2025 Mid-Year Report
Forging Our Future
AIM, a heartfelt congratulations to each and every one of you, for our collective accomplishments this year so far. We are democracy in action!
Informed by listening sessions and one and one conversations, we put forward a vision in which every child and family might 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!
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After-School Programs
Support for Students and Families
Pre-K Access
Tenants’ Rights
Climate + Health
Statewide Victories
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Our Impact
After-School Programs
Last fall and this spring, AIM successfully organized parents, teachers, and community members to secure funding in the 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 spend between 4 and 6 pm, five days a week. Students enjoy a healthy meal, help with homework, and fun activities with peers, while their parents can work.
AIM has now brought Excel Beyond the Bell to a total of 18 Title I (low-income) 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
The Linkages to Learning programs provides wraparound support to families of students at high-need elementary schools. Burnt Mills Elementary School has a high percentage of refugee families and others who need access to resources including English classes, job training, housing and food assistance, and healthcare.
With AIM’s support, Burnt Mills parents, teachers, and staff successfully advocated for funding in the county budget to bring Linkages to Learning to their school. Now, a dedicated social worker and therapist will connect families to 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.”
Pre-K Access
AIM has been advocating for expanding pre-K access for 3- and 4-year-old children so that every child has the preparation they need to succeed.
In this year’s budget, we helped secure $15 million in funding for early childhood education, including the beginning of a transition from half-day to full-day pre-K in public schools.
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.
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.”
Tenants’ Rights
This spring, AIM successfully advocated for the Consumer Protection for Renters bill in Montgomery County. This bill will enable the County to take landlords to court for repeated housing code violations and deceptive practices toward tenants.
Before this law was passed, certain landlords would repeatedly delay fixing maintenance problems and health issues like mold and pests, and it was very difficult for the county to require them to be fixed. This new law will remove an exception in consumer protection law, so landlords will be held accountable and tenants’ rights will be better enforced.
This year’s county budget also included funding for staff to start enforcing the Consumer Protection for Renters Act, and funding for 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.”
Climate + Health
In February, the Montgomery County Council unanimously voted to pass a new Building Energy Performance Standards (BEPS) law!
We've been advocating for BEPS on the county and state level, since our NO2 testing in apartments has shown how dangerous natural gas is for health and safety.
This new law will reduce climate pollution and improve our communities' health. It will allow implementation of the 2022 BEPS energy efficiency law, which requires large buildings to become more energy efficient, relying more on electricity and less on gas.
Statewide Victories
This year, AIM advocated at the state level together with our sister organizations ACT and PATH, as the Maryland Just Power Alliance. We were more engaged than ever before, and over 200 came to the state legislature in Annapolis and met with over 50 state legislators’ offices.
We helped pass 3 bills that will have an impact in 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 in congregations, schools, unions, and other groups across our county through the end of 2025. We invite you to participate in this transformative 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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