Current Activities

The Langley Park Project associates and volunteers are increasingly active in the Langley Park neighborhood and in commercial Maryland's International Corridor. Here are a few of the highlights:

In Langley Park, the Project continues to publish the neighborhood newspaper Barrio de Langley Park in two editions, English and Spanish. The Spanish edition is prepared by Prof. Manel Lacorte and his translation team.the newspaper includes articles on topics of relevance to residents and business people of Langley Park and the surrounding areas. For instance, there have been articles on plans for a multicultural center and on the April 2006 rallies for positive immigration law changes.
The Project-initiated neighborhood coalition, "Action Langley Park: A Coalition of Residents, Labor, Business, the Church, and Other Allies," is moving forward with a variety of programs, most of them in conjunction with the Langley Park Project. These include neighborhood clean-up campaigns, health workshops and a health fair, and Langley Park Day. People interested in such programs are encouraged to attend an ALP monthly open meeting, held at 7 p.m. on the second Thursday of each the month (except July and January) at the Langley Park Community Center.
Campus students are involved in many ways. For instance, in Spring 2006 there was an Honors Program class devoted to the study of Langley Park and related immigration/immigrant issues. At the graduate level, teams of students have studied such topics as possibilities for public spaces (similar to a plaza) in the Langley Park area. And special projects include an honors thesis on Salvadoran politics in Langley Park and how political behavior is shaped by a transnational life.
Langley Park Day, scheduled for May 7^th in 2006, involves performers, health-assistants, organizers, and others in this annual event involving performance groups, a health fair, educational information, and more. Volunteers are most welcome.
In the 2002-2003 academic year, a major tutoring and mentoring program for school children was mounted. The first annual job fair was launched in 2005. And collaboration with the “Crime Free Langley Park” group has led to the development of a proposal for federal “weed and seed” funding.
Beyond These Walls was founded as the result of a 1999 honors course on Langley Park. Its members volunteer to help with adult ESL classes, after-school programs, and more. This honors course is offered every year or two by the University Honors Program.
The development of Maryland's International Corridor continues. The Community Development Corporation founded as the result of Project efforts is now becoming more active, especially concerning improved safety and marketing/publicity. The Project is helping to improve the links between the CDC and the Takoma-Langley Crossroads Development Authority (a business group in the Takoma Park section of the International Corridor), and to enhance effective policing in the area.
Faculty members and students of the Project serve on various public task-forces. For instance, several members participated on the Governor’s Tri-Jurisdictional Task Force designed to address day labor, transportation, and safety issues.
Scholarship is another element in the work of the Langley Park Project. Faculty members and advanced students from Anthropology, Architecture, Government and Politics, Spanish and Portuguese, and Urban Studies and Planning are among those currently active. For instance, William Hanna is currently completing a monograph on Langley Park.

Participation in current activities is welcome. Those interested should contact William Hanna at (301) 405-4005 or bhanna@ursp.umd.ed