Awards and Press

2026

• Maryland 500 Agricultural Recognition - August 2026

2025

• Community Gardens Highlighted as Engines of Social Capital and Resilience in Current Opinion in Psychology - Newswise - September 2025
• Solar project helps CEI’s Freetown Farm achieve net zero energy status - The Business Monthly - July 2025
• Howard County farm becomes net zero energy facility - The Daily Record - July 2025
• Creating Lifelong Stewards of the Earth: Planet Aid Supports Family Nature Programs in Maryland - July 2025
• The Green Farmacy Garden Flourishes with the Community Ecology Institute - Herbalgram (American Botanical Council) - April 2025
• Nourishing Gardens Helps Howard County Kids, Adults Grow Their Own Food - Columbia Patch - April 2025

2024

• HOWARD COUNTY BRANCH OF THE NAACP - ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL JUSTICE AWARD (2024)
• COLUMBIA COMMUNITY CARE SOCIAL JUSTICE AWARD (2024)

2023

• HOWARD COUNTY GREEN COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP AWARD (2023) 
• Students in Howard County gain their green thumbs (article and video), August 2023
• Community Garden Project Provides Fresh Produce & Nutrition Education Opportunities, August 2023
• Community Ecology Institute: Nature-Based Learning, People-Planet Connections, April 2023
• CEI Connects Community Through Nature - Business Weekly - page 13 - February 2023
• CEI Purchases Jim and Peggy Duke’s ‘Green Farmacy Garden’ - American Botanical Council - January 2023​

2022

• RISE TO THE CHALLENGE AWARD (2022) - CEI was one of five Howard County non-profits to receive a non-profit innovation award from the Howard County Government recognizing our collaborative response to the Covid-19 pandemic. ​‘Rise to the Challenge’ award recipients honored by County Executive Calvin Ball for dedication and resiliency during Covid-19 pandemic 
• ​CORNERSTONE AWARD (2022) - The Community Ecology Institute and the Howard County Extension’s Watershed Stewardship Academy have been awarded a prestigious Cornerstone Award by the University of Maryland College of Agriculture and Natural Resources for the Freetown Walkable Watershed project's achievements in Optimizing Urban Environments.
• Freetown Farm flourishes and shares its bountiful harvest | Clarksville – Baltimore Sun - October 2022
• The Inspirer by Em Barrett - Interviews with inspiring people, bringing solutions to our world's problems. On Cultivating Community with Chiara D'Amore - October 2022​​

2021

• Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Culture of Health Prize.
• CHANGEMAKER CHALLENGE AWARD​ (2021) - The Horizon Foundation, United Way of Central Maryland, Women’s Giving Circle, and Community Foundation of Howard County collaboratively support community innovation with an annual "Changemaker Challenge." The theme for 2021 was Innovate, Cultivate, Uplift. In our pitch, we introduced our new Nourishing Gardens program, and we were deeply honored to win the Challenge's Community Choice Award! CEI's Nourishing Gardens Pitch - The Howard County Changemaker Challenge - YouTube
• ACS HUMANITARIAN AWARD (2021) - The Association of Community Services of Howard County honors individuals and organizations with these prestigious awards to recognize work that volunteers do in service to others that exceeds any and all expectations. CEI won a 2021 award for our efforts to save and steward Freetown Farm. Community Ecology Institute Community Impact Award 2021 - YouTube
• This Experiential Learning Farm Helps Youth Build a Better World - YES! Magazine - September, 2021

2020

• HOWARD COUNTY GREEN COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP AWARD  (2020) 
• Climate of Hope Innovation Grant - February 28, 2020
• ​Thousands of People are Growing 'Climate Victory Gardens' to Save the Planet - February 2, 2020

2019

• HOWARD COUNTY GREEN COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP AWARD (2019) 
• The Community Ecology Center connects people with the land that supports us all - December 23, 2019
• ​Second Climate Victory Garden In MD Built On Columbia Farm - November 12, 2019
• Leadership Howard County Community Impact Project video - October 2019
• Community Mobilized to Save Last Columbia Farm - April 25, 2019
• Columbia Farm to Become Community Ecology Center - April 12, 2019
• ​Community Ecology Institute: Growing a Farm into a Living Classroom in Howard County - March 22, 2019

2014 - 2018

• Meet Local Environmentalist, Chiara D'Amore - August 2, 2017
• Columbia Families in Nature introduces the great outdoors - June 19, 2014