Super Bowl week turned into a spotlight moment for College Track, which used the football frenzy to highlight a new Baltimore center backed by the Baltimore Ravens, the Stephen and Renee Bisciotti Foundation, and M&T Bank. The gathering brought together scholars, alumni, and civic leaders as the nonprofit prepares a physical site to support Baltimore City students through a 10-year college-completion program. Organizers say the new center is designed to help first-generation students move from high school into and through college graduation.
According to the Maryland Daily Record, the launch is powered by a $20 million gift, split between $10 million from the Bisciotti Foundation and Ravens and $10 million from the M&T Charitable Foundation, to fund a physical site and initial operations in Baltimore. The outlet also noted the gift is part of a broader Ravens College Access Program. The announcement was also detailed in a Baltimore Ravens press release.
College Track’s Regional Footprint
The Baltimore center adds to College Track’s East Coast expansion, which began with a Kevin Durant-backed site in Prince George’s County and expanded with a Southeast D.C. location in January 2020. Nearly 300 students across the D.C.-Maryland-Baltimore region are enrolled in College Track's long-term program and working toward bachelor’s degrees, according to College Track.
Super Bowl Week Kickoff
College Track and its partners staged a Super Bowl week celebration at Visa’s headquarters, according to a Baltimore Business Journal listing, where leaders from sports, business, and education joined scholars and alumni. The gathering served as a public kickoff to the Baltimore launch and a chance for regional partners to signal a long-term commitment to college completion.
“This distinctive cross-sector collaboration enables us to offer our innovative program in a city that is critical to the future of American education,” College Track President and CEO Dr. Shirley M. Collado said in a statement. The Ravens’ release noted the program will directly benefit students in Baltimore City Public Schools and is part of a $50 million effort to expand college-access supports over the next decade, according to the Baltimore Ravens.
What Comes Next
The Baltimore Ravens media guide lists the Baltimore College Track Center as targeted to open in 2025 as partners finalize a site and staffing plan. College Track and Baltimore City school leaders say the center will be part of a broader strategy to lift college completion rates for first-generation students across the region, according to College Track.
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