Adopt a Classroom

Are you in a book club? Do you enjoy reading our annual One Maryland One Book selection? Then you already know how stimulating and inspiring reading and discussing a book with friends can be.

students at Boonsboro High School.
A classroom full of students from Boonsboro High School hold up their 2016 One Maryland One Book selection "All American Boys."

Help Maryland Humanities make that same experience possible for high school students by “adopting” a classroom. After a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic, we are back with the Adopt a Classroom initiative for students, teachers, and schools to benefit this fall.

You can underwrite the cost for a set of books, bookmarks, and learning materials to a participating classroom—supporting a dedicated teacher and his or her students on a journey of discovery—with a donation of $250. What a fun and affordable way for the members of your book club to come together and share the joy of reading with the next generation! Or, if you’re feeling particularly generous, you can adopt a classroom solo.

Just complete and return an “Adopt a Classroom” form along with your book club members’ checks and/or credit card information or give online by clicking the DONATE button at the top right (be sure to put “Adopt a Classroom” in the Additional Comments field). We’ll handle the rest.

While we cannot guarantee requests for specific schools, we will make every effort to support a classroom in your town or county.

 One Maryland One Book is sponsored by the Institute of Museum & Library Services via LSTA grant funds received from the Maryland State Library, with additional support from PNC Foundation, M&T Bank, and the Citizens of Baltimore County. Activities in Baltimore City are supported in part by Mayor Brandon Scott and the Creative Baltimore Fund.

ADOPT A CLASSROOM FORM

Read what Maryland teachers have to say about the impact on students of a past One Maryland One Book selection, All American Boys

  • “I completed the book club with 22 students, all of them on the JV football team— so not your stereotypical group of book club attendees. … The discussions we had were powerful and meaningful—this was truly one of the most moving experiences I have had as an educator.”
  • “This book got our students talking about issues that are often taboo. It was nice to see students from various backgrounds feeling comfortable about communicating their concerns openly.”
  • “This book opened the door to more conversation about race in our school system. It was amazingly powerful to hear the teachers and students come together for open and honest conversations.”
  • “We had a student who failed English last year, and this year with this title they were reading ahead of the class. They were so into it.”
  • “…My students DEVOURED this book! They were completely engaged.”

  • “One student in my book club who is in a wheelchair and has a lot of other persona/home issues, was the first to finish the book, and wheeled herself into the library more than once to ask me if I had finished the book because she wanted to talk about it. She was a huge contributor to the discussion.”

    One Maryland One Book 2016 teacher

  • “The school I am reporting on is designed as an alternative center for students who are not successful in the “regular” classrooms in our district. These students are challenged by a number of factors, including emotional problems, discipline issues, etc. This particular book was one that a number of students were able to relate to and engage with. As a consequence, students who do not normally read became active participants in both reading and discussing!”

    One Maryland One Book 2015 teacher

  • “The book selections offer an opportunity to read a book that is informative and engaging. It enhances our view of the world and the individuals within it. We sincerely look forward to the OMOB selections and materials each year. It is a topic of excitement and discussion among students and staff. Truly and wonderfully.”

    ​One Maryland One Book teacher

  • “A sophomore on our school’s state-champ runner-up varsity football team was so taken by Joe’s story of the sophomore year on the boat that he got his dad (the coach) and several members of his team to read the book even though they weren’t assigned it in class. Another student described a discussion she got into with her math teacher after school about the relevance of the English curriculum and used her experience with Brown’s work and the field trip to convince her teacher that humanities are just as important as STEM. Great stuff!”

    ​One Maryland One Book 2015 teacher

  • “I completed the book club with 22 students, all of them on the JV football team – so not your stereotypical group of book club attendees. On the last day of our book club experience I asked students for some feedback and also asked if they would be interested in participating in another book club. Nearly all of them said that this was the first time they had ever participated in a book club, and a few said it was the first time they had actually read an entire book. I keep hearing back from them, too, [asking] ‘When is the next book club starting up?’. The discussions we had were powerful and meaningful–this was truly one of the most moving experiences I have had as an educator.”

    One Maryland One Book 2016 teacher

  • “The discussion of the [2015 One Maryland One] book could not have been better. Everyone had a particular part of the story that touched them. One of the newcomers was an experienced rower and gave us wonderful insight into the physical and spiritual aspects of the sport. It is the first time in my ten years with this group that everyone loved the book.”

    One Maryland One Book 2015 participant

  • “[One Maryland One Book taught me that] these types of book discussions that include diverse populations across the state open necessary dialogues to help solve problems. We need to have many more.”

    One Maryland One Book 2016 participant

  • “I distributed copies of the book and we engaged in an afterschool discussion which included students and staff. Everyone who participated was so engaged that our 45 minute planned discussion ended up stretching into an hour and a half!”

    One Maryland One Book 2016 teacher

  • “This program is a gift, literally and figuratively!”

    One Maryland One Book 2015 teacher

  • “We had our best attendance, ever, for a book discussion, in the seven years I’ve been here.”

    One Maryland One Book 2015 participant

  • “The OMOB 2014 selection seemed to touch the hearts of so many teachers and students. Everyone who read the story was in awe of the struggles, the will to survive, and then the motivation to write the memoir. The Distance Between Us created such an impact on each reader that s/he handed the book to someone with the request, “you must read this story!” Plus, the selection was inter-disciplinary and ‘captured’ students in all grade and academic levels. Renya Grande captivated the readers who, “couldn’t put the book down.” It is one of the best selections. Thank you!!”

    ​One Maryland One Book 2014 teacher

  • “Left on my own, I would choose the same kind of books over and over again. Now, [participating in One Maryland One Book,] my reading experience is broader and richer and all the more enjoyable.”

    One Maryland One Book 2016 participant

  • “The impact of this particular book was probably stronger than any other Maryland One Book due to the connections we could make with real world events and police brutality in the headlines. Many groups were reading and discussing the book at our school: Student Equity Team, Drama Club, Faculty book club, sociology and English classes. It fostered important discussions about race relations.”

    One Maryland One Book 2016 teacher

  • “My students have been removed from their home schools. Right away, they made comments about the diction of the text, how it seemed realistic to them and they pointed out words they would have changed. We talked about word choice, slang, etc. I had 2 instances where students were excited to see me because they had events similar to the book happen to them and they needed to tell someone. They want to know how to change things. […] These kids typically failed English class or were chronic non-attenders or were removed before they came here. They are excited about reading a book! Teacher librarian win!”

    One Maryland One Book 2016 teacher

  • “One of my students, a boy who works 35 hours a week at McDonalds, took the time to write me a letter stating the book had changed his life.”

    ​One Maryland One Book 2015 teacher
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Maryland Humanities is a statewide, educational nonprofit organization that creates and supports bold experiences that explore and elevate our shared stories to connect people, enhance lives, and enrich communities.
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