters to the families of those lost on 9/11. A group of students will then travel to Arlington, VA where they will volunteer at a non-profit called Cook for Vets and visit the National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial.
- Notre Dame of Maryland University’s project, September 11 Days of Service and Democracy, will include four different service and remembrance activities for 200 NDMU students. Students will pack lunches during two service days for various non-profits across Baltimore. A group of students will visit The Franciscan Center of Baltimore to volunteer in its programs that serve unhoused individuals. The final event - a Democracy Day - will include a campus-wide dialogue focused on equipping students with skills to navigate challenging political discourse.
- Towson University's 9/11 Day of Remembrance will include a partnership between the Office of Social Impact, the Towson University Basic Needs Hub, and other campus offices to engage 100 students in the assembly of 400 care kits - including 200 dental kits and 200 general hygiene kits - to be distributed through the Basic Needs Hub to community members.
- The University of Maryland Eastern Shore will host its event, Serve Princess Anne, to engage more than 100 students and community volunteers in hands-on service projects throughout Princess Anne. In partnership with the Town of Princess Anne, Main Street Princess Anne, the Chamber of Commerce, and other organizations, volunteers will participate in beautification / clean-up projects across the city, work to revitalize community gardens, and help senior citizens and individuals with disabilities on exterior yard maintenance.
- The University of the District of Columbia will work with DC Central Kitchen to host its Flame of Freedom: Honoring Service Through Community Care event, which will engage 50-100 volunteers. Students will travel to DC Central Kitchen where they will support the organization by volunteering their time in support of hunger relief and food security projects throughout the day.
"We are so proud to be supporting this year's 9/11 Day of Service campus grantees," says Madeline Yates, Executive Director of Transform Mid-Atlantic. “Though these Days of Service take place over just a few days, they engage thousands of students in meaningful, high impact opportunities to become aware of their potential to spark change in partnership with their neighbors and peers - the type of work we are hopeful continues far beyond their participation.”
The ten campuses awarded funding in Maryland and D.C. are part of TMA’s growing place-based network of 2-year, 4-year, public, private, HBCU, minority-serving, and faith-based institutions in Maryland, DC, Delaware, Pennsylvania West Virginia, and Virginia dedicated to advancing the public purposes of higher education through civic and community engagement.
###
About Transform Mid-Atlantic
Transform Mid-Atlantic is a non-profit membership association of public, private, 2- and 4-year colleges and universities, including many HBCUs and minority serving institutions. Transform Mid-Atlantic provides leadership to colleges and universities in Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Delaware by advocating, supporting, and encouraging institutional participation in academic and co-curricular based public service and civic engagement programs.
Transform Mid-Atlantic strengthens the capacity of member institutions to enhance student learning and to meaningfully engage with communities. Transform Mid-Atlantic is supported through a combination of institutional dues, federal and private grants, donations, and in-kind contributions. The Transform Mid-Atlantic office is located at Hood College in Frederick, Maryland.
About the Alliance for Campus Community Engagement
The Alliance for Campus Community Engagement (“The Alliance”) is the largest network of state and regional coalitions dedicated to supporting the public purposes of higher education. Representing more than 400 member institutions, The Alliance advances public service, civic engagement, campus-community partnerships, and other locally driven initiatives across the country.
Through this national initiative, The Alliance works with its 10 state and regional member organizations to support participating campuses in implementing 9/11 Day of Service and Remembrance projects. These campus-led projects engage students and community partners in meaningful service activities that honor the legacy of 9/11, address local needs, and create lasting community impact.
About 9/11 Day
In 2002, a group of 9/11 family members and leaders joined together to form the nonprofit “9/11 Day,” with the goal of transforming the anniversary of the September 11, 2001 tragedy into a day of doing good. Today, 9/11 Day has become a National Day of Service and Remembrance, recognized under federal law, and the largest annual day of service in America. More than 30 million people participate each year by volunteering, supporting charities, and performing other good deeds in tribute to those impacted by the 9/11 tragedy, and in a spirit of unity and peace. For more information, toolkits and other resources, visit 911day.org, or contact 9/11 Day at info@911day.org
About AmeriCorps
AmeriCorps is the federal agency for national service and volunteerism. AmeriCorps provides opportunities for Americans of all backgrounds to serve their country, address the nation’s most pressing challenges, and improve lives and communities. Learn more at americorps.gov.
Media inquiries should be forwarded to Nicki Fiocco, Director of Development and Communications at fiocco@transformmidatlantic.org