Today’s young people are the leaders, innovators, and thinkers who will shape the next 250 years — and it’s important their voices are heard as we commemorate this historic milestone.

America’s Field Trip is a contest that invites students across the country in grades 3–12 to be part of America’s 250th anniversary by sharing their perspectives on what America means to them — with the opportunity to earn an unforgettable field trip experience at some of the nation’s most iconic historic and cultural landmarks.

Students are asked to submit writing or original artwork in response to the contest’s prompt: “What does America mean to you?”

America250 America's Field Trip round 2 launched September 16, 2024. Earlier this year in round 1, of 150 national winners, 9 were Maryland students. Maryland winners celebrated at a recognition ceremony at the Maryland State Fair.

Sign up today for one of three regional tours being planned in conjunction with the MML Excellence in Leadership Fall Conference. Tours are free and open to MML municipal officials registered for the full conference.

Neighborhood Revitalization Tour
November 6, 1 - 2:30 PM
Join the City of Cambridge's neighborhood revitalization team for a walking tour highlighting housing opportunities and urban development. Explore various sites at different stages of the city's revitalization plan, from acquisition to occupancy, and gain insights into community transformation.

Underground Railroad and Harriet Tubman Tour
November 6, 3:30 - 5:00 PM
Explore Cambridge's history with the Harriet Tubman Tour, a captivating under-two-mile journey starting at the local museum. Led by Tubman Museum Director Linda Harris, founder of “We Walk With Harriet, this walking musical lecture traces Harriet Tubman’s extraordinary life from her birthplace and provides a deep connection to her legacy.

Charting Economic Development and Tourism
November 8, 2:30 - 4:00 PM
Discover Cambridge's maritime heritage on the Waterways Economic Development Tour. Explore how the Choptank River and City Marina have driven economic growth, and end with a visit to the Choptank River Lighthouse and its museum, celebrating Dorchester County's maritime history. Ideal for those interested in leveraging local natural resources and future tourism opportunities.

Don't miss the opportunity to experience your choice of one of the three tours being offered. Sign up today!

Last month, the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) announced the opening of the next round of Reconnecting Communities Pilot (RCP) program grants. They have made over $600 million available for both planning and construction projects that seek to restore mobility, accessibility, and community connectivity that is harmed by defined dividing infrastructure facilities. This announcement contains all of the remaining Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) funding for the program. Applications are due Sept 30.

The Maryland Department of Budget and Management’s Municipal Technical Assistance Program (MTAP) has begun publishing Grant Summary Reports on open Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) grant programs potentially applicable to Maryland municipalities with open Notices of Funding Opportunities (NOFOs). Grant Summary Reports have been published on Environmental and Climate Justice Community Change Grants (currently open for applications), the Reconnecting Communities Pilot Program (currently open for applications), and the Safe Streets and Roads for All Program (now closed for applications).

The Maryland Department of Emergency Management, the Department of Information Technology, and the Maryland State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program (SLCGP) Planning Committee have released another funding opportunity through the State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program. The application period began Tuesday, September 3, 2024, and will end Thursday, October 3, 2024.

Through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), Congress established the State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program (SLCGP) to “award grants to eligible entities to address cybersecurity risks and cybersecurity threats to information systems owned or operated by, or on behalf of, state, local, or tribal governments.”

Covered projects can include (not limited to):

In line with its all-of-Maryland approach, the Maryland Department of the Environment has contracted the University of Maryland’s Environmental Finance Center to provide no-cost, direct technical assistance to the following 12 counties and municipalities within: Allegany, Calvert, Caroline, Dorchester, Garrett, Kent, Somerset, St. Mary's, Talbot, Washington, Wicomico, and Worcester.

This assistance will be delivered at no cost to recipients through an award from the Maryland Department of the Environment. Available services include assistance identifying climate pollution reduction projects; developing plans; building technical, financial, and managerial capacity; and completing funding application materials.

Nominations are now open for NLC's Centennial Under 40 Impact Awards

MML invites MML Members to participate in an informative webinar hosted by the MML Advocacy Team, where we will thoroughly discuss the recommended legislative priorities set forth by the 2024-2025 Legislative Committee for the upcoming 2025 Maryland General Assembly session. This member-exclusive event is scheduled to take place via Zoom on August 27th, 2024, from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM. Members, don't miss this opportunity to stay informed about the priorities that will shape our community's future!

With the second half of the 2024 calendar year upon us, MML encourages recipients of ARPA State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) to be mindful of the December 31, 2024 fund obligation deadline. Here are some resources from the U.S. Treasury to help your municipality meet the obligation requirement:

MML's partners at Railtowns.org have given us a heads up about an open funding opportunity available to our members with rail infrastructure.

Join the Sustainable Maryland Team and local experts on a series of free guided tours aimed at elected officials, municipal staff and Green Team members. You'll get a chance to see up close what a sustainable town or city looks like, and here from the people who run them. You'll be able to examine sustainable developments and green infrastructure and learn from the people that built and maintain them. Hands on, real world sustainability projects, that you can take back to your community and replicate:

Thursday, October 3, 4-6pm

The National League of Cities Leadership application for the NLC Board, Federal Advocacy Committees, Member Councils, and Constituency Groups is officially open. The leadership application for these groups is open from July 29 - September 9. The membership application (council and committee application) will be open from October 3 -November 25.

Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments and Grant Writing USA will present a two-day grant writing workshop in DC - August 26-27, 2024.  This training is for grant seekers across all disciplines.  Attend this class and you'll learn how to find the funding sources and write winning grant proposals.  

Beginning and experienced grant writers from city, county and state agencies as well as healthcare organizations, nonprofits, K-12, colleges and universities are encouraged to attend.

For 15 years the Maryland Municipal League has partnered with Technology Net to provide an online compensation info-sharing/survey system for Maryland cities and towns. In the past year, Technology Net has made various system upgrades and now members can engage directly with TechNet in accessing the system. Any municipalities that have been recent participants in the compensation survey will be contacted directly by TechNet to inquire about your continued interest in utilizing the system. 

If your municipality has not been a recent comp survey participant but is interested in learning more about the online system, its functionality, and cost, you may contact TechNet directly at [email protected].

The Maryland Cannabis Administration (MCA) has created an interest form to connect local governments and cannabis businesses. MCA began issuing conditional licenses for new cannabis grower, processor, and dispensary businesses. These awards were made by region (grower and processor) or county (dispensary). Over the next 18 months, these awardees will work to secure a location and become operational. (You may see the awards by license type and jurisdiction here).

Several county and municipal governments have contacted MCA seeking contact information for businesses that are eligible to site and operate in their jurisdiction. MCA developed this interest form to identify local government partners who are interested in obtaining contact information for cannabis businesses who are eligible to site in their jurisdiction, and determine which counties and municipalities would like to proactively work with these businesses to site and operate within their jurisdiction.

The State of Maryland’s Department of Budget and Management's Municipal Technical Assistance Program (MTAP) has exciting updates to make its Fund Mapping Service more readily accessible. The goal of the service is to help Maryland municipalities match their priority projects with competitive federal funding opportunities available through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).  To get started with the Fund Mapping Service, all you have to do is submit a Fund Mapping Request Form.

Join Sustainable Maryland Certified for our virtual July Climate Webinar - July 24, 2024 at 1:00 pm

This month we will be discussing the logistics for electric vehicle infrastructure and roll out. We will discuss the latest on EVs, EV charging infrastructure, how to create a fleet transition plan for light, medium, and heavy duty vehicles, and increase readiness across the board. We will be joined by the president of Electric Vehicle Association of Greater Washington DC (EVADC) to discuss the local EV landscape.