2025 Mid-Year Report
Forging Our Future
A heartfelt congratulations to everyone in AIM for our collective accomplishments so far this year. We are democracy in action!
Informed by listening sessions and one-on-one conversations, we put forward a vision in which every child and family can forge ahead.
During a difficult time in our country and communities, we continue to organize, act and win while creating community across lines of difference. The results are in!
Our Impact
New After-School Programs
AIM organized parents, teachers, and community members to secure funding in this year’s county budget for the Excel Beyond the Bell after-school program at Waters Landing and East Silver Spring Elementary Schools!
Excel Beyond the Bell provides a safe and welcoming place for elementary school students to enjoy a healthy meal, get help with homework, and engage in fun activities with peers, while their parents can work.
AIM has now brought Excel Beyond the Bell to a total of 18 Title I elementary schools since 2016. These schools are now hubs of community organizing for parents who get involved in AIM to achieve change in their communities.
Support for Students and Families
With AIM’s support, Burnt Mills Elementary School parents, teachers, and staff successfully advocated for funding in the county budget to bring Linkages to Learning to their school. Burnt Mills Elementary School has a high percentage of families who need access to resources including English classes, job training, housing and food assistance, and healthcare. Linkages to Learning will provide a dedicated therapist and social worker to connect families to these resources so their students can succeed.
Angie Logan-Pope, Burnt Mills PTA President
“We're very excited to have the Linkages to Learning program and all the support it will bring to our scholars and families at Burnt Mills. The caseworker and therapist will provide support for our families’ diverse needs including food and housing insecurities, mental healthcare needs, and academic support. AIM provided wonderful guidance, support, and leadership throughout this campaign.”
Expanded Pre-K Access
AIM helped secure $15 million in funding for early childhood education in this year’s county budget. Half-day public pre-K programs will transition to full-day with this funding.
Thanks to our advocacy, county agencies have also collaborated on a “Common Agenda,” which sets a goal of creating 15,000 new pre-K seats for 3- and 4-year-olds by 2030 and 3,000 seats for infants and toddlers.
These victories advance our vision of giving every 3- and 4-year-old child access to pre-K so they have the foundation they need to succeed.
Carlos Camacho, AIM Pre-K Team
“My wife and I have two young kids, and we’re paying $2,000 a month for childcare—soon to double to $4,000 when we enroll our second child. It’s a huge financial strain. Early childhood education is crucial for kids’ success, and it’s unfair when families and teachers are left struggling. Thanks to our advocacy, our county officials are starting to prioritize funding pre-K. Even if change doesn’t come in time for my family, I’m committed to making it happen so more children can thrive.”
Protecting Tenants’ Rights
AIM successfully advocated for the passage of the Consumer Protection for Renters bill in Montgomery County this spring. This gives the County the power to protect tenants’ rights by taking landlords to court for repeated housing code violations and deceptive practices.
The county budget includes funding to enforce the Consumer Protection for Renters Act, as well as safety and security improvements at Cider Mill Apartments.
Sergine Yango, AIM Tenant Leader
“The Consumer Protection for Renters Act will help a lot of people, especially in my apartment building. Sometimes we are stuck for hours with the elevator not working, and we have had fires, but we have been unable to make our landlord fix these issues. With this new law, the county will have another tool to hold landlords accountable to take care of maintenance problems so we can live in a safer environment.”
Improving Climate + Health
Our indoor air quality testing in apartments has shown how dangerous natural gas is for residents’ health and safety. With our support, the Montgomery County Council passed a new Building Energy Performance Standards (BEPS) law this year!
This new law reduces climate pollution and improves our communities' health by requiring large buildings to be more energy efficient, relying more on electricity and less on gas.
Statewide Victories
This year, together as the Maryland Just Power Alliance (AIM, ACT, and PATH), we brought over 200 people to the state legislature in Annapolis and met with over 50 state legislators and staff.
We helped pass three bills that will impact people’s lives:
The Ratepayer Protection Act, which will protect residents from excessive utility bills and encourage the transition to clean energy;
A bill studying ways to make the pre-K grant process more effective; and
Protections for immigrants around sensitive locations and data privacy.
Read more in our 2025 Legislative Session Report:
Next Steps + Get Involved
Listening Campaign
AIM is launching a powerful listening campaign with congregations, schools, unions, and other groups for the rest of this year. We aim to listen to thousands of people in Montgomery County and statewide by the end of 2025. We invite you to participate in this pivotal opportunity to develop your institution and build power for change! Reach out to your local organizer or contact us at: admin@actioninmontgomery.org.
AIM’s 25th Anniversary
This year is AIM’s 25th anniversary! We are excited to celebrate with you 25 years of transformative relationships, leaders, power, and victories. We invite you to participate in our 25th anniversary celebration later this year—more details to come!
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Thank you for your generous support of AIM!