Howard County announces $850,000 for HoCo STRIVES initiative
Howard County Executive Calvin Ball announced an $850,000 investment in the HoCo STRIVES initiative Thursday.
The announcement comes after Ball's recent establishment of the Youth Engagement Strategies workgroup (YES).
The initiative aims to improve educational opportunities and mental health services for county youth.
What will the funding support?
The funding will support the launch of the new Generation Teach GT STEAM Academy, which will provide 225 Laurel Woods Elementary School students with a free five-week summer learning program focused on science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics.
The investment will also establish a dedicated bus circulator program to provide transportation for youth participating in HoCo STRIVES programs and expand existing mental health initiatives by increasing service capacity and therapeutic care options.
"Our children and young people deserve the absolute best when it comes to expanding their educational opportunities and ensuring they readily accessible mental and behavioral health support services necessary to help improve their lives and ensure they have a bright future," Ball said.
Nearly $6 million invested since 2018
Ball launched HoCo STRIVES in 2018 to address the county's persistent academic achievement gap. Since then, the county has invested nearly $6 million in the initiative.
"We continue to see growing needs in mental health, social and emotional development, workforce readiness, and other critical areas," Jackie Scott, the Howard County Department of Community Resources Services (DCRS) said.
Reducing violence for Howard County Youth
The YES council was created in direct response to a rise in violence among Howard County youth.
In February, a shooting near the Mall in Columbia left 6-year-old Michael Robertson dead and a 15-year-old Oakland Mills High School freshman injured. An 18-year-old suspect, Emmetson Zeah, was arrested and charged with murder. Zeah had previously been charged with attempted murder in a November 2024 home invasion and violated home monitoring seven times before the fatal shooting.
In July 2024, 17-year-old Angelo Little was shot and killed near the Columbia Mall's food court.
Ball in February said his office was working with police to reduce crime, and to expand the county's mental health resources, with an emphasis on preventing domestic homicides.
