Housed within the University of Maryland's National Center for Smart Growth, the Partnership for Action Learning in Sustainability Program (PALS) pairs faculty expertise with student ingenuity to tackle sustainability issues facing Maryland communities. Partnering with local, county, and statewide Maryland agencies, PALS creates customized coursework to target specific economic, environmental and social sustainability challenges identified by the partner community. The collaborative university-community partnership delivers recommendations, strategies and tools to address a community’s most pressing challenges, providing a road map for creating sustainable, thriving places to live, work and play. Since its inception in 2014, PALS has directed over 400 customized courses toward site-specific projects across the state, addressing issues of capacity building, economic and community development, environmental sustainability, health and wellness, and social resilience, engaging over 800 students along the way.

On May 8, PALS students from the Fall 25 and Spring 26 semesters will present their projects in a poster showcase and will be available to discuss their work and experiences. Not only is attending the showcase an important way to support UMD students and learn more about their work in the community, but it is also a great opportunity to learn more about how participating in the PALS program can benefit your community or organization.

Tuesday, June 16 at the MML Summer Conference is crafted with municipal professionals in mind. It is truly a full conference experience in one day and focused on celebrating municipalities and the staff who support them. Plan to join us on Municipal Tuesday and learn alongside the elected officials who you assist daily.

Municipal Tuesday Registration is now open. At $150 for one day, it is the most cost-effective way for municipal professionals to attend our conference who are looking to connect with colleagues and attend workshops specifically designed with the local government professional, in mind.

Your registration includes:

Join us on Tuesday, June 16, as we celebrate Maryland's municipalities and the staff who support them. Municipal Tuesday offers a full conference experience in a single day with multiple ways for staff to attend at an exclusive rate. It's the most cost-effective way for municipal professionals to attend our conference.

The day consists of:

This year’s fourth grade "If I Were Mayor, I Would..." essay contest winners captured the volunteer readers and finalist judges’ attention with their dynamic essays.

Thank you to our volunteer readers, who were so impressed by the essays they would sometimes forget the ideas were from fourth graders.

Our featured Bay Stage brings national voices to MMLCon. Hear from talented national speakers as they cover everything from personal development to building programs in your municipality that will empower residents to play an essential role in your city's health.

Is your city or town anticipating a sizable turnover in elected officials this spring? Would they benefit from engaging in a facilitated team-building dialogue, discussion of roles and responsibilities, as well as a goal-setting exercise to get everyone on the same page?  The Maryland Municipal League has helped more than a dozen member municipalities get their newly elected officials’ terms off to a productive and collaborative start. Standard retreats are five hours long with a facilitation fee of $2,500 for members with populations of 10,000 or less and $4,000 for those with more than 10,000 residents. For more information, contact MML Director of Leadership Development and retreat facilitator Tom Reynolds at [email protected].

Looking to secure the final core class credits you need to complete your Academy for Excellence in Local Governance certification? The 2026 MML Summer Conference will offer five core classes to help you reach that milestone:

• Ethics, Sunday, June 14, 1:15 - 3:00 p.m.
• Municipal Budgeting, Monday, June 15, 10:15 - 12:00 p.m.
• Structure of Municipal Government, Monday, June 15, 1:15 - 3:00 p.m.
• Basics of Risk Management, Tuesday, June 16, 10:15 - 12:00 p.m.
• Conducting Effective Meetings, Wednesday, June 17, 10:15 - 12:00 p.m.

Check out MML's website to see the latest summer conference preliminary schedule. For more information on the Academy for Excellence in Local Governance, contact MML Director of Leadership Development and Membership Experience Tom Reynolds at [email protected].

MMLCon26 registration launches in less than a week. You don't want to miss out on the exciting things we have in store for our 90th Anniversary celebration.

Grant Writing Training in Annapolis, MD - March 26-27, 2026

The Governor's Office of Crime Prevention and Policy and Grant Writing USA will present a two-day grant writing workshop in Annapolis on March 26-27, 2026. This training is for grant seekers from all disciplines. Attend this class to learn how to write winning government grant proposals and find the available grant funding.

Preparing for MMLCon26 just got easier. Get an early look at the sessions we’re planning as part of our conference experience.

The preliminary schedule offers a preview of what’s ahead. Topics, speakers, and times are subject to change. To view the preliminary schedule, visit our website.

Registration for MMLCon26 opens in a month, so now is the time to prepare. With exciting things planned for the 90th celebration, you don't want to miss out.

Join us virtually on Tuesday, February 17 at noon as we provide an overview of the event registration process that will include:

The Maryland Municipal League's educational partners at the University of Maryland's School of Public Policy published a new article on Social Equity in Public Budgeting in the Journal of Public Budgeting, Accounting and Financial Management.  John Ronquillo, Director of the University's Institute for Public Leadership, and Assistant Professor Juan Pablo Martinez Guzman's paper looks at how consideration of social equity is incorporated into developing public budgets, including how social equity considerations vary across different governments.

The countdown to #MMLCon26 registration has begun. Although summer conference registration doesn't open until March 2, you wouldn't want to miss out on our event refresher Lunch and Learn webinar to help you prepare to get your officials signed up.

Join us on Tuesday, February 17 at noon as we provide an overview of the event registration process that will include:

The City of Bowie is hosting Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service (TEEX) course MGT-312 – Senior Officials Workshop for All-Hazards Preparedness on March 10, 2026. The course is intended for elected officials and senior level staff.

Join the Rural Maryland Council and the Maryland Heritage Areas Program for a grant information session and workshop on Tuesday, January 13, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.. Hosted by the Stories of the Chesapeake Heritage Area, Heart of Chesapeake Country Heritage Area, and Beach to Bay Heritage Area, this free event, sponsored by the Waterfowl Festival, is an opportunity to learn more about two state-level grant programs and hone your skills as a grant writer.

Register today

Get ready for another year of exciting and memorable events. From virtual webinars to our annual "If I were mayor, I would..." Essay Contest ceremony, you won't want to miss out. Save the dates for all MML events and stay in the loop with any updates, as we prepare for our special 90th anniversary celebration!

As you plan your upcoming budget, take the time to join MML for our kickoff 2026 webinar on January 13. Learn from MML's newest Community Partner, Mark Williams, Vice President of Associations and Partnerships at National Insurance Services. Hear how to save up to 20% on your employer sponsored insurance programs including life and short and long term. This complimentary session is a great opportunity to learn, connect, and ask questions. Registration is required to attend.

On January 20 at noon, we will offer a Lunch and Learn: Tutorial Session on Key Contact Functionality to introduce/refresh key contacts on how to add their officials into the platform. Each city/town is allowed two Key Contacts; please make sure that at least one municipal contact plans to attend.

Key contacts are municipal staff who have been designated by their municipality to have access to MML's database platform. This functionality allows key contacts to add new officials into our system as well as register officials for our events.

For decades, the League's oldest ambassador program, "If I were Mayor, I would..." Essay Contest has educated fourth graders (and teachers) about municipal government and the role of the mayor. In late December, a postcard announcing the 2026 essay contest was mailed to schools and municipalities. Contest materials are now available on our website. 

Essay submissions are now open. The essay contest deadline is March 5.