Take your advocacy to new heights through Partners in Policymaking®! Maryland’s year-long program prepares adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), parents, and family members of children and adults with IDD to be effective advocates at the local, state, and federal levels.
Through 12 sessions, Partners in Policymaking® participants will learn about systems change: creating, working towards, and achieving a vision of shared values about people with disabilities. Partners graduates often become lifelong and long-term agents of change in the community.
Partners in Policymaking® is free for participants due to the incredible financial support of the Maryland Developmental Disabilities Council, with each spot in the program valued close to $6,000. Read more about the program below!
Applications for the 2024-25 Partners class are now closed. Applicants have been notified of their approval/denial between September 16 and 20, 2024.
Partners’ Schedule and Topics
- Sessions 1 & 2 | October 19 & 20, 2024 | The History of Disability Advocacy
- In-person in Howard County, MD
- Saturday, 1:00 to 5:00 PM
- Sunday, 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM
- Session 3 | November 19, 2024 | State Laws & Policy & Those Who Create Them
- In-person in Annapolis, MD
- Tuesday, 10:00 to 3:00 PM
- This session will be held jointly with the Maryland Conference of Executives of The Arc Leadership Class.
- Sessions 4 & 5 | December 14 and 15, 2024 | Inclusive Education & Lifelong Learning, Assistive Technology & Media Skills, Behavior as Communication
- Saturday, 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM, In-person in Howard County, MD
- Sunday, 1:00 to 5:00 PM, Virtual on Zoom
- Session 6 | January 14, 2025 | Developing & Living Your Ideal Life
- Virtual on Zoom (Two Micro Sessions)
- Tuesday, 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM (Micro Session 1)
- Tuesday, 1:00 to 4:00 PM (Micro Session 2)
- Session 7 | February 13, 2025 | Developmental Disabilities Day at The Legislature
- In-person at the Graduate Annapolis Hotel, 126 West St, Annapolis MD
- Thursday, 8:00 AM to 2:00 PM
- Session 8 | March 18, 2025 | A Home of Your Own – Independence In the Community
- Virtual on Zoom
- Tuesday, 1:00 to 5:00 PM
- Session 9 | April 15, 2025 | Federal Laws & Advocacy in Action (Federal Day on the Hill) – Part 1
- Virtual on Zoom (Two Micro Sessions)
- Tuesday, 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM (Micro Session 1)
- Tuesday, 1:00 to 4:00 PM (Micro Session 2)
- Session 10 | Mid May 2025 | The Arc Maryland Convention” or The County’s Role in Developmental Disabilities
- In-person in Howard County, MD
- Date to be confirmed, 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM
- Session 11 | June 10, 2025 | Federal Laws & Advocacy in Action (Federal Day on the Hill) – Part 2
- In-person at the Supreme Court & The U.S. House of Representatives in Washington, D.C.
- Tuesday, 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM
- Group Transportation to be arranged.
- Session 12 | August 15, 2025 | Taking Your Place and Graduation
- In-person in Howard County, MD
- Friday, 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Please note that any in-person session in this schedule is subject to change to a virtual format based on program assessment and logistics.
Please hold all the class dates in your calendar, in the event you are selected for enrollment in the Maryland Partners in Policymaking® program.
Additionally, throughout the year, Partners are challenged to identify and work on a project to inspire change in the community by exploring issues faced by people with IDD and their families.
Information Calls and FAQs
Want to know more about the Partners program and its application process? You can check out the recording of our July 26th information call below! You can also read more through our frequently asked questions.
Partners of the Past
The wealth of information and encouragement in Partners in Policymaking® is unmatched. You come out with a renewed sense of purpose and the ability to make those changes that you want.
Meeka Caldwell, 2020 Partners Graduate
You will learn a lot in the Partners program. You will meet a lot of people with similar goals and learn to make laws to protect people with disabilities.
Hari Kannan, 2021 Partners Graduate
Partners will help you learn to navigate government systems and public policy, not only for your children, but for all children and adults with IDD, in order to make a difference at the local, state, and national levels.
Grace Williams, 2001 Partners Graduate
I came out of Partners a better person than ever before. I’ve always been shy and afraid, but Partners boosted my confidence.
Amanda Del Riego, 2019 Partners Graduate
If you have any further questions about the Maryland Partners in Policymaking® program, contact Coni Nepomuceno by email at CNepomuceno@TheArcMD.org or by phone at 410-571-9320.
This project is supported by the Administration for Community Living (ACL), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $1,262,502 with 100% funding by ACL/HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by ACL/HHS, or the U.S. Government.