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 agents of change in the community.
The Maryland Partners in Policymaking® program is offered free for participants, due to financial support from the Maryland Developmental Disabilities Council, matched with funding from The Arc Maryland and programmatic support from People On the Go Maryland. Your contribution is considered to be your valuable time and commitment to professional development! Each spot in the program is valued at more than $6,000.
Applications for the 2025-26 Partners class are officially closed. If you applied, please stay tuned for further announcements by email
Information Call and FAQs
Want to know more about the Partners program and its application process? You can check out a recording of our information call below and read more through our frequently asked questions.
Partners’ Schedule and Topics
- Sessions 1 & 2 | Saturday, November 1 and Sunday, November 2, 2025 | Kickoff Retreat and The History of Disability Advocacy
- Saturday, 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM (In-person in Columbia, MD)
- Sunday, 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM (Virtual on Zoom)
- Session 3 | Saturday, November 22, 2025 | Inclusive Education and Lifelong Learning
- Virtual on Zoom
- 10:00 AM to 3:30 PM
- Session 4 | Wednesday, December 10, 2025 | State Laws & Policy & Those Who Create Them
- In-Person in Annapolis, MD
- 10:00 am to 5:00 PM
- Session 5 | Tuesday, January 6, 2026 | Developing and Living Your Ideal Life
- Virtual on Zoom
- 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM
- Optional/Encouraged Session | Monday, February 16, 2026 | DD Day Preview (Primer for Event)
- Virtual on Zoom
- 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM
- Session 6 | Wednesday, February 18, 2026 | Developmental Disabilities Day at The Legislature
- In-person at the Graduate Annapolis Hotel, 126 West St, Annapolis, MD
- 8:00 AM to 2:00 PM
- Session 7 | Tuesday, March 10, 2026 | A Home of Your Own – Independence In the Community
- Virtual on Zoom
- 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM
- Session 8 | Thursday, April 16, 2026 | Federal Laws & Advocacy in Action
- Virtual on Zoom
- 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM
- Session 9 | Thursday, May 28, 2026 | The Arc Maryland Statewide Convention
- In-person in Ellicott City, MD
- 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM
- Session 10 | Tuesday, June 9, 2026 | The County’s Role in Developmental Disability Services
- In-person in Howard County, MD
- 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM
- Session 11 | Monday, August 3, 2026 | Assistive Technology and Media Skills: Behavior as Communication
- Virtual on Zoom
- 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM
- Session 12 | Friday, September 11, 2026 | Taking Your Place and Graduation
- In-person in Columbia, MD
- 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM
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 Capstone Project to inspire change in the community by exploring issues faced by people with IDD and their families.
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 Natalie Brooks at NBrooks@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.