UMB Bets on Experiential Learning to Close DC's Workforce Gap
University of Maryland Baltimore is investing in hands-on student experiences to build workforce-ready graduates. Here's what it means for DC's talent pipeline.
In brief
The University of Maryland, Baltimore is investing in experiential learning programs — think clinical placements, community-based projects, and simulation labs — to ensure students graduate with practical skills, not just academic credentials. As the DC-Baltimore corridor faces persistent workforce shortages in healthcare, law, and public service, UMB is betting that hands-on education is the clearest path from classroom to career.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
UMB is expanding funding for experiential learning across its health, law, and social work programs.
Hands-on learning investments target the DC-Baltimore corridor's acute workforce shortages in clinical and public-sector fields.
Research consistently links experiential education to higher job placement rates and starting salaries.
UMB's approach mirrors national trends at peer institutions, but its proximity to federal agencies gives its graduates a distinct edge.
Students from under-resourced backgrounds stand to benefit most — if access and funding equity are prioritized.
Why UMB's Experiential Push Matters Beyond the Classroom
The University of Maryland, Baltimore sits at the intersection of two of the region's most talent-hungry sectors: healthcare and government. With seven professional schools — including the Schools of Medicine, Nursing, Law, and Social Work — UMB produces graduates who feed directly into Johns Hopkins Health System, the University of Maryland Medical Center, federal agencies along Pennsylvania Avenue, and nonprofit corridors in Southeast DC and Baltimore's Upton neighborhood.
The institution's renewed focus on experiential learning isn't a pivot — it's an acceleration. UMB has long embedded clinical rotations and legal clinics into its graduate programs. What's shifting now is the scale of investment and the explicit framing: these aren't extracurricular enrichments. They are the curriculum.
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, graduate programs that integrate applied learning components show measurably higher employment outcomes within six months of graduation. At UMB, where roughly 7,000 students are enrolled across professional programs, that data point translates into thousands of careers — and a regional labor market that either absorbs prepared workers or absorbs the cost of training them on the job.
The DC-Baltimore Workforce Gap That UMB Is Trying to Fill
Washington DC and Baltimore share a workforce paradox: two of the most highly educated metro areas in the country, yet persistent shortages in frontline healthcare, public defense law, and social services. The Bureau of Labor Statistics' Mid-Atlantic regional data consistently flags registered nursing, licensed clinical social work, and public interest law as high-vacancy occupations across Maryland and DC.
UMB's professional schools are purpose-built to address exactly these gaps. Its School of Social Work, ranked among the top programs nationally, places students in field placements across Ward 8 and Prince George's County — two jurisdictions where social service demand far outpaces supply. Its School of Law runs one of the most active clinical legal education programs on the East Coast, training students in immigration, family, and environmental law through real casework, not simulations.
For DC's policy community — clustered around Dupont Circle think tanks, K Street advocacy shops, and Capitol Hill — UMB graduates trained in applied research and community engagement represent a ready talent pool that Georgetown and GWU's graduate programs also compete to supply. The difference UMB is wagering on: depth of practice, not prestige of address.
Explore how DC's education and workforce ecosystems connect in our DC Power Players Index.
What Experiential Learning Actually Looks Like at UMB
Experiential learning is a broad term that institutions sometimes deploy loosely. At UMB, it takes several distinct forms. Medical and nursing students complete clinical rotations at the University of Maryland Medical Center, one of the nation's top trauma facilities. Law students argue real motions in Maryland district courts. Social work students carry actual caseloads under licensed supervision. Pharmacy students staff community health clinics in Baltimore neighborhoods where primary care access is limited.
The investment UMB is making isn't just programmatic — it's infrastructural. Simulation labs, standardized patient programs, and community partnership offices require sustained funding, not one-time grants. That UMB is committing to this model signals confidence that the return on investment — in graduate outcomes, employer relationships, and institutional reputation — justifies the operating cost.
The Association of American Colleges & Universities identifies experiential and community-based learning as among the highest-impact educational practices for long-term student success, particularly for first-generation and low-income students. At UMB, where a significant share of professional students carry substantial debt loads, placement speed and salary outcomes aren't abstract metrics — they're financial survival.
Why This Matters in Washington
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DC operates on talent. The federal government employs roughly 350,000 workers in the metro area, and that number doesn't count the contractors, consultants, and nonprofit workers whose careers orbit the federal ecosystem. Healthcare accounts for another massive slice of the regional economy, with MedStar, Children's National, and the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Northeast DC all competing for clinical staff.
When an anchor institution like UMB invests in producing practice-ready graduates, the downstream effect reaches every corner of this city. Ward 5 community health centers get better-prepared nurses. Congressional offices get sharper policy analysts. Legal aid organizations in Anacostia and Columbia Heights get lawyers who've already handled real cases. The investment UMB makes in Baltimore has a direct address in Washington.
For DC's education policy circles — including the DC State Board of Education and the Office of the State Superintendent — UMB's model also offers a template worth studying as the District continues to negotiate its own workforce development strategy post-2025. Check our DC Politics Guide 2026 for coverage of workforce policy on the Hill.
The Equity Question UMB Can't Ignore
Experiential learning investments don't automatically distribute equitably. Students who can afford unpaid or low-paid placements benefit most from experiential models; students carrying full-time jobs alongside professional school coursework face structural barriers to participation. UMB's commitment to this model will ultimately be measured not just by average outcomes, but by whether first-generation students, students of color, and students from under-resourced communities access these opportunities at the same rate as their peers.
That equity dimension carries particular weight given UMB's geographic position. Baltimore and DC are both majority-Black cities with significant populations of first-generation college graduates entering professional programs. If UMB's experiential investments reach these students at scale, the regional impact is transformational. If they don't, they risk replicating the same access gaps that already stratify professional education nationwide.
See how HBCU institutions in the region are tackling similar challenges in our Howard & HBCU DC Guide.
FAQ: UMB Experiential Learning and DC Workforce Impact
Q: What is experiential learning at the University of Maryland, Baltimore? A: At UMB, experiential learning includes clinical rotations, live legal casework in the School of Law's clinics, field placements in social work, and community health partnerships. These programs embed students in real professional settings before graduation, replacing traditional lecture-only formats with applied, supervised practice.
Q: How does UMB's experiential learning investment affect Washington DC? A: UMB graduates feed directly into DC's healthcare systems, federal agencies, legal aid organizations, and nonprofits. When UMB produces practice-ready graduates, DC employers — from MedStar to congressional offices to Ward 8 clinics — absorb workers who require less onboarding and deliver faster results.
Q: Which UMB programs have the strongest experiential learning components? A: The Schools of Medicine, Nursing, Law, Social Work, and Pharmacy have the most embedded experiential components, including mandatory clinical hours, live client legal representation, and supervised community health practice.
Q: Does experiential learning improve job placement rates? A: Yes. Research from the National Center for Education Statistics and the Association of American Colleges & Universities links experiential and applied learning to higher employment rates within six months of graduation and stronger long-term earnings outcomes.
Q: What workforce shortages is UMB's model designed to address? A: The DC-Baltimore corridor faces persistent shortages in registered nursing, licensed clinical social work, public interest law, and community health practice — all fields directly served by UMB's professional schools.
Q: Is experiential learning accessible to all UMB students regardless of financial background? A: This remains an active equity challenge. Students with limited financial flexibility may face barriers to unpaid placements. UMB's commitment to this model will be tested by whether stipends, scheduling flexibility, and wraparound support ensure equitable access across its student population.
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What to Watch Next
The bottom line: UMB is making a structural bet that applied, hands-on education produces better professionals and better regional outcomes than classroom instruction alone. For DC — a city that runs on policy expertise, clinical precision, and legal acuity — that bet has direct implications. Watch for UMB to deepen formal partnerships with DC-area employers, expand paid placement stipends to address access inequities, and potentially influence how Maryland and DC coordinate workforce development funding post-2026. The institution that trains the region's next generation of public servants and healthcare workers is making decisions now that will shape this city's talent landscape for a decade.
Track DC's broader education and economic mobility landscape with our DC Power Index and follow Power Moves for the latest on institutional investments reshaping the region.
Reporting drawn from: University of Maryland, Baltimore. Washington DC Magazine provides original analysis, DC-specific context, and editorial perspective beyond the source material.This article was produced with AI assistance and reviewed by WDCM editorial staff. Washington DC Magazine is committed to accuracy, transparency, and editorial integrity. If you believe any information in this article requires correction, please contact editor@washingtondcmagazine.com.
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CAN I KICK IT? screens New Jack City at the Sylvan Theater, Washington Monument, on Aug. 22. (Courtesy SHAOLIN JAZZ)
The live-cinema series CAN I KICK IT? returns to the National Mall this month with what its producers are calling the "Gangsters on the Mall" chapter of their free outdoor summer run. On Saturday, August 22, the SHAOLIN JAZZ production brings the 1991 crime classic New Jack City to the Sylvan Theater at the Washington Monument for a night of film, music, and community under the DC summer sky.
What sets the event apart is the sound. As the film plays, DJ 2-Tone Jones builds an original score in real time, reimagining one of the most iconic crime movies of the ’90s through hip-hop, soul, funk, and more. It is less a movie screening than a live performance built around the film.
The details:
Film: New Jack City (1991), with a live soundtrack by DJ 2-Tone Jones
When: Saturday, August 22 — seating opens at 7:30 p.m. (bring lawn chairs and blankets); film begins at 8:30 p.m.
Where: Sylvan Theater at the Washington Monument, Independence Ave SW & 15th St NW
A parking note from the organizers: expect road closures and restricted parking east of 14th Street NW due to a separate race event in the District. Roads west of 14th Street NW will be accessible and available for parking.
New Jack City is the second of three screenings in this year’s free CAN I KICK IT? outdoor series, which opened with Black Panther at Skyland Town Center and concludes with Scarface at the Lincoln Memorial on September 5. Produced by the Washington, DC-based multimedia arts company SHAOLIN JAZZ, the series has presented more than 150 live cinematic experiences at venues across the country, from Lincoln Center to SXSW.
"I wanted to be able to tell good stories with substance and remove the ‘ego’ out of the art," said Andrew Huang during a recent interview. Now, he’s building his career at the intersection of discipline, creativity and innovation.
Andrew Huang, founder of New Place Studios. (Courtesy photo)
As a Chinese American, Huang was reared with a deep respect for hard work, consistency and excellence. He describes his childhood as "not so affluent" and later attended college to hone his passion for videography. "In college I tried to do something I loved, which was video, but along the way I knew that I had to find a job. And so I thought, ‘what was the low hanging fruit to get to that stable 9 to 5 job?,’" he stated.
Later in life, Huang found himself working for corporations where his creativity was often limited, eventually leading to burnout. "I worked in a corporation for a long time and there were a lot of missing pieces. I wanted to fill in gaps missing in corporate video production," said Huang.
He later described how his upbringing and a mindset of "survival" led him toward a corporate career. However, his desire for balance and authentic storytelling ultimately pushed him to take the entrepreneurial leap.
"I founded a new place where you can create video and film with ‘substance and style,’" said Huang. His desire for work-life balance and passion for storytelling naturally evolved into a small business based in Virginia. With the launch of New Place Studios, the entrepreneur quickly found himself reconnecting with the values that would become the foundation of everything he creates behind the camera.
Huang said being a business owner has allowed him to first embrace himself. While others may see video as simply capturing moments, he sees it as a way to preserve stories that inspire, connect and leave a lasting imprint.
By combining cinematic visuals with cutting-edge production techniques and a keen understanding of branding, Huang helps organizations and individuals communicate their vision with purpose. He said understanding a client’s "why" serves as the compass for delivering the services they need.
One benefit of working with a small business, he said, is that clients get to see the production process unfold through a micro lens while working with the same faces throughout the entire project. "The work feels personal," said Huang.
Huang does not regret leaving behind the flash-over-substance mentality and corporate hustle culture. That does not mean the Asian American entrepreneur has been without challenges in the industry. "It’s relatively hard to find other Asian American creatives or people who would want to work with me in the DMV," said Huang.
He identifies the industry culture in which everyone is trying to blend in, creatives may fear displaying their Asian identity and some feel pressure to adopt an American corporate persona. He also points to what he describes as a level of gatekeeping within the industry. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration’s 2024 statistics, Asian American and Pacific Islander entrepreneurs own more than 3 million businesses and employ 5.2 million people in the United States.
After tapping into organizations such as SCORE, which offers free small business mentorship, New Place Studios has become a trusted creative partner throughout the DMV (Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia). The company produces a range of creative services, including commercials, corporate branding, documentaries, film, 2D animation, motion graphics and photography.
For Huang, entrepreneurship has become more than a departure from corporate life. It has given him the freedom to create with intention, build meaningful connections and tell stories that go beyond the surface.
The 2026 CAN I KICK IT? outdoor series. Poster courtesy of SHAOLIN JAZZ.
For three Saturdays this summer, some of Washington’s most familiar public spaces will do something they rarely do after dark: fill up with blankets, lawn chairs, and the sound of a movie being scored live, in real time. CAN I KICK IT?, the traveling “live cinema” series produced by the DC-based multimedia arts company SHAOLIN JAZZ, is bringing a free outdoor run to the city — pairing three era-defining films with an original soundtrack performed on the spot by DJ 2-Tone Jones.
The premise is what sets it apart from a normal screening in the park. Rather than simply pressing play, 2-Tone Jones builds a score as the film unfolds, pulling from hip-hop, soul, funk, jazz, rock, electronic music, and sounds from around the world. The result, the organizers say, is less a movie night than a one-time performance — the same film you know, wired to a soundtrack you have never heard and will not hear again. Guest DJs warm up the crowd starting at 7:30 PM before each 8:30 PM screening.
The 2026 outdoor schedule
All three events are free and open to the public.
Saturday, August 8 — Black Panther at Skyland Town Center. A pop-up marketplace and community activities kick off the evening; guest DJs at 7:30 PM, film at 8:30 PM. Marvel’s superhero epic gets a one-night-only live score in Southeast DC.
Saturday, August 22 — New Jack City at the Sylvan Theater, Washington Monument. Seating begins at 7:30 PM; the film starts at 8:30 PM. The 1991 crime drama plays out at the foot of one of the country’s most recognizable landmarks.
Saturday, September 5 — Scarface at the Lincoln Memorial. Seating at 7:30 PM; film at 8:30 PM. The series closes with Brian De Palma’s crime saga against the backdrop of the Memorial, scored live from start to finish.
First up: Black Panther at Skyland Town Center on August 8. Poster courtesy of SHAOLIN JAZZ.
A DC company with a national footprint
SHAOLIN JAZZ describes itself as a Washington-based arts company working at the intersection of music, film, art, and culture, and CAN I KICK IT? is its signature production. According to the organizers, the series has staged more than 150 live cinematic experiences around the country — at performing arts centers, museums, festivals, and cultural institutions including Lincoln Center in New York, SXSW, the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, Republic Square in Austin, the Tacoma Armory, and The Cary Theater.
“CAN I KICK IT? has always been about creating a shared experience,” said Gerald Watson, co-founder of SHAOLIN JAZZ. “When you combine iconic films with live music in public spaces, something special happens. People aren’t just watching a movie — they’re experiencing it together. That’s what makes these nights so memorable.”
Cinema as a community event
The DC run lands as cities across the country look for new ways to activate public space through arts and culture — and this series is a straightforward pitch for how to do it: take a landmark everyone already knows, add a film everyone has an opinion about, and let a live soundtrack turn the evening into something neighbors experience shoulder to shoulder. Families, film buffs, and music fans are all invited, and admission won’t cost a thing.
The CAN I KICK IT? outdoor series runs August 8, August 22, and September 5. All events are free; check SHAOLIN JAZZ (shaolinjazz.com) for the latest details and any weather updates before heading out.
