#GND2025
Call for Good Neighbor Day Nominations
Apply by August 1 for the opportunity to bring your community project or event to life
Taking action to do good.
Good Neighbor Day is a collaborative partnership between the University of Maryland, the City of College Park and the M-NCPPC Department of Parks & Recreation, Prince George's County.
This annual event that brings together residents of College Park and neighboring communities, staff and patrons of M-NCPPC, and University of Maryland students, staff, faculty, and alumni for a day of action and service.
Sign up for Email Alerts- When: Saturday October 25, 2025
- Where: College Park & Beyond
- What: Day of action & service
This year, Good Neighbor Day partners will support 20 community-nominated projects that bring Marylanders together in a hands-on effort to create lasting impact across College Park our and surrounding communities.
GND Projects, nominated and facilitated by community partners, unite hundreds of volunteers to support local priorities, take on grand challenges, enhance shared spaces, and reimagine what it means to do good, together.
| Date | Action |
|---|---|
| June 3 | Nomination Form Opens |
| June 16 | Virtual Public Info Session |
| August 1 | Nomination Form Closes |
| August 22 | Project Selections Announced |
| September 5 | Volunteer Registration Begins |
| October 17 | Volunteer Registration Ends |
Eligible projects should enhance community spaces or knowledge, offer a meaningful and educational experience for volunteers, and last between 3 and 3.5 hours.
Nominations should align with one or more of the following themes: sustainability, intergenerational connection, local history, food security, and education.
Nominations are reviewed and selected by the Good Neighbor Day Planning Committee, which is comprised of representatives from the University of Maryland, the City of College Park, M-NCPPC, and key community partners.
Each year, we choose several project sites that are divided among hundreds of volunteers. All projects are subject to review and may not be chosen for this year's Good Neighbor Day.
Project Leaders
- Serve as main point of contact
- Coordinate preparations and logistics
- Attend 1 hour project leader orientation
- Welcome and lead volunteers
- Submit Sustainability Plan and Project Outcome Brief post-event
Welcome Crew Volunteer
- Attend a 2 hour on-campus welcome crew orientation
- Day of logistics and support
- Welcome and check-in volunteers
- Distribute t-shirts
- Distribute and collect tools, materials
The road so far
Frequently Asked Questions
Nominating a Project
Anyone is eligible to nominate a project, including but not limited to:
- Community leaders and residents
- City or County staff
- Colleges and University department, units, or employees
- Elected officials
- Faith-based groups
- Student organizations
- Point of contact and/or Project leader details
- Community affiliation
- Type of project
- Project site details
- Volunteer recruitment and task details
- Types of support and resources requested
- Project alignment with UN's 17 Sustainable Development Goals
Eligible projects should enhance community spaces or knowledge, offer a meaningful and educational experience for volunteers, and last between 3 and 3.5 hours.
Nominations should align with one or more of the following themes: sustainability, intergenerational connection, local history, food security, and education.
Here are project ideas based on previously successful nominations:
- Sustainability
- Stormwater drain painting
- Waterway cleanups
- Rain garden installations
- Water quality monitoring
- Removing invasive plant species
- Planting trees for shade or native diversity
- Permaculture gardening
- Picking up trash
- Planting native pollinator gardens
- Intergenerational Connection
- Exchanging generational skills
- Teaching technology such as email or mobile apps
- Teaching practical skills such as sewing, cooking, or knitting
- Providing mentorship or leadership
- Providing social opportunity for intergenerational connection such as music, dance, or art-crafting
- Exchanging generational skills
- Local History
- Capturing history and storytelling
- Hosting an interactive family craft workshop on a local history topic
- Food Security
- Hosting food drive benefiting local food banks
- Packing or providing meals
- Education
- Hosting an interactive family workshop and/or craft session on a sustainability topic such as pollinators, native plants, protecting wild life, etc.
- Hosting a children's book drive
- Installing a tiny library
Our partners provide the tools, materials, supplies, logistics, promotion, and volunteers to complete your Good Neighbor Day project.
While we don't offer direct funding, we are committed to bringing your project to life.
To ensure a lasting impact, selected projects are required to complete a Sustainability Commitment Plan for maintaining or caring for the project after Good Neighbor Day.
This may involve partnering with local groups, assigning someone to oversee upkeep, or using materials that are designed to last.
Projects that are politically partisan, primarily for-profit, unsafe for volunteers, or require special permits or professional licenses that cannot be secured in time are not eligible.
If you are unsure of your project's eligibility, please contact us at thecenter@umd.edu.
Multiple project nominations are welcome, but each must have a separate project leader.
To help ensure fairness and reach across our communities, keep in mind that we aim to support projects in a variety of neighborhoods and focus areas.
Volunteering for a Project
Yes!
Yes. Volunteers must be 10 years old or above.
Please note:
- Children ages 10 to 17 must have a parent or guardian fill out the digital Parental Consent Waiver + Release
- Children ages 10 to 13 must also be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
Yes. Groups with 10 or more volunteers may request group registration.
Stay tuned for steps to request group registration.
Available projects have descriptions, locations, timeframes, and any physical or age requirements. You can select a project based on your interests, comfort level, and availability.
You will receive a confirmation email with details specific to your project.
In general, we recommend:
- Closed-toe shoes
- Comfortable clothing
- Water
All waivers must be completed before beginning volunteer shift.