About Navigating Advocacy for Meaningful Education (N.A.M.E.)
Empowering Families, Transforming Education
At N.A.M.E., we are dedicated to ensuring that every child receives the meaningful education they deserve. We provide educational advocacy, training, and resources that help families and nonprofit partners navigate the complexities of IEPs, 504 plans, and inclusive program design. Our work bridges the gap between policy and practice transforming awareness into action and access into equity.
We envision a Maryland, and ultimately a world, where every student, regardless of background or ability, has access to the educational support, tools, and advocacy they need to thrive. By empowering families and training organizations to lead with inclusion, we are building systems that honor every learner’s potential.
OUR VISION
Navigating Advocacy for Meaningful Education (N.A.M.E.) LLC began as Advocate Baltimore a grassroots movement founded on one simple, powerful belief: every child deserves access to the educational supports and services they are entitled to. In our early days, we walked alongside families as they navigated the complexities of the special education system, helping parents understand their rights, prepare for IEP and 504 meetings, and secure the accommodations their children needed to learn and thrive. As our reach expanded, we recognized that meaningful change required more than one-on-one advocacy. It demanded systemic transformation. Families were doing their part, but many of the organizations serving children lacked the training, capacity, and inclusive infrastructure necessary to fully meet the needs of students with disabilities. To answer that need, we evolved from Advocate Baltimore into Navigating Advocacy for Meaningful Education (N.A.M.E.) LLC, a social-impact organization committed to building inclusive systems, not just navigating them.
Today, our work stands on two interconnected pillars:
The Maryland Inclusion Project, which equips Maryland’s nonprofits and out-of-school-time programs with the training, certification, and accountability tools to include and support youth with disabilities.
The Family Advocacy Program, which continues our founding purpose by providing IEP/504 meeting attendance, document analysis, and personalized coaching for parents.
Though our name has changed, our purpose has not.
We remain a guiding force for families and organizations alike turning advocacy into action, and access into equity. At N.A.M.E., we don’t just support families; we equip communities to create lasting systems of inclusion and opportunity for every learner.