Great news for #CleanRide4Kids! In Maryland, the General Assembly passed HB 1255, which will create a grant program to help school districts move to a zero-emission bus fleets. The Chispa Maryland team worked hard to advance this bill and  is looking forward to when the governor signs it! This is an important step towards electrifying school buses and a healthier future for our kids and community in Maryland!

Chispa MD also successfully organized their third Youth Advocacy Day. During the current school year, Chispa MD trained a cohort of students from Northwestern High School in Prince George’s County on environmental justice and advocacy. On March 13th, 28 students came to Annapolis to advocate for their legislative priorities and to elevate the voices and leadership of Youth Promotores. The students supported two key priorities, the Clean Energy Jobs Act and the electric school bus bill.

Chispa MD also co-hosted Transit Equity Day in Montgomery County along with a broad coalition of environmental and social justice organizations. Advocates came together to push for a robust and equitable transportation system that meets the needs of all of the residents of the diverse local community. The participants laid out a broad vision of public transportation and elevated demands to electrify passenger and school buses and accelerate the bus rapid transit (BRT) timeline. There was also an emphasis on a just transition to electric transportation, prioritizing workers rights.