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Seven Years of Impact: How BranchOut! Howard County Empowered Communities This Summer


The BranchOut! Howard County (HoCo) Chapter kicked off its 2026–2027 season with an Open House that brought together more than 60 new and returning students, mentors, parents, and community members. Celebrating its seventh year, chapter members reflected on the program's continued growth and lasting impact. Alumni now attending or having graduated from universities shared how BranchOut! helped them build leadership, communication, and teamwork skills that continue to enhance their life skills.


HCPSS Educational Outreach: Founded with the mission of building multicultural communities while expanding educational opportunities for K–12 students, the BranchOut! Howard County Chapter has become one of the organization's most active chapters. This year, the chapter continues to expand its educational outreach through a wide range of tutoring and mentoring initiatives. In partnership with the Howard County Public School System (HCPSS), BranchOut! mentors serve in several summer programs, including the Black Student Achievement Program (BSAP) Summer Institute, Academic Intervention (AI), and Innovative Pathways Credit Recovery. Through individualized academic support and mentorship, student volunteers help participants strengthen both academic skills and self-confidence, while building meaningful connections. The chapter's partnership with HCPSS extends throughout the academic year, with mentors continuing to volunteer in the BSAP Saturday Math Academy. To date, BranchOut! HoCo mentors have contributed more than 4,300 volunteer hours, supporting thousands of students through in-person and virtual programs across more than 30 school sites and community organizations.


Autism Society of Maryland Partnership: This year marks six years of collaboration with the Autism Society of Maryland. BranchOut! mentors contributed more than 800 hours of service, providing individualized in-person and virtual instruction for students with developmental disabilities, including autism and Down syndrome, in reading and writing, mathematics, and other enrichment areas. Prior to tutoring, mentors receive specialized training and are carefully paired with autistic students based on their preferences, allowing them to build meaningful relationships while providing individualized support.


New Summer Enrichment Sessions: This year, the chapter launched Summer Enrichment Sessions, a free program designed for rising fourth- through sixth-grade students from diverse backgrounds across Maryland. The program offers high-quality enrichment courses in public speaking and debate, competition math, arts and crafts, and Rubik's Cube solving. With 30 students enrolled, 17 mentors have collaborated to design curriculum, teach weekly classes, and create an engaging learning environment that makes enrichment education more accessible to local students.


Artistry in Action: This initiative uses the arts—including dance, music, singing, and visual arts—to promote service, cultural exchange, and civic engagement. Through performances, showcases, and community events, participants celebrate creativity while raising awareness and support for humanitarian causes. This year's featured initiatives include a fundraising performance project supporting educational opportunities for girls in South Sudan and Uganda, in collaboration with the Dunstan Wai Foundation, and a storytelling showcase raising awareness of mental health in immigrant families, in collaboration with Howard County Chinese School and Horizon Foundation.


Awards & Recognition: The chapter’s impact earned several prestigious honors:

  • BranchOut! Outstanding Chapter Award

  • HCPSS Friends of Education Award (Nominee)

  • Outstanding Community Organization Award at the 5th Biennial United Chinese Americans Convention


Global & Leadership Initiatives: Howard County mentors also participate in BranchOut!'s national leadership initiatives. Through BranchOut! Explorer, students publish articles featuring lived experiences of youth in Ghana, Nigeria, and Rwanda to foster cross-cultural exchange and collaboration, while BranchOut! Innovator empowers mentors to design apps that address real-world challenges. Together, these programs provide students with opportunities to develop leadership and problem-solving skills while making meaningful contributions to their communities.


Acknowledgments & Student Leadership: As the Howard County Chapter enters its seventh year, it remains committed to empowering the next generation of compassionate leaders prepared to serve, innovate, and make a lasting impact locally and beyond. The chapter's continued growth has been made possible through the strong support of the Howard County Chinese School, which has provided a welcoming home for the chapter since its founding. BranchOut!'s national organization has likewise provided the vision, mentorship model, leadership training, and collaborative opportunities that have enabled the HoCo Chapter to flourish. Together, they have fostered a culture of service, leadership, and innovation that continues to inspire young people to make a difference in their communities.


The chapter's continued growth also reflects the dedication of its student leadership team, whose vision and commitment have helped expand BranchOut!'s impact throughout Howard County. The 2025–2026 leadership team includes Ethan Gao as Chapter Head; Clara Luo as Assistant Chapter Head and Mabelle Liu as Senior Director of Education, all of whom serve as BranchOut!’s national board members as well.


In addition, chapter student leaders, such as  Kevin He as Director of Outreach, Alex Jiao as Director of Education, Claire Liu as Director of Technology, Donald Zhuang as Director of Community Events, Hansen Zhang as Assistant Director of Technology, Lindsey Yu as Assistant Director of Education, and Sandra Wang as Assistant Director of Outreach, also work alongside them. Together, they oversee tutor recruitment and training, educational programming, technology, outreach, and community events, ensuring that BranchOut!'s mission continues to thrive while creating meaningful leadership opportunities for the next generation of volunteers.



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