Baltimore Ravens College Track Center officially opened its gates in West Baltimore with the help of a $20 million investment partnership between the Baltimore Ravens, M&T Bank, and the Bisciotti Foundation
Baltimore Ravens College Track Center is the 13th in the United States and 3rd on the East Coast in addition to centers in Washington, D.C., and Prince George’s County, Maryland. The welcoming event for its inaugural class of 2029 was held in February 2026 and it officially opened its gates later March 11th.
Ravens College Access Program is a ten-year, $40 million initiative to support organizations dedicated to raising access to higher education across Baltimore, and it includes the new Baltimore Ravens College Track Center, College Bound, and Bridges Baltimore.
The establishment of the new center was allocated a generous $20 million investment from the Baltimore Ravens, M&T Bank, and the Bisciotti Foundation; split $10 million from the Baltimore Ravens and the Bisciotti Foundation, and $10 million from the M&T Bank Charitable Foundation.
The foundations’ investment in Baltimore is one of their many efforts to strengthen community and create economic opportunities through supporting educational initiatives.
“The Ravens are proud to support College Track’s expansion into Baltimore as part of our broader commitment to college access and workforce development. Through sustained investment and strong community partnerships, we are helping ensure that students across Baltimore have the resources, mentorship, and support they need to achieve their goals.”
– Sashi Brown, President, Baltimore Ravens
Who is College Track for
Baltimore City faces challenging educational inequalities. College Track aims to overcome these challenges by helping underserved students aiming to become the first in their families to obtain a bachelor’s degree.
The first class in the new Baltimore Ravens College Track Center has nearly 70 students, 93% of whom are first-generation college students and 88% of whom come from under-resourced households.
College Track currently supports more than 4,800 high school and college students across California, Colorado, Louisiana, and the D.C.–Maryland region. Students supported by the program graduate at more than two and a half times the national rate for first-generation college students.
“At M&T Bank, we believe education is one of the most powerful drivers of economic mobility. Our partnership with College Track and the Baltimore Ravens reflects our long-standing commitment to strengthening communities and creating pathways to opportunity for Baltimore’s young people.” – Augie Chiasera, Head of Community Markets, M&T Bank
The Vision Driving College Track
College Track’s mission is to equip underserved first-generation students with the means to graduate college and build lives filled with opportunities, genuine choice, purpose and power. Shirley Collado, CEO of College Track and former Executive Vice Chancellor and Chief Operating Officer at Rutgers University-Newark is a first-generation college graduate and she is committed to making education more accessible for Baltimore’s youth.
“Alongside our phenomenal partners, College Track is meeting talent with opportunity for Charm City’s young people. Together, we are demonstrating how cross-sector collaborations can affirm the American Dream through the power of education. The best part is: this center provides a blueprint that can be replicated across the nation—in rural and urban communities.” – Shirley M. Collado, Ph.D., President & CEO, College Track.
Her vision for College Track is to become a replicable blueprint to help students with disadvantaged backgrounds across the United States complete their education.
The New Baltimore Ravens College Track Center
The new center directed by Founding Executive Site Director Charelle D. James, M.Ed., alumna of Johns Hopkins University and Spelman College cooperates with Baltimore City Public Schools. Participants benefit from a ten-year support program that guides them through every step from the ninth grade through college and into their careers.
The program helps participants by providing academic coaching, college advice, and help with the application process, in addition to financial education, leadership and career readiness training.
“This year, we are opening our 13th location, in Baltimore, Maryland, which is the result of an unprecedented partnership between an NFL team—the Baltimore Ravens, a nation-wide financial institution in M&T Bank, and our national nonprofit. The Baltimore Ravens College Track Center is our third location on the East Coast.” Shirley M. Collado, Ph.D., President & CEO, College Track (Interview)
Students interested in College Track are welcome to visit the center’s website, or reach at (410) 701-3250 or [email protected].
Baltimore Ravens College Track Center is open Monday through Friday from 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM and can be found at 2401 Liberty Heights Ave., Suite #2730, Baltimore, MD 21215.
Supporting Media: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdnKGSozbwo
