New Beginnings: Inside the Maya Angelou Academy at NBYDC

Located at 8400 River Rd in Laurel, MD, the New Beginnings Youth Development Center (NBYDC) is a facility focusing on the rehabilitation and reintegration of young male offenders committed to the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services (DYRS).

Within the NBYDC operates the Horizons Program Level System, a structured pathway that guides DYRS youth through six distinct phases, emphasizing safety, self-awareness, independence, mastery, belonging, and self-knowledge.

The Maya Angelou Academy, managed by the See Forever Foundation, offers specialized educational programs at NBYDC and beyond. Catering to students with diverse challenges, the academy provides a tailored curriculum aimed at academic advancement and long-term success.

Students at the Maya Angelou Academy often enter with academic setbacks, testing at elementary levels in English and math. The school’s accredited programs include GED and SAT preparation, computer skills training, and college readiness initiatives.

Mark Hamlett, the Correctional Institutional Administrator at NBYDC, emphasizes the importance of family engagement in the rehabilitation process. The facility encourages family involvement and offers support services to aid youth transitioning back to their community schools.