A Game-Changer for West Baltimore

Imagine being 15 years old, stepping into your neighborhood Club for the first time—and realizing this space was built just for you. A place that reflects your energy, your potential, and the future you deserve. 

That’s the moment we’re all working toward—together—at the Baltimore Ravens Boys & Girls Club at Hilton Recreation Center, opening this fall. 

As part of their annual Signature Project, fully funded by the Ravens Foundation, Inc., the Baltimore Ravens partnered with Heart of America to lead an all-hands volunteer effort at Green Street Academy (GSA). Founded in 2010, GSA is a public charter school serving more than 875 students in grades 6–12, and it sits adjacent to our newest Club location. 

Currently in its final phase of construction, the new Club will serve GSA students and the surrounding community with after-school programming, dynamic youth engagement, and state-of-the-art athletic fields and facilities. 

Throughout the project day, hundreds of Ravens players, staff, and partners rolled up their sleeves to transform GSA’s learning environment. Together, they tackled: outdoor beautification, classroom makeovers, furniture assembly, library upgrades, mural painting, and bicycle building. 

A Sneak Peek at the Future 

To help partners and volunteers experience the scale of what’s coming, BGCMB hosted guided tours of the future Club space next door—complete with VR headsets to bring the vision to life. During one of the walkthroughs, BGCMB President & CEO Jeff Breslin reflected on the transformative power of what’s being built: 

“We’re all looking forward to the day when kids walk in, walk onto that field, step into that gym—and their faces light up. Seeing the scale and energy of this space... it’s truly magic.” 

This project wouldn’t be complete without the creativity of Heart of America and Art with a Heart, whose murals and design work reflect a sense of belonging, identity, and possibility for every young person who enters. 

“We’re especially excited for the final mural in our Welcome Space,” said Breslin. “It will be a powerful part of how we tell our story—and make every young person feel like they belong from the moment they arrive.” 

While the physical transformation was impressive, what really stayed with many volunteers was the feeling—the sense that this space will mean something real to the kids who walk through its doors. One volunteer quietly shared, “This is going to mean so much to these kids.”  That sentiment says it all. 

Check out some photos from this milestone day, and stay tuned for more updates as we prepare to open the doors this fall of the Baltimore Ravens Boys & Girls Club at Hilton Recreation Center.