Annapolis 101 is a new set of tools we developed to help all Marylanders understand how the Maryland General Assembly works. We are offering them for free to educators and advocates across the state.
How might we educate all Marylanders on the state’s legislative process?
Last May, we published an article “Facilitating understanding of state government” where we articulated CDCE’s commitment to educating and empowering Marylanders with the knowledge and skills to navigate the state legislative process in Annapolis. Annapolis is our state capital where the Maryland state legislature - formally called the “Maryland General Assembly” - meets.
To demystify the process for passing laws in the Maryland General Assembly, we developed Annapolis 101, a suite of resources and activities designed for use in curricular, co-curricular, and advocacy settings. These resources aim to educate participants about the Maryland General Assembly, the process for passing laws, and effective advocacy. The primary audience includes high school students, college students, and grassroots leaders.
(Want to check out the Annapolis 101 resources? You can access them by clicking this link!)
Antoin Quarles of H.O.P.E. leads an Annapolis 101 training with his organization at an early testing and feedback session in January 2024.
We developed Annapolis 101 with many amazing partners!
Annapolis 101 was initially inspired by the annual pre-legislative session training hosted by Jews United for Justice. We then used an iterative Human-Centered Design process to develop the resources in collaboration with on-campus partners from the Maryland Fellows program and the UMD Student Government Association, as well as off-campus partners from Maryland Student Legislature and Helping Oppressed People Excel (H.O.P.E.). These partners tested the curriculum in Spring 2024 and provided invaluable, thoughtful feedback.
Throughout Fall 2024, we incorporated these insights to refine the training materials and develop new resources tailored to the needs and interests of the stakeholders who participated in the sessions.
What Annapolis 101 Offers
Annapolis 101 is a comprehensive suite of resources designed for educational and advocacy settings. The curriculum includes:
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Annapolis 101 Pocket Guide: A compact resource featuring essential curriculum content and QR codes for accessing important links. The pocket guide can be printed, folded, and distributed as a convenient resource to carry in your pocket as a reference while walking between meetings at the Maryland State House complex.
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Slideshow Presentation: A visually engaging slide deck covering the power of advocacy, the process for passing laws, and effective advocacy strategies. The presentation is ideal for two 50-minute sessions but can be adapted for a single 60-75 minute session.
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Presentation Guide: A detailed facilitator guide offering key points for each slide, optional discussion questions, and recommended timing for each section.
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“Deeper Dive” PDF Resource: A text-heavy document providing additional information to deepen participants' understanding of the process for passing state laws in Maryland. It can also serve as a reference tool for facilitators.
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Annapolis 101 Workbook: A printable workbook containing six worksheets for participants to take notes, retain key points, and chart their advocacy plans.
What’s next?
During our Human-Centered Design sessions, we posed the question, “How might we educate all Marylanders on the state’s legislative process?” The top response was to incorporate this content into high school curricula and college courses. We are excited to explore this opportunity with educators across the state. In the coming months we will be sharing Annapolis 101 materials with our network, expanding resources available through the program, and identifying new collaboration opportunities with both education and advocacy partners.
If you would like access to all the Annapolis 101 tools (they’re free!), fill out this request form. We will send the materials directly to you. In this form, you can also let us know if you'd like to partner with us to grow this project and educate more Marylanders about the legislative process.
Maddie Wolf is the Lead Social Designer at the University of Maryland Center for Democracy and Civic Engagement. Before joining CDCE she served as a Social Designer at the Students Learn Students Vote Coalition and Mile 22 Associates. She is a graduate of the Maryland Institute College of Art where she studied interdisciplinary sculpture.
