Photo: In fall 2024, the Student Services team secured a $25 million grant from the Maryland Community Health Resources Commission which enables PGCPS to partner with 18 organizations to supplement the district’s behavioral health services and offer students enhanced access to mental health support.
Across PGCPS, staff manage a range of federal and state grants that expand educational opportunities, strengthen student support services, and enhance school operations. These grants fund essential programs, like providing multilingual learners with targeted language instruction, equipping educators with specialized training and modernizing the district’s transportation fleet to cleaner, more sustainable energy.
For International Grant Professionals Day, we recognize the expertise and dedication of grant professionals who secure and manage these funds. Hear from two PGCPS leaders — Dr. Melissa Kanney, English Language Development Supervisor, and Keba Baldwin, Director of Transportation — on how their work ensures that grant funding leads to meaningful benefits for students, educators and the community!
Dr. Melissa Kanney, English Language Development Supervisor
Q: What is your role in Prince George’s County Public Schools?
A: I currently serve as the English Language Development Supervisor with more than 20 years of experience. A major part of my role involves managing the over 4-million-dollar Title III grant, which is essential in supporting more than 35,000 active Multilingual Learners (MLs) across the county.
Q: What is the Title III grant, and why is it important?
A: The Title III grant provides essential resources for language instruction programs; professional development for educators; and family engagement initiatives. These efforts aim to boost English proficiency and academic success among MLs while ensuring schools demonstrate progress in ML achievement.
Q: Can you highlight a key initiative you’ve led to support ML students?
A: A standout initiative is a collaboration with the University of Maryland and the International Student Admissions and Enrollment Office, resulting in a groundbreaking Post-Master's Certificate for PGCPS Professional School Counselors in Supporting Immigrant Students, the first of its kind in the state of Maryland. This program not only enhances staff expertise but also strengthens the quality of services available to ML students, ensuring they receive targeted support to thrive academically and personally.
Keba Baldwin, Director of Transportation
Q: What is your role in Prince George’s County Public Schools?
A: I presently serve as Director of Transportation for PGCPS, overseeing the transportation of more than 85,000 bus riders — one of the largest public school bus fleets in the nation.
Q: Can you explain how the district is working toward sustainability in transportation, and the role grants play in that work?
A: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) School Bus Rebate Program provides funding that allows PGCPS to replace older diesel school buses with clean electric buses, specifically targeting underserved and overburdened communities in our county.
This directly benefits students by improving air quality, reducing harmful emissions, and creating a healthier environment for children in these communities—many of whom are also multilingual learners, immigrant students, or students from low-income households. By addressing environmental health, we’re also supporting student well-being and readiness to learn, as well as advancing the district’s Climate Change Action Plan.
Q: How does the EPA School Bus Rebate Program benefit students and schools?
A: For students, it means cleaner air at bus stops, in neighborhoods, and around their schools, which contributes to better respiratory health and reducing the risk of illnesses triggered by poor air quality. For teachers, healthier students can mean better attendance and fewer health-related disruptions to learning.
Every electric bus funded through this rebate represents a tangible investment in student health, environmental responsibility, and educational access.
Q: How does the EPA School Bus Rebate Program promote equity in student transportation?
A:The EPA School Bus Rebate Program helps bridge the equity gap by targeting funds toward historically underserved communities where students often face environmental and economic challenges that directly impact their educational journey.
Without this type of funding, transitioning to clean energy transportation would be financially out of reach for many school districts, including PGCPS. These rebate funds would allow us to upgrade our fleet in ways that prioritize the health and safety of students who need it most, ensuring safe, clean and equitable transportation services.
Q: What do you find most rewarding about your work with the EPA School Bus Rebate Program?
A: The most rewarding part of this work is knowing that every decision we make, from applying for the EPA rebate to deploying each electric bus, has a direct and positive impact on our students and their families. As the Director of Transportation, it’s fulfilling to know that we’re not just moving buses, but creating healthier communities for our students and helping close environmental equity gaps.
